The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) released part of an investigation into six foreign countries’ censorship affecting American firms, with a focus on China. Two senators have urged the United States to fight back with trade tools. On Jan. 27, USITC unveiled the first report of the investigation (pdf), calling out China, Russia, Turkey, Vietnam, India, and Indonesia as places where censorship is most rampant. The 240-page report details policies and practices that U.S. companies deem as impediments to trade and investment. Unlike dealing with other nations, the report puts aside a separate chapter to explore the role of the Chinese communist regime in misconduct. “In the censorship-related indexes used in this report, China consistently rated as having one of the highest levels of censorship, across all sectors,” the report said. Beijing uses a mix of technical and non-technical tools to control information and suit its political agenda, including website blocking, keyword …