Blacklisted Chinese companies can now exploit a loophole to obtain key U.S. technologies, threatening national security
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision to suspend critical export controls that prevent Chinese companies from accessing sensitive American technology.
The senators warned that Trump’s move, made as part of trade negotiations with Communist China, could allow blacklisted foreign companies to obtain advanced U.S. technologies, including cutting-edge AI chips, and weakens the authority of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to safeguard national security.
“By suspending these export controls, the Trump administration is opening the door for blacklisted Chinese companies to access some of our most sensitive technologies,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “This isn’t tough negotiating, it’s a dangerous giveaway that puts our national security and our technological leadership at risk. I’m calling on the administration to immediately restore these protections so we can keep critical American innovations out of the hands of our adversaries.”
“Trump’s selling off our tech advantage to China because he desperately needed a bargaining chip to end his foolish trade war,” said Senator Wyden. “Our national security shouldn’t be up for sale, and we must keep these protections in place so our rivals can’t blunt our competitive edge. My letter urges Trump officials to reverse course on this reckless decision.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
Senator Cortez Masto has led efforts in Congress to stand up to the Chinese Communist Party’s influence and protect American national and economic security. In October, she urged the Trump administration to protect American national security during his trade negotiations with China. Cortez Masto’s FIGHT China Act to safeguard America’s national security by prohibiting and requiring notification of U.S. investment in certain technologies in China, and her PASS Act to ban individuals and entities controlled by China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea from purchasing agricultural land and businesses located near U.S. military installations both passed the Senate in the FY2026 NDAA. She has also introduced the Pacific Partnership Act to strengthen America’s strategic partnerships with Pacific Island nations and combat the increasing Chinese aggression in the region.
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