President Trump has released his first National Security Strategy (NSS), a statutorily mandated document that sets forth how the president intends to put his national security vision into practice on behalf of the United States. The strategy identifies four vital national interests, or “four pillars”: (1) Protect the American people, the homeland, and the American

At the introductory session for the 11th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Ambassador Robert Lighthizer acknowledged that the WTO is an important institution but then proceeded in his opening statement to criticize the organization and its focus. He stated that the WTO is “losing its essential focus on negotiation and becoming a

The Trade Policy Review Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) has released its annual report, Overview of Developments in the International Trading Environment, that covers the implementation of trade-related measures across the WTO membership in the last 12 months (from mid-October 2016 to mid-October 2017). WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo stated that “the Report

As previously detailed in our September 26 Trump and Trade Update, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) unanimously determined that crystalline silicon photovoltaic (CSPV) cells (or solar cells) were being imported into the United States in such quantities that they were causing substantial injury to the U.S. solar equipment industry. On October 31, 2017,

In support of its preliminary determination in the antidumping duty investigation of imports of aluminum foil from the People’s Republic of China, the Department of Commerce has released a 205-page memorandum finding that China continues to be considered a nonmarket economy (NME) country in trade remedy cases because it “does not operate sufficiently on market

Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), enacted on August 2, 2017, mandates that the president must impose certain sanctions on persons the president determines knowingly engage in a significant transaction with a person that is part of, or operates for or on behalf of, the defense or intelligence sectors of

The Department of Commerce (Commerce) has announced its affirmative preliminary determination in the antidumping duty (AD) investigation of imports of aluminum foil from the People’s Republic of China (China). While the preliminary antidumping duty rates, ranging from 96 percent to more than 162 percent, will not be finalized by Commerce until late February 2018, Commerce

In brief remarks, President Trump announced that in addition to his administration’s new Iran strategy, he “cannot and will not” certify to Congress that the continued suspension of sanctions against Iran under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) is appropriate. Reiterating his often stated claim that “the Iran Deal was one of

After a nine-month review, consultations with his national security staff and discussions with members of Congress, President Trump has announced a new U.S. strategy on relations with Iran. In a statement, the White House announced that the “new Iran strategy focuses on neutralizing the Government of Iran’s destabilizing influence and constraining its aggression, particularly

Just days after the issuance of an executive order imposing a range of sanctions on North Korea, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has taken further action by placing eight North Korean banks and 26 individuals linked to North Korean financial networks on the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN List). As a