Kevin Wolf Quoted by FT on Growing Concerns in Silicon Valley over U.S.-China Trade War

Kevin Wolf, international trade partner at Akin Gump, was quoted by the Financial Times in its article “Trade war puts US tech sector in line of fire.” The article reports on growing concerns in Silicon Valley about the Trump administration’s latest threat in its escalating trade war with China—a pledge to put export controls on several emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and robotics.

According to the FT, U.S. technology companies are concerned that the government’s actions could hinder the goal of maintaining a U.S. lead in the technology sector, but Washington has accused Beijing of stealing intellectual property and forcing U.S. companies to hand over technology, labeling China’s trade practices as predatory and unfair. At the same time, Beijing has accused Washington of trying to block its efforts at achieving a more competitive, higher-value economy.

Last week, the Commerce Department published a list of technologies that could be subject to expanded trade restrictions. Wolf, a former Commerce Department official, said the outcome of this would be amplified by the fact that any technology subject to export controls will also be classified as a “critical technology” in U.S. government probes of foreign investment.