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A Kyrgyz national and international arms dealer has been charged in a federal indictment with conspiracy and illegal smuggling of firearms from the United States to Russia. Sergei Zharnovnikov was arrested on January 24 in Las Vegas, while attending the Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show.
Zharnovnikov is accused of orchestrating a complex scheme to circumvent U.S. export controls by funneling semi-automatic rifle-pistols through his Kyrgyz company to Russia. The indictment details his illegal procurement of firearms from a U.S.-based company in Chesapeake, Virginia, and subsequent exportation, in violation of U.S. export laws.
Jamieson Greer, President Trump’s nominee for U.S. Trade Representative, signaled a forceful approach to trade policy in his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing, emphasizing reciprocity, domestic production, and national security concerns. If confirmed, Greer is expected to reshape U.S. trade strategy with a strong emphasis on reducing trade deficits, enforcing trade agreements, and leveraging tariffs as a tool for economic and security objectives.
Greer, who previously served as chief of staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) during the Trump administration, framed his approach as “pragmatic,” focused on securing better terms for U.S. producers while addressing economic vulnerabilities. “If the United States does not have a robust manufacturing base and innovation economy, it will have little in the way of hard power to deter conflict and protect Americans,” he told senators. He underscored the need to restructure the international trading system to prioritize U.S. interests, warning that the window for such reform is narrowing.
What are we to make of the chaos being promulgated by the Trump White House as it settles in to governing? Check back tomorrow; we'll have a new answer.
From eliminating Valentine's Day roses, guacamole for the Super Bowl, the North American automotive industry, and America's compulsion for flimsy fast fashion, the Administration's "flood the zone" policy prescription has generated much heat and chatter, only to be walked back by weekend.
Friday President Trump continued the drumbeat, promising more tariff announcements to come “I’ll be announcing that next week. Reciprocal trade so that we’re treated evenly with other countries. We don’t want any more or any less,”
Japan’s Nippon Steel and the US Steel Corporation are continuing the fight against the Biden Administration’s decision to block their proposed $14.9 billion merger. The two companies filed their opening brief with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Colombia Circuit arguing that President Biden halted the merger for political reason and not because of a national security threat.
The two companies said in a statement that the merger “will enhance, not threaten, United States’ national security, protect US Steel workers, revitalize jobs in communities that rely on American steel and make American Steel bigger and better.
China has requested WTO dispute consultations with the United States in regard to new tariff measures applied by the United States on goods originating in China. The request was circulated to WTO members on 5 February.
China claims that the 10 per cent additional ad valorem duties applied on all goods originating in China, as well as measures with respect to the availability of drawback and duty-free de minimis treatment, which apply to all products of Chinese origin, are inconsistent with US most-favoured-nation obligations under Article I:1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) 1994 and US tariff obligations under Article II:1(a) of GATT 1994.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) announced the final roster for the panel’s subcommittees yesterday, including the subcommittee on international trade, customs and global competitiveness.
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