House Passes Trade Security Bills

The House of Representatives passed bills related to trade and economic security: addressing IP protection, procurement of Uyghur Region-origin goods, Chinese cultural missions in the US, and Export License reporting to Congress.

• H.R. 1486 – Economic Espionage Prevention Act: passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 5, 2025, seeks to counter economic and industrial espionage by foreign adversaries, particularly in light of increased transfers of U.S.-origin semiconductors to Russia via China.

  Key Provisions:
  Sanctions Authority: Empowers the President to impose property-blocking and visa sanctions on foreign entities that:
  • Engage in economic or industrial espionage targeting U.S. trade secrets.
  • Provide material support to foreign adversaries’ military or intelligence sectors.
  • Violate U.S. export control laws. 

  Dentons notes that the legislation, while improving deterrance for IP theft, increases the potential exposure to disruptive investigations and sanctions should a firm's conduct business with China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba or Venezuela. "Industries such as technology, aerospace, pharmaceuticals, and defense, which rely heavily on proprietary information, may face increased scrutiny and benefit from enhanced protections," the firm states.
• H.R. 1724 – No Dollars to Uyghur Forced Labor Act: Nathaniel Moran (R-TX), prohibits the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) from using appropriated funds to support any activities that knowingly procure goods produced wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China or by entities associated with forced labor in that region.

• H.R. 881 – DHS Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities of Concern Act: The bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from providing funds to any higher education institution that hosts Confucius Institutes, which are nonprofit cultural and educational centers funded by the Chinese government. That prohibition also would apply to institutions that have financial relationships with Chinese universities or colleges that meet other criteria such as receiving funding from or providing support to elements of the Chinese Communist Party.

• H.R. 1316 – Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act:  This bill requires the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to annually report to Congress on export control licensing.