Republican Slams Lax Enforcement of China Tech Trade Curbs (1)

A key Republican is attacking the Commerce Department for undermining national security by prioritizing trade with China over tough enforcement of export controls aimed at containing its geopolitical rival.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul criticized the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security in a 61-page report that detailed a sweeping range of shortcomings. It argued BIS has too readily approved the export of sensitive technologies to Chinese companies, prioritized US companies’ business interests and moved reluctantly to penalize companies found in violation of American regulations.

Michael McCaul

Photographer: Anna Rose Layden/Bloomberg

The Texas Republican said that BIS failed to take sufficient action ...