On April 22, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a plan to implement across-the-board structural changes to the Department of State to bring the department in line with President Trump’s America First foreign policy...more
After months of signaling, the Department of Commerce disclosed on April 14 that it had begun an investigation into the national security impacts of importing pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical ingredients and derivative...more
On Friday, April 11, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum to clarify that smartphones and certain other electronics are not subject to the now-125% “reciprocal” tariff on imports from China or the 10% “baseline” tariff...more
On April 2, President Donald Trump issued a series of executive orders (EOs) to impose reciprocal tariffs on select countries and revoke China’s eligibility for the de minimis exemption. The long-previewed actions fulfill a...more
On March 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production,” which aims to reestablish the United States as a dominant force in critical mineral production...more
On Feb. 21, 2025, President Trump issued a National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM) introducing an “America First Investment Policy,” which sets the stage for a significant realignment of U.S. investment regulations....more
2/27/2025
/ CFIUS ,
China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investment ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration
On Feb. 13, President Donald Trump issued a memorandum directing the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to review all tariffs imposed on U.S. exports as well as other non-tariff trade barriers that...more
On Feb. 3, Panama announced its plans to leave China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino announced his decision following a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during Rubio’s...more
2/10/2025
/ China ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Infrastructure ,
International Trade ,
Investment ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration
As of Monday afternoon, Feb. 3, discussions between President Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have resulted in a one-month delay in implementing tariffs on those...more
On Jan. 8, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) announced the creation of the Supply Chain Resiliency Initiative (SCRI), a targeted financing program aimed at diversifying and strengthening critical mineral and...more
President-elect Donald Trump and his key advisors have embraced the “Return to Peace through Strength,” sometimes known as “America First,” concept when describing their foreign policy and national security goals in the next...more
1/8/2025
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Policy ,
Israel ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Semiconductors ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration
Last week, the House held its long-awaited “China Week” to vote on a series of legislation targeting various aspects of the U.S.-China relationship. The bills targeted national security, economic relations, technology, the...more
Between July 24–26, trade ministers, members of the diplomatic corps and other stakeholders came to Washington, D.C., for the annual African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum. This year’s forum, “Beyond 2025:...more
Yesterday, following the completion of the Section 301 review by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), President Joe Biden announced a series of tariff hikes on a wide range of Chinese goods, including...more
On Saturday, April 20, the House voted on a series of five separate bills, three of which would provide emergency funding to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific, a fourth so-called “sidecar” spending bill that would cover a...more
On April 17, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released General License (GL) 44A, requiring the wind down of business transactions with Venezuela’s state-owned energy company Petróleos...more
The 28th iteration of the Conference of Parties (COP28) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from Nov. 30–Dec. 12, 2023. The meeting brings together...more
On Monday, Oct. 30, President Biden signed an Executive Order (EO) on the Safe, Secure and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The EO is intended to establish safety standards for leading...more
The African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), first enacted in May 2000, provides tariff-free treatment of U.S. imports of goods sourced from certain sub-Saharan African countries. AGOA is intended to bolster economic growth...more
On Sept. 21, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen co-hosted the Inaugural U.S. Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII) Investor Forum. President Joe Biden formally...more
On Aug. 9, 2023, President Biden signed an executive order (EO) that creates a policy to report and, in some cases, restrict outbound investments in national security technologies and products from the United States into...more
Biden Issues Outbound Investment Executive Order. On Aug. 9, President Joe Biden issued a long-awaited executive order (EO) that prohibits some U.S. investments in China. The EO will require reporting for certain transactions...more
Senate Adopts Outbound Investment NDAA Provision. On July 25, the Senate approved an amendment to the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) filed by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Bob Casey (D-PA) that would require...more
China Issues Restrictions on Critical Mineral Exports. On July 3, China’s Ministry of Commerce announced restrictions on the export of gallium and germanium-related products required for the manufacturing of semiconductors,...more
Secretary Yellen to Travel to Beijing. Unnamed Biden administration officials have reported Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen is planning to travel to Beijing in early July for meetings with CCP Vice Premier He Lifeng...more
7/14/2023
/ Belarus ,
China ,
Exports ,
Imports ,
India ,
Janet Yellen ,
Semiconductors ,
Singapore ,
Supply Chain ,
Trade Relations ,
US Trade Policies ,
Vladimir Putin