U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)

Localities and broadcasters have many options to offer some multilingual emergency alerts, but none is comprehensive, and federal rules requiring them are unlikely to help, said alerting officials Friday during the FCC Public Safety Bureau's Multilingual Alerting Workshop. “There's enough toys in the toy box, let us fit them together,” said Sage Alerting Systems President Harold Price on the event's final panel. “Multilingual still has a long way to go, but there are still things you can do,” said Public Safety Bureau Attorney Adviser David Munson.

A Commerce Department official allayed concerns from the U.S. industry that new export controls on emerging technologies will be overbroad, saying it will only look to control a "slice" of categories of technologies, not whole classifications.

The FTC isn’t equipped to handle modern enforcement challenges, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., told us, saying there’s a strong case for creating a new data privacy agency. Eshoo and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., are drafting a bill that would create such an agency modeled after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (see 1906250033).

The FTC isn’t equipped to handle modern enforcement challenges, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., told us, saying there’s a strong case for creating a new data privacy agency. Eshoo and Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., are drafting a bill that would create such an agency modeled after the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (see 1906250033).

The Senate voted 86-8 Thursday to pass the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (S-1790) with a manager's amendment that included some 5G, spectrum and emergency alerts-related proposal. Senate leaders didn't include any proposed language in the manager's amendment targeting Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei (see 1906190054). There had been separate proposals by three senators -- Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. -- amid the debate over the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security notice adding Huawei and its affiliates to a list of entities subject to export administration regulations (see 1905160081). Romney was among those concerned President Donald Trump would seek to end BIS' restrictions against Huawei as part of the administration's ongoing trade talks with China (see 1905240038). The S-1790 language outlined in the manager's amendment would call for DOD to work with the FCC and NTIA to establish a spectrum sharing R&D program aimed at sharing between 5G technologies, federal and non-federal incumbent systems. The language says DOD, the FCC and NTIA officials should, by May 2020, propose an “integrated spectrum automation enterprise strategy” that will allow Defense to “address management of [spectrum], including Federal and non-Federal spectrum” shared by DOD “that could be used for national security missions in the future, including on a shared basis.” There's also language saying the secretary of defense should begin by March 15, 2020, to brief Hill committees with jurisdiction over DOD on how the department is using 5G technology and is working with other federal agencies to “develop common policies and approaches.” The manager's amendment includes a proposal from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., to would require the director of national intelligence to report on the extent to which “global and regional adoption” of foreign-made 5G technology affects U.S. national security. The study should in part look at how the nation's “strategy to reduce foreign influence and political pressure in international standard-setting bodies” could help mitigate the threat. Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, secured the addition of language from his Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (Alert) Act, which he first filed in response to the January 2018 false missile emergency alert in Hawaii (see 1801160054). The Alert Act would give the federal government sole authority to issue missile threat alerts and pre-empt state and local governments' role (see 1802070052). The Senate cleared the Alert Act last year by unanimous consent (see 1806270001).

The Senate voted 86-8 Thursday to pass the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (S-1790) with a manager's amendment that included some 5G, spectrum and emergency alerts-related proposal. Senate leaders didn't include any proposed language in the manager's amendment targeting Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei (see 1906190054). There had been separate proposals by three senators -- Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. -- amid the debate over the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security notice adding Huawei and its affiliates to a list of entities subject to export administration regulations (see 1905160081). Romney was among those concerned President Donald Trump would seek to end BIS' restrictions against Huawei as part of the administration's ongoing trade talks with China (see 1905240038). The S-1790 language outlined in the manager's amendment would call for DOD to work with the FCC and NTIA to establish a spectrum sharing R&D program aimed at sharing between 5G technologies, federal and non-federal incumbent systems. The language says DOD, the FCC and NTIA officials should, by May 2020, propose an “integrated spectrum automation enterprise strategy” that will allow Defense to “address management of [spectrum], including Federal and non-Federal spectrum” shared by DOD “that could be used for national security missions in the future, including on a shared basis.” There's also language saying the secretary of defense should begin by March 15, 2020, to brief Hill committees with jurisdiction over DOD on how the department is using 5G technology and is working with other federal agencies to “develop common policies and approaches.” The manager's amendment includes a proposal from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., to would require the director of national intelligence to report on the extent to which “global and regional adoption” of foreign-made 5G technology affects U.S. national security. The study should in part look at how the nation's “strategy to reduce foreign influence and political pressure in international standard-setting bodies” could help mitigate the threat. Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, secured the addition of language from his Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (Alert) Act, which he first filed in response to the January 2018 false missile emergency alert in Hawaii (see 1801160054). The Alert Act would give the federal government sole authority to issue missile threat alerts and pre-empt state and local governments' role (see 1802070052). The Senate cleared the Alert Act last year by unanimous consent (see 1806270001).

The Senate voted 86-8 Thursday to pass the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (S-1790) with a manager's amendment that included some 5G, spectrum and emergency alerts-related proposal. Senate leaders didn't include any proposed language in the manager's amendment targeting Chinese telecom equipment manufacturer Huawei (see 1906190054). There had been separate proposals by three senators -- Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Mitt Romney, R-Utah; and Marco Rubio, R-Fla. -- amid the debate over the Commerce Department Bureau of Industry and Security notice adding Huawei and its affiliates to a list of entities subject to export administration regulations (see 1905160081). Romney was among those concerned President Donald Trump would seek to end BIS' restrictions against Huawei as part of the administration's ongoing trade talks with China (see 1905240038). The S-1790 language outlined in the manager's amendment would call for DOD to work with the FCC and NTIA to establish a spectrum sharing R&D program aimed at sharing between 5G technologies, federal and non-federal incumbent systems. The language says DOD, the FCC and NTIA officials should, by May 2020, propose an “integrated spectrum automation enterprise strategy” that will allow Defense to “address management of [spectrum], including Federal and non-Federal spectrum” shared by DOD “that could be used for national security missions in the future, including on a shared basis.” There's also language saying the secretary of defense should begin by March 15, 2020, to brief Hill committees with jurisdiction over DOD on how the department is using 5G technology and is working with other federal agencies to “develop common policies and approaches.” The manager's amendment includes a proposal from Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., to would require the director of national intelligence to report on the extent to which “global and regional adoption” of foreign-made 5G technology affects U.S. national security. The study should in part look at how the nation's “strategy to reduce foreign influence and political pressure in international standard-setting bodies” could help mitigate the threat. Senate Communications Subcommittee ranking member Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, secured the addition of language from his Authenticating Local Emergencies and Real Threats (Alert) Act, which he first filed in response to the January 2018 false missile emergency alert in Hawaii (see 1801160054). The Alert Act would give the federal government sole authority to issue missile threat alerts and pre-empt state and local governments' role (see 1802070052). The Senate cleared the Alert Act last year by unanimous consent (see 1806270001).

President Donald Trump wants to use the G20 summit, opening Friday in Osaka, Japan, to promote “fair and reciprocal trade” as part of his “pro-jobs, pro-growth strategy,” said the White House Thursday. The Trump administration is “working to open new markets for American goods and services, while ensuring any deal is enforceable and creates a level playing field for our workers and companies,” it said. The U.S. is working with its allies to “confront unfair trade practices, including intellectual property theft, unfair labor practices, and forced technology transfer,” it said without mentioning China. Trump will “encourage our allies and partners to lower tariff and non-tariff barriers to free, fair, and reciprocal trade,” it said. He’s also committed to “encouraging innovation” by promoting “growth in the digital marketplace and supporting emerging technologies,” including artificial intelligence, which have “the potential to make a positive, meaningful impact on living standards and productivity,” said the White House. “Overly burdensome regulations can stifle innovation and limit the potential of these transformative technologies to fuel economic growth.” The U.S. will promote “innovation-friendly policies that support growth in the digital economy and pave the way for technological innovation,” said the White House. The administration urges G20 members “to work together to advance an open, fair, market-based digital economy, which will benefit all our nations through the free flow of data,” it said. Trump's planned meeting on the G20 sidelines with Chinese President Xi Jinping will figure critically in the administration's decision whether to impose the threatened List 4 Section 301 tariffs on virtually all remaining Chinese imports not previously dutied. The threat of additional tariffs "will in no way intimidate the Chinese people," said a Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Thursday. "I would like to remind the U.S. that waging a trade war and raising tariffs will hurt others as well as itself and can never solve any problem at all. We hope the U.S. will earnestly listen to the outcry against the trade war and additional tariffs of its people and various groups at home and heed to the call to boycott unilateralism, protectionism and bullying from the international community at the G20 Osaka summit."

There is significant tension and disagreement between the Defense and Commerce departments about the reach of U.S. export controls, said Jamie McCormick, a staffer for House Appropriations Committee Republicans, June 27 at the American Association of Exporters and Importers Annual Conference in Washington. McCormick said the confusion surrounding foundational technologies among U.S. industry leaders may stem from the original passage of the Export Control Reform Act of 2018, adding that he believes the executive branch does not agree on a definition for foundational technologies. “I’m not certain that at the time they passed the bill that the executive branch could say with any certainty what they meant by foundational technologies,” McCormick said.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer said he thinks the House could be able to have a vote in the fall on the new NAFTA. Blumenauer, from Oregon and one of nine House Democrats who are tasked with negotiating changes to the deal with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, said he expects the group will meet with USTR "at least once a week." Speaking at a Washington International Trade Association event June 26, he joked that Lighthizer spends so much time meeting with House members and caucuses, "I think he travels the world just to get away from us." Lighthizer is on his way to Osaka, Japan, for the G-20 meeting. He met with the working group the afternoon before he left.