Risch says State Department bill would boost trade, fight intellectual property theft

The ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee is backing a new bill to bolster the State Department’s “economic corps” of diplomats that he says will boost trade and combat intellectual property theft and forced technology transfers. Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) last week introduced the “ Economic and Commercial Opportunities and Networks Act ” to help advance economic partnerships abroad while boosting the economy. “U.S. foreign policy must include strong economic and commercial diplomacy and policy,” Risch said in...