A bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to restrict the entry of foreign government officials who discriminate against American companies and to allow for their deportation if they are already in the U.S.
Representative Michael Baumgartner (R-Wash.) announced on July 23 that he has introduced H.R. 9834, the "No Racketeers on Our Shores Act," which amends immigration and nationality laws.
The bill designates foreign government officials who economically discriminate against Americans or American companies as ineligible for entry into the U.S. and subject to deportation. However, it excludes regulations that are applied legally and fairly, imposing diplomatic penalties only on those who decide or enforce discriminatory policies.
Baumgartner stated, "American companies should compete based on the competitiveness of their products, not against foreign bureaucrats trying to tilt the playing field." He expressed concern over foreign governments imposing selective investigations, punitive fines, and discriminatory taxes and regulations on U.S. companies.
He specifically cited the regulatory actions against Coupang by South Korean authorities as a key example. Baumgartner claimed that South Korean officials have conducted dozens of investigations into the U.S.-based company and demanded thousands of documents, culminating in the largest fines ever imposed.
He also referenced the European Union's imposition of over $1 billion in fines on Google under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and Brazil's push for DMA-style regulations targeting large tech companies based in the U.S.
Baumgartner emphasized that official investigations by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) or renegotiations of trade agreements could have broad economic and diplomatic repercussions, asserting that this bill offers a more limited and targeted response.
He added, "Foreign officials who use government power to discriminate against Americans should not take for granted the privilege of visiting or remaining in the U.S."
The bill was introduced as Coupang expands its lobbying efforts with the U.S. government and Congress. According to disclosures under the Lobbying Disclosure Act, Coupang paid $250,000 to the lobbying firm Ballard Partners in the second quarter of this year, targeting agencies including the White House, the House of Representatives, and the USTR.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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