Background

For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.

Duty-Free Imports. H.R. 2824 (introduced April 22 by Rep. Titus, D-Nev.) would authorize duty-free treatment for certain imports from Mongolia.

Exports. The Natural Gas Export Expansion Act (H.R. 2705, introduced April 20 by Rep. Pfluger, R-Texas) would expand expedited approval of all liquefied natural gas export permit applications to any country except those (1) subject to U.S. sanctions or trade restrictions or (2) excluded by the president or Congress for reasons of national security.

Sourcing. H.R. 2745 (introduced April 21 by Rep. Pocan, D-Wis.) would provide incentives for businesses to keep jobs in the U.S.

Trade Secrets. The Combating Chinese Purloining of Trade Secrets Act (S. 1245, introduced April 20 by Sen. Graham, R-S.C.) would, among other things, (1) expand available penalties for foreign persons that misappropriate U.S. trade secrets to include import restrictions and denial of export licenses and (2) create grounds of inadmissibility and deportability for those who seek to enter the U.S. to engage in theft of trade secrets and involvement in commercial fraud schemes.

The Protecting American Intellectual Property Act (S. 1294, introduced April 21 by Sens. Van Hollen, D-Md., and Sasse, R-Neb.) would require a report to Congress every six months identifying (1) any individual or firm that has engaged in, benefitted from, or materially assisted the significant and serial theft of U.S. trade secrets, if that theft constitutes a major threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, economic health, or financial stability, and (2) the chief executive officers and board members of the reported firms and whether those individuals have benefitted from such activity. The president would then have to (1) impose at least five sanctions from a menu of possibilities, including export prohibitions, procurement sanctions, and property-blocking sanctions, and (2) impose property-blocking sanctions and prohibit entry into the U.S. for identified individuals. These penalties would terminate if the president certifies to Congress that the individual or firm is no longer engaged in the sanctionable behavior. The legislation also includes a national interest waiver. 

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