Bill Would Restrict Certain Biotech Exports
A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers introduced an export control bill Dec. 11 aimed at protecting biotechnology intellectual property from theft by China.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
The Biological Intellectual Property Protection Act would require a license to export a designed synthetic DNA or RNA sequence to an entity in a “foreign country of concern,” such as China or Russia. It would allow exemptions for individuals to conduct fundamental research, teach courses or publish academic work.
The "export of novel synthetic DNA and RNA sequences provides insight into the designs and research of biotechnology entities, leading to a high potential for intellectual property theft by foreign adversaries," the bill says. The U.S. "should therefore control the export of synthetic DNA and RNA sequences to foreign adversaries."
Led by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.; and Ted Budd, R-N.C.; and Reps. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., the bill was referred to the Senate Banking Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.