President Donald Trump asserted significant progress in trade negotiations, stating he has secured “200 deals” with foreign leaders, with details to be disclosed in the coming weeks. In an interview with TIME magazine, he emphasized his direct involvement: “Ultimately, I’ve made all the deals.” Trump highlighted ongoing discussions with China, claiming that President Xi Jinping had contacted him to initiate talks. However, China’s Foreign Ministry refuted this, stating, “China and the U.S. are NOT having any consultation or negotiation on #tariffs.”
The US Trade Representative's office announced a schedule for the imposition of fees on Chinese-built vessels calling on US ports. Markedly less punitive than initially proposed, Thursday's announced Section 301 measures will be implemented in two phases an escalating per-ton charge on foreign ships and, three years out, a scheme to penalize non-US LNG carriers,
The President's discursive policymaking prowess was on full display this week. Mr. Trump began holding firm on the "reciprocal" tariffs he proclaimed the week before, until relentless selling in the treasury market convinced Secretaries Bessent and Lutnick to sit him down and thumb out a reversal.
Again dispensing with the niceties of congressional consent, President Trump invoked emergency powers and levied a 10% tariff on imports from all countries effective April 5th. April 9th will see "individualized reciprocal higher tariffs'" on countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits.
Current planning documents in the Trump White House reportedly call for staff reductions of 30 percent at the Commerce Department.. Earlier reporting had cited a goal at Commerce to slash 20 percent of workers, or nearly 10,000 employees.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) may be preparing for the elimination of the Technical Advisory Committees (TACs) which have long defined the collaborative nature of export enforcement and trade security. Of the six TACs chartered, only one, Emerging Technologies, has successfully held a meeting this year. All other TACs have cancelled or postponed meetings for the first quarter.
President Trump announced Wednesday that the United States will impose a 25% tariff on imported automobiles and automobile parts, including engines, transmissions, and electrical components, beginning April 3, 2025. The decision follows a renewed determination that such imports threaten national security by undermining the domestic automotive industrial base.
During the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) hearings on March 24 and 25, 2025, industry stakeholders expressed significant concerns regarding the proposed port fees on Chinese-built and Chinese-operated vessels. The administration’s intent is to counter China’s dominance in shipbuilding and bolster the U.S. maritime sector. However, testimonies highlighted potential adverse effects on various U.S. industries. 
President Donald Trump has announced that broad reciprocal tariffs and sector-specific tariffs scheduled to take effect on April 2, will have "flexibility," as the drumbeat for exceptions and special treatment builds. “I don’t change. But the word flexibility is an important word,” he said. “Sometimes it’s flexibility. So there’ll be flexibility, but basically it’s reciprocal.”
Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick told trade practitioners to expect a significant increase in fines for export control violations and he called called for expanded cooperation with industry and allied governments to stem the flow of U.S. semiconductor technology to China. Speaking at the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) Update Conference, Lutnick directly accused Chinese artificial intelligence firm DeepSeek of acquiring U.S. chips through improper channels. “People took our chips and redirected them to China for money,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not that much money, and sometimes it’s a lot of money, but they’re seeking to destroy our way of life by assisting those who are against it.”
Responding to the Trump Administration's recent endorsement of foreign corrupt business practices, three leading European anti-corruption agencies announced the formation of a collaborative effort to maintain law and order in the public integrity sphere.
On the same day that he slapped 25 percent tariffs on all imported steel and aluminum, President Trump made clear he is turning his sights on the European Union as his next target. Mr. Trump told reporters that he is “of course” going to raise tariffs even more on the EU after Brussels announced it is retaliating against the US steel and aluminum tariffs.
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.
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 U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis announced Thursday that the goods and services deficit was $131.4 billion in January, up $33.3 billion from $98.1 billion in December, revised, or 34%. While exports grew 1.2%, imports surged 10%. as importers stocked up ahead of the Trump tariff increases.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent discussed the President's policies with Larry Kudlow at The Economic Club of New York event on March 6, 2025. "The president has already begun a campaign to rebalance the international economic system," he asserted. "Perhaps we are seeing an early big win with Germany's discussions to dramatically boost its military spending."
President Donald Trump has imposed tariffs of 25% on Mexican goods and non-energy products from Canada, 10% on Canadian energy, and an additional 10% on Chinese goods. Then Thursday he suspended actions on USMCA eligible goods for 30 days. In response, Canada has enacted its first round of retaliatory tariffs on a pre-announced list of U.S. products. Ottawa says it is considering additional retaliatory measures, including non-tariff options and has launched disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organization and via the USMCA system. The White House has also granted a 30-day reprieve for automakers following a joint appeal by the CEOs of GM, Ford, and Stellantis. Experts note building auto and parts production capacity to replace Canadian imports will take "maybe two to three years.”
President Donald Trump reaffirmed his administration’s aggressive trade policy this week, announcing a series of tariff increases targeting major U.S. trading partners, including Canada, Mexico, the European Union, the United Kingdom, China, and Japan. The measures are set to begin to take effect on March 4th. Mr. Trump confirmed that 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico will proceed as planned, citing a failure by both nations to curb illegal drug trafficking into the U.S. In a post on Truth Social, the president stated, “The tariffs go into effect next week—drugs are still pouring into our Country, and we will hold these nations accountable.” The exact date of implementation of the 25% tariff on EU imports remains pending further clarification from the administration.
In contrast to the Treasury Department's flurry of staffing announcements, the Commerce Department quietly updated its website this week, detailing the staff incoming BIS Chief Jeffrey Kessler will rely on to ensure trade security. The appointment of James Rokas as Mr. Kessler's principal deputy has been thrown into doubt, as Chief of Staff Robert Burkett has replaced Mr. Rokas as acting undersecretary.
Jeffrey Kessler the Administration's nominee for Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security had a relatively easy go of it in front of the Senate Banking Committee Thursday, as members sunk their teeth into the higher-profile nominees who shared the dias. While Mr. Kessler brings a strong legal background in tariff and trade enforcement and compliance, the technical and national security elements of export administration will call for a high degree of collaboration with what one senator referred to as "career bureaucrats [who] over the years at BIS have rubber stamped deals for decades and sent some of our most important technology to China"
