US bill would widen technology products eligible for blacklist

China’s technology sector is facing renewed scrutiny in the United States as American lawmakers seek to widen the range of products that could be placed on a trade blacklist. The Communications and Technology Transparency Act, introduced by the US House Energy and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, would expand the Federal Communications Commission’s Covered List. The existing description covers communications equipment or services; the proposed measure would extend the scope beyond that category.

The supplied report does not specify the full range of products that could become eligible under the bill or explain the next stage of its consideration in Congress. Lenovo Group has also been drawn into a separate patent dispute involving memory devices, according to the report. The material does not identify the other party, the court or tribunal involved, the patent claims or Lenovo’s response.

Together, the proposed legislation and the Lenovo dispute are presented as fresh sources of pressure for China’s technology industry in the United States. The supplied information does not indicate whether the bill has passed or whether Lenovo has been found liable.