Federal counterterrorism and financial intelligence enforcement activities face markedly lower funding in the "Big Beautiful Bill" budget under consideration in the Senate.   While Commerce is asking for an increase in BIS funding, other areas, including export promotion, are being gutted.

Speaking at the U.S. Steel Irvin Plant, President Trump trumpeted the  investment partnership between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel, as well as a major tariff escalation on foreign steel. The measures, he declared, would “secure American steel for generations” and reinstate Pittsburgh’s status as the “Steel City.” The President also declared a new increase in tariffs on foreign steel from 25% to 50%, calling it a necessary move to protect the domestic industry.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick met in Washington, D.C. with Japan’s Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa to advance bilateral trade negotiations. The meeting addressed tariffs, non-tariff measures, investment, and broader economic security issues. Minister Akazawa emphasized Japan’s position that it would not accept any trade agreement unless the United States revisits the 25% tariff imposed on Japanese automobiles, a key export sector.

A federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Wisconsin has indicted two men for attempting to smuggle sensitive U.S. defense technology to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). A separate indictment in Los Angeles charges the pair with interstate stalking.

The U.S. Department of Justice has significantly expanded corporate liability exposure by amending its Corporate Whistleblower Awards Pilot Program (CWAPP) to include violations of federal immigration law, according to a client alert issued by Littler Mendelson P.C.

The proposed reorganization of the State Department will result in the elimination of more than one in five members of the Arms Control and International Security division, (T Family), according to preliminary reports.   The division will now include the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, as Foggy Bottom eliminates the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights.

Senators have sent a joint letter to NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang expressing “serious concern” over the company’s reported plans to establish a new research and development facility in Shanghai. The bipartisan letter from Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) warns the move poses “significant national security and economic security issues.”

The USTR has issued a request for public comments on foreign government policies that may result in U.S. patients covering a disproportionate share of global pharmaceutical research and development costs. The request is issued pursuant to Executive Order 14297, Delivering Most-Favored-Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients, signed by the President on May 12, 2025.

Executives of a Los Angeles freight forwarder have been arrested and charged with conspracy to evade "hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of duties owed," according to the Justice Department. …

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT), a coalition comprising Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, today released its inaugural report on the implementation of United Nations sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Matthew Axelrod, former Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce, cautioned financial institutions against assuming any relaxation in export control enforcement under the new administration.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld announced Wednesday that Gregory Dunlap, a former Special Agent in Charge in the Office of Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has joined the firm’s international trade practice as a senior regulatory advisor.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) Wednesday issued a fact sheet containing updated Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Syria General License 25 (GL 25), providing authoritative clarification on the scope of U.S. sanctions relief for Syria.

The Trump administration has initiated a sweeping suspension of U.S. technology exports to China, targeting sectors deemed vital to national security, including jet engines and semiconductor design tools.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) ruled that President Trump exceeded his statutory authority in imposing sweeping tariffs on global imports under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Tariffs imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 remain valid. In a Thursday ruling, a Federal appeals court granted a stay "until further notice." Tariffs can be collected during the stay.

Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Ranking Member of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, sent a letter Wednesday to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressing concern over reports that the Department of Commerce may retreat from key multilateral agreements intended to restrict China’s access to advanced technologies.

President Trump signed an Executive Order May 23, calling for the Army to begin operating a nuclear reactor at a domestic military base in three years and for U.S. diplomats to negotiate at least 20 new “123 Agreements” to facilitate peaceful nuclear trade, and for agencies to deliver financing and export competitiveness strategies within 90 days.

Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) are introducing legislation to end the “de minimis” exemption, which allows packages valued at less than $800 to be imported to the United States without facing any tariffs or inspection. The de minimis exemption is being abused by Chinese e-commerce giants and criminals and cartels, according to the senators.

President Donald Trump on Friday intensified pressure on global smartphone makers, announcing plans to impose a 25% tariff on imported devices unless companies, including Apple and Samsung, relocate …

President Donald Trump has approved the acquisition of United States Steel Corporation by Japan-based Nippon Steel Corp., marking what he described as the “largest investment in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”   The deal, described as a "strategic partnership," will see U.S. Steel retain its American identity and Pittsburgh headquarters "will create at least 70,000 jobs, and add $14 Billion Dollars to the U.S. Economy. The bulk of that Investment will occur in the next 14 months," according to Mr. Trump.