The Bureau of Industry and Security and DOJ are investigating U.S. mobile phone parts producer Lumentum for potentially violating U.S. export controls on shipments to Huawei, according to corporate filings.
U.S. companies and trade groups applauded a recent Bureau of Industry and Security rule that expanded the agency’s export control exemption for certain standards-setting activities. They said the rule change will help remove licensing barriers that American officials face at international bodies while working on emerging technology standards. While the Technology Trade Regulation Alliance welcomed the rule changes, it said BIS should continue expanding the exemption to cover a wider set of technologies discussed in standards bodies involving the electronics, telecommunications and aviation industries. For example, the TTRA said BIS should harmonize its standards-setting-related controls with how it treats other information shared publicly, such as fundamental research. The rule “appears inconsistent with the BIS approach to other First Amendment protected commercial speech,” the alliance said. UL Standards & Engagement, a nonprofit standards development organization, and the Wi-Fi Alliance said the rule update will help their members more easily participate in standards bodies. The Wi-Fi Alliance specifically said the rule confirms that the type of standards-related activity its members are involved in “is not restricted by the Export Administration Regulations.” BIS issued rules in 2020 and 2022 that authorize releasing certain controlled technology for specific standards-setting activities, including when companies on the Entity List, such as Huawei, are participating in those bodies.
The Commerce Department should add ByteDance to its foreign trade restriction list to safeguard American data, Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, and Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., wrote Thursday. Commerce should add the TikTok parent company to the Bureau of Industry and Security’s entity list: “This step would be instrumental in applying licensing restrictions to the export of software from the U.S. to ByteDance for its applications. If American users aren't able to upgrade their app with software updates, which involves the export of U.S. software, then the operability of the applications of concern will be weakened.” They noted the department took similar action against Huawei and non-U.S. affiliates in 2019. The department didn’t comment.
Former NTIA acting Administrator Diane Rinaldo and other witnesses set to testify during a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing say in written testimony that smart, expedited use of funding from NTIA’s Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Wireless Innovation Fund), among other actions, will help supercharge innovation in U.S. open radio access networks. Several witnesses also urge accelerated development of ORAN standards, ensuring equipment interoperability. The hearing is set to begin at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn, the House Commerce Committee said Tuesday.