Barr introduces bipartisan bill to boost U.S. tech trade with India

To bolster technological cooperation between the United States and India, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) on Sept. 8 introduced a bipartisan bill that would provide export approvals for high-performance computers to India.

The Technology Exports to India Act, H.R. 5374, which Rep. Barr cosponsored alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), would state that it is the sense of Congress that greater technological and defense cooperation with India is critical to tackling shared geopolitical and security challenges, according to the text of the bill.

Likewise, the bill would reduce regulatory barriers to technological cooperation with India in ways that aim to enhance U.S. national security and advance strategic priorities.  

“This bill removes restrictions on the sale of U.S. products, such as digital computers and electronic assemblies, to India without a Department of Commerce license, thereby enhancing U.S.-India technology trade, linkages between our technology companies, and supply chain resilience for a critical industry,” the lawmakers said in a joint statement. “In light of the further strengthening of our strategic partnership with India, this legislative change reduces regulatory barriers to technology cooperation.”

In January, the U.S. and India announced the elevation of a strategic partnership with an initiative on critical and emerging technology. As part of the initiative, the countries committed to resolving issues related to regulatory barriers to jointly strengthen their innovation landscape, increase defense cooperation, and develop resilient supply chains, the bill says. 

Providing the president with the flexibility to export high-performance computers to India would bolster U.S.-India technological cooperation and demonstrate Congress’s commitment to India as a strategic partner, “while removing India from the Computer Tier 3 eligible countries list in section 740.7(d) of title 8 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations would help to strengthen the bilateral relationship,” states the bill.

Rep. Barr is vice chair of the House India Caucus. H.R. 5374 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee.