Commerce Dept. proposal may bring more questions than clarity to supply-chain security

The Commerce Department's flexible, case-by-case approach to a proposed supply-chain regulation garnered positive initial reviews from industry groups, but it still leaves open numerous questions on how federal officials will evaluate transactions, define “foreign adversaries” and deploy adequate resources so the process doesn't bog down business operations, according to sources.

“It's like pick your poison,” commented one industry source. “I like case-by-case, but one concern is this is a [proposed] regulatory process that intrudes on business decision-making in ways that...