U.S. Weighs Emergency Powers to Curb China Tech Investments
- Treasury has until mid-May to report options to Trump
- Goal is to clamp down on acquisitions of sensitive technology
This article is for subscribers only.
The Treasury Department is considering using an emergency law to curb Chinese investments in sensitive technologies, as the Trump administration looks to punish China for what it sees as violations of American intellectual-property rights.
The U.S. government is reviewing the possible use of a law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, said Heath Tarbert, an assistant secretary in the agency’s international affairs office. Under the 1977 IEEPA law, President Donald Trump could declare a national emergency in response to an “unusual and extraordinary threat,” allowing him to block transactions and seize assets.