South Africa is reportedly pressing the United States for an extension of the July 9 deadline to conclude trade negotiations before elevated tariffs on key exports take effect, citing the emergence of a new U.S. trade framework under development for African partners.
A new European Parliament‑commissioned study finds that the political pillar of the proposed EU–Mercosur Partnership signifies a major strategic move by both regions to navigate a shifting global order.
Congressional China Hawks introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation last week aimed at barring the use of artificial intelligence technologies developed by foreign adversaries—including the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)—across federal government systems.
Trade negotiators scrambling to get in place some sort of agreement before the July 8 end of the "pause" on President Trump's reciprocal tariffs may get a break, but the jockeying continues.
For the 88th time, the United States blocked a joint appeal by over 130 WTO members to fill vacancies on the Appellate Body, reiterating longstanding concerns about its functioning. At a meeting of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB), the U.S. delegation maintained that reforms addressing systemic issues remain unfulfilled.
China should not have been allowed to join the World Trade Organization, according to President Trump’s nominee to be US ambassador to the global trade body.
The U.S. current account deficit ballooned to a historic $450.2 billion in Q1 2025, driven by a surge in goods imports ahead of impending tariff hikes, the Commerce Department reported yesterday. The deficit widened by $138.2 billion, or 44.3%, from the previous quarter, reaching 6.0% of current-dollar GDP—up from 4.2% in Q4 2024.
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is pressing the White House to intensify enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) amid new evidence that the Chinese government is transferring Uyghur laborers out of Xinjiang to evade U.S. import restrictions.
Senate confirmed Paul Dabbar as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Commerce in a 56–40 vote. In this capacity, Dabbar assumes responsibility as the Department’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing daily operations, a $11.4 billion annual budget, 12 bureaus, and a workforce of 47,000. He also joins the President’s Management Council.
Roger Alford, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division delivered an address to the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Digital Policy Leadership Retreat, in New Hampshire last week, affirming the Department’s commitment to enforcing antitrust laws in digital markets under the consumer welfare standard.
Congressional Republicans have agreed to remove the so-called “revenge tax” from President Trump’s signature economic package following a request from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who cited a recent international tax agreement that exempts U.S. companies from a key provision of the global minimum tax.
The United States and China have confirmed a limited trade framework aimed at de-escalating tensions and resuming the flow of critical rare-earth minerals to U.S. industries. Chinese officials described the understanding as a procedural arrangement rather than a comprehensive agreement, while U.S. leaders framed it as a step toward broader economic normalization.
The U.S. and United Kingdom reaffirmed their commitment to regulatory alignment and financial stability at the 11th official meeting of the U.S.-UK Financial Regulatory Working Group, held in London on June 3, 2025.
The United States has submitted an offer to host the World Radiocommunication Conference, in a move to thwart China’s bid to host the UN International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) high-level meeting in 2027.
The leaders of the G7 have signed off on a strategy to safeguard supply chains for critical minerals, saying access is being threatened by “non-market policies and practices” – a dig at China.
President Trump is once again kicking the can down the road when it comes to a law requiring the popular social media app TikTok to divest itself from Chinese parent company ByteDance. For the third time, Mr. Trump is giving TikTok another 90 days to come up a plan to split its US business off from its Chinese parent.
Two small companies selling educational toys took their complaints against President Trump’s tariffs to the US Supreme Court this week, calling on the court to rule on whether Mr. Trump has the authority to impose the tariffs. Friday the Court denied the motion to expedite judgement.
President Trump headed to the G7 leaders summit in Canada with expectations he would wrap up some trade deals, but left abruptly feeling less optimistic about reaching agreements with key partners like the European Union and Japan.
The Chair of the WTO’s Council for Trade in Services – Special Session has outlined a potential path to restart long-stalled Doha services negotiations, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Friday announced leadership appointments within the Department, giving political appointees perches as they await Senate confirmation, putting a steady hand at the legal helm of the IRS, and placing a pair of nonconventional appointments in key operational positions.