The U.S. Commerce secretary would be able to block imports of any technology deemed to pose a potential national security threat under sweeping new plans proposed by the Trump administration. In an attempt to combat the perceived threat of Chinese equipment being used for spying, the Commerce Department on Tuesday put forward rules requiring the personal approval of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross for sensitive transactions. Alongside the blacklisting, Trump also asked Ross to draw up rules to restrict the sale of technology equipment that could pose a threat to national security. Many in the telecom industry predicted Ross would impose a blanket ban on Huawei supplying telecom equipment to the U.S., but several companies have lobbied heavily against him doing so. The Commerce secretary will be responsible for deciding which countries are adversaries, and which technologies pose such a threat.

Source: Los Angeles Times November 26, 2019 19:52 UTC