Following up on an initial move earlier this year, the Biden administration has issued a proposed rule that would limit the ability to sell vehicles produced by Chinese companies, or vehicles produced by non-Chinese companies in China, in the U.S. market, based on concerns about national security.

Last week, the Dutch and U.S. governments both announced the expansion of their export controls in the semiconductor and quantum computing sectors.

As Japan is reportedly tightening its grip on exports of advanced materials and equipment, China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) warned that Japan's actions could "seriously affect" normal bilateral trade.

Recent news reports in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom indicate that there is some pressure for a TikTok ban or forced sale along the lines of what is currently being considered in the United States, or for a similar measure, although there is no sign of imminent action.

Yesterday, the Biden administration issued an executive order on "Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern," with China as a main country of concern.

President Biden has directed the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) at the Commerce Department to investigate potential national security concerns related to Chinese access to Americans' "connected vehicles."

As a WTO complaint against U.S. semiconductor export controls lingers in the background, these controls have been the subject of comments through the U.S. rule-making process, with new comments coming in recently.