In another step towards irrelevance, ten Democratic senators backed the GOP's six month continuing resolution, effectively forgoing the budget process for fiscal year 2025. The 62-38 vote to invoke cloture permitted a 54-46 vote to pass the bill. The vote will give the President unprecedented authority to direct spending, though Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) insisted the alernative would be worse. "I believe allowing Donald Trump to take even much more power via a government shutdown is a far worse option."
Congressional Democrats are challenging President Trump’s authority to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada without congressional approval, warning that retaliatory measures could severely impact American farmers.
On March 12, 2025, the United States implemented a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports, adding some $22 billion to the cost of steel and aluminum imports, according to one estimate.. This action has elicited varied responses from key international partners. While the EU and Canada responded with immediate countermeasures, The US and Mexico held back retaliatory tariffs to see if negotiations could bear fruit.
March 13 the Senate confirmed Jeffrey Kessler as Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security by a mostly party-line vote of 54 to 45. Upon taking office, Kessler has pledged to review and reform BIS operations, particularly its role in preventing China and other adversaries from accessing advanced U.S. technologies. He has expressed skepticism about the AI Diffusion Rule, questioning its effectiveness in addressing national security risks and signaling his intent to revisit its implementation.
With little fanfare, the Secretary fo State has assumed authority over a broad swath of trade and immigration policy, potentially setting up even more confusion and opacity as the new adminstration reshapes the federal government.
Canada has formally initiated dispute settlement proceedings at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against the United States concerning additional import duties imposed on Canadian steel and aluminum products. The request for WTO consultations was circulated to members on March 13, following the termination of Canada’s exemption from these tariffs.
Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned the Foxtrot Network, a Sweden-based transnational criminal organization (TCO), along with its fugitive leader, Rawa Majid. The network, involved in drug trafficking and violent crimes across Europe, orchestrated an attack on the Israeli Embassy in Stockholm in January 2024 on behalf of Iran.
Continuing the redirection of federal anti-money laundering resources towards the Mexican border, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) to curb illicit financial activities and money laundering by Mexico-based cartels and other criminal entities along the southwest U.S. border.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers has reintroduced legislation aimed at combating trade crimes committed by companies based in the People's Republic of China (PRC) that violate U.S. trade laws and harm American workers and businesses. The Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act seeks to establish a new task force within the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate and prosecute trade-related offenses.
Geneva’s international organisations and NGOs have expressed alarm over a recent questionnaire issued by the U.S. State Department, revealing a fundamental misunderstanding of the multilateral system, Le Temps reports. The document, which was distributed to recipients of U.S. funding, includes a series of politically charged questions, raising concerns about the future of American engagement in global governance.
In a predictable move, Speaker Johnson rejected efforts by Democrats to force a vote on the legitimacy of the Presidents tariff actions as an abuse of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). The action creates a standing waiver to the requirements of the National Emergency Act, for the duration of the 119th Congress, ensuring members will avoid the embarassment of going on record in the event of future executive overreach.
Despite the Justice Department's dismantling of inter-agency cooperation to enforce sanctions and combat corruption, cases begun before the change of regime continue to wend their way though the courts. March 10, The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the government’s motion to strike the ownership claim of Eduard Khudainatov and Millemarin Investments Ltd. concerning the Motor Yacht Amadea.
The President called for a sharp escalation in trade measures against Canada, citing Ontario’s imposition of a 25% tariff on electricity exported to the U.S. Tuesday he declared that the administration will implement a 50% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum, set to take effect on March 12. Beyond trade concerns, the statement criticized Canada’s defense spending and asserted that Canada should become part of the United States.
Senators Jim Banks (R-Ind.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) have introduced the Maintaining American Superiority by Improving Export Control Transparency Act , a bipartisan measure aimed at enhancing …
Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) has raised serious concerns over the potential consequences of the Trump-Johnson full-year Continuing Resolution (CR), particularly its impact on U.S. export controls and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS). The proposed legislation, set for a vote this week, grants the Trump administration broad discretion over federal spending, eliminating congressional directives that typically ensure funding for critical national security priorities, including sanctions, export controls, non-proliferation and emerging technology policy.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly emerged as a transformative technology with significant implications for economic growth, scientific advancement, and national security. The U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), along with its Emerging Technology Technical Advisory Committee (ETTAC), has been evaluating the implications of AI export controls. A March 10 ETTAC public meeting highlighted some of the challenges, strategies, and policy directions to manage the proliferation of AI-related technologies while defending the West’s competitive edge.
President Donald Trump has issued contradictory signals regarding sanctions on Russia, simultaneously threatening punitive economic measures while reportedly exploring avenues for relief. On Friday, Trump warned of large-scale banking sanctions, tariffs, and additional economic penalties on Moscow in an effort to push Russia and Ukraine toward a peace settlement. Despite his threats of increased economic pressure on Russia, reports indicate that the Trump administration is simultaneously considering sanction relief.
The White House Sunday issued two orders, adressing small parcel shipments from Canada and Mexico and the application of the de minimis exemption from customs duties. The executive orders addressing trade duties at the northern (Canada) and southern (Mexico) borders share a structural and procedural similarity, but distinctions emerge in their treatment of de minimis duty-free exemptions and the underlying policy objectives.
In a further sign of the Trump White House's rapprochement with the Kremlin, The Treasury and Department of State have been ordered to compile a list of sanctions to be lifted. Europe may soon find itself enforcing measures against Moscow alone.
The White House having declared a policy of indifference to foreign corrupt practices, Justice officials abruptly scrubbed plans to participate in the American Bar Association's annual Conference on White Collar Crime in Miami. In a related development, two former Cognizant Technology Solutions executives charged over an alleged foreign bribery scheme may get a reprieve, as the newly installed US attorney for New Jersey, John Giordano asked the judge for a six-month extension “to allow sufficient time for my consideration” of the Executive Order. Two weeks earlier, the US Attorney’s office had indicated to the court that it was prepared to proceed with the trial.
