10/14/2019

COMMERCE/SANCTIONS/SYRIA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TURKEY: “President Donald Trump on Monday [10-14-19] signed an executive order imposing ‘powerful’ sanctions against Turkey for its incursion into northeast Syria. The White House announced that tariffs on steel imports from Turkey will double, reverting to 50 percent from 25 percent. Trump imposed a tariff hike on Turkey last year after the […]

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7/11/2019

ATTORNEY GENERAL/CENSUS/CITIZENSHIP/COMMERCE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows… In Department of Commerce v. New York, No. 18-966 (June 27, 2019), the Supreme Court held that the Department of Commerce (Department) may, as […]

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7/9/2019

COMMERCE/DEMS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “More and more the Radical Left is using Commerce to hurt their ‘Enemy.’ They put out the name of a store, brand or company, and ask their so-called followers not to do business there. They don’t care who gets hurt, but also don’t understand that two can play that game!”  –Donald Trump, […]

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5/15/2019

ATTORNEY GENERAL/COMMERCE/DEFENSE/DHS/DNI/ECONOMY/FCC/INFRASTRUCTURE/NATIONAL SECURITY/SECRETARY OF STATE/TECHNOLOGY/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in information and communications technology and services, which store and communicate vast amounts of sensitive information, facilitate the digital economy, and support critical infrastructure and vital emergency services, […]

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4/26/2019

COMMERCE/ECONOMY/ELECTION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Reports of the economic expansion’s death appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The United States economy surged unexpectedly in the first quarter, the Commerce Department said Friday [4-26-19], allaying concern that financial-market volatility and a prolonged government shutdown would cause a slump. That is good news for President Trump, who is counting […]

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4/2/2019

COMMERCE/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration is feuding internally over the fate of airwaves critical to 5G networks, threatening to undermine the country’s push to speed development of the super-fast wireless service and set the global standards around the technology. The clash pits FCC Chairman Ajit Pai against Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and NASA […]

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3/28/2019

COMMERCE/ECONOMY/FEDERAL RESERVE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is getting exactly what he wants on the economy, but it may not last. The Federal Reserve has abruptly stopped its march toward higher interest rates, as Mr. Trump demanded. The tax cuts he signed in late 2017 are in full swing. His attempt to rewrite the global rules […]

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2/15/2019

AUTO INDUSTRY/COMMERCE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Commerce Department is expected to submit a report to President Trump in the coming days that could give the United States authority to impose tariffs on foreign cars and car parts on the basis of protecting national security, setting up another potential skirmish with America’s trading partners. An administration official […]

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2/15/2019

AUTO INDUSTRY/CHINA/COMMERCE/ECONOMY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sometimes, on a bad night, Brad Strong wakes at 2 a.m. and can’t get back to sleep. The insomnia isn’t about his family or money or health. It’s about tariffs. The Strong family’s three car dealerships in Salt Lake City could suffer a significant blow if President Donald Trump proceeds with […]

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10/19/2018

AGRICULTURE/COMMERCE/ELECTION/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WILBUR ROSS: “President Donald Trump on Friday [10-19-18] threw his support behind speeding up water projects for agriculture and hydropower in the arid U.S. West, a move aimed to help build support for Republicans in tight congressional races in next month’s midterm elections. Trump signed a presidential memorandum that directs Interior Secretary Ryan […]

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10/9/2018

CENSUS/COMMERCE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WILBER ROSS: “The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to block Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from having to face a deposition on the decision to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census. In papers filed with the court, Solicitor General Noel Francisco told the justices that a panel of judges […]

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10/5/2018

CENSUS/COMMERCE/SUPREME COURT/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “The Supreme Court is passing up, for now, the Trump administration’s request to block Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from having to give testimony in lawsuits challenging the addition of a question on citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued an order Friday turning down an emergency stay […]

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8/22/2018

BUSINESS/COMMERCE/TARIFFS/TRADE WAR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump’s aluminum tariffs have rattled global businesses, set off retaliatory levies and started to eat into profits of some major American companies. But they have also provided a lifeline to other United States businesses, like Century Aluminum, the struggling smelter in Kentucky that is at the heart of Mr. Trump’s […]

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8/5/2018

BUSINESS/COMMERCE/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Two of America’s biggest steel manufacturers — both with deep ties to administration officials — have successfully objected to hundreds of requests by American companies that buy foreign steel to exempt themselves from President Trump’s stiff metal tariffs. They have argued that the imported products are readily available from American steel manufacturers. […]

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7/27/2018

COMMERCE/ECONOMY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump exulted in data on Friday [7-27-18] that showed economic growth accelerated in the second quarter, reeling off a list of statistics to make a case, during a midterm election year, that his administration should get the credit for the humming economy…The Commerce Department estimated that growth in the second quarter […]

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7/23/2018

BUSINESS/COMMERCE/EU/NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Monday [7-23-18] threatened Europe’s car exports ahead of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s visit to Washington later this week, saying the European Union has been ‘very tough’ on the U.S…Trump is weighing a 20 percent tariff on imports of automobiles and auto parts under a law that allows […]

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7/19/2018

COMMERCE/CRISIS/ECONOMY/EDUCATION/JOBS/LABOR/TECHNOLOGY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/UNION: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to provide a coordinated process for developing a national strategy to ensure that America’s students and workers have access to affordable, relevant, and innovative education and job training that will equip them […]

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7/18/2018

COMMERCE/NATIONAL SECURITY/NUCLEAR/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Commerce Department has opened an investigation into whether uranium imports threaten national security, a move that could pave the way for tariffs on foreign producers of the radioactive material that fuels nuclear power plants. Uranium is used in commercial reactors that power a significant portion of the country’s electrical grid, […]

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6/29/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/NAFTA/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “General Motors warned Friday [6-29-18] that if President Trump pushed forward with another wave of tariffs, the move could backfire, leading to ‘less investment, fewer jobs and lower wages’ for its employees. The automaker said that tariffs on imports of cars and car parts — on top of an earlier spate of […]

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6/20/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/SENATE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump said on Wednesday [6-20-18] that he and lawmakers are working on addressing concerns over a deal between Washington and Beijing to save Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp. , which had been accused of repeated sanctions violations. Mr. Trump met with nearly two dozen lawmakers at the White House—many of […]

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6/20/2018

COMMERCE/TARIFFS/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “The Trump administration has completed its review of a handful of the thousands of requests filed seeking exemptions from its steel and aluminum tariffs, granting exclusions to 42 types of imports, and denying 56 such requests. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the decisions on Wednesday [6-20-18] morning in testimony delivered before the […]

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6/4/2018

COMMERCE/GOP/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Groups backed by powerful Republican donors Charles and David Koch said on Monday [6-4-18] they will champion free trade and oppose tariffs with a multimillion-dollar campaign that puts them on a collision course with President Donald Trump. The embrace of free trade principles by major Republican donors comes as Trump pursues […]

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6/4/2018

CHINA/COMMERCE/EU/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Groups backed by powerful Republican donors Charles and David Koch said on Monday [6-4-18] they will champion free trade and oppose tariffs with a multimillion-dollar campaign that puts them on a collision course with President Donald Trump. The embrace of free trade principles by major Republican donors comes as Trump pursues […]

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5/31/2018

COMMERCE/ELECTIONS/GOP/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s decision to follow through on steel and aluminum tariffs against some of the United States’ closest allies puts a series of vulnerable Republicans at considerable risk, leading some of those candidates to caution the President against following through with the trade talk. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters […]

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5/31/2018

BUSINESS/CANADA/COMMERCE/EU/MEXICO/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid more than 200 points Thursday [5-31-18] as investors broadly recoiled from the stock market after the Trump administration made good on its plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Of the 30 stocks that comprise the Dow industrials, 28 traded lower, while all major […]

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5/29/2018

COMMERCE/GOP/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Less than a week after the Trump administration threatened to impose tariffs of up to 25 percent on foreign-built automobiles, the U.S. government on Tuesday [5-29-18] said it would hold public hearings on whether the import of vehicles and auto parts represents national security risks. The Commerce Department announced in the […]

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5/25/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/CONGRESS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration has told lawmakers it has reached a deal that would keep the Chinese telecom firm ZTE alive, a person familiar with the matter said. The move could allow trade negotiations with China to move forward, but would probably provoke an intense backlash in Congress. Under the agreement brokered […]

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5/25/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration puts together another trade mission to China next week, it is scrambling on Capitol Hill to keep lawmakers from undermining trade talks by blocking a deal to roll back penalties on Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corp. President Trump has been moving closer to a deal to help […]

Read More… from 5/25/2018

5/24/2018

COMMERCE/NAFTA/NATIONAL SECURITY/TARIFFS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is casting the widest possible net in considering whether imported autos should be subject to tariffs based on national security grounds, worrying auto exporters from Mexico to Germany and generating complaints from Republican lawmakers. The Commerce Department, which is directing the probe into whether a national security trade […]

Read More… from 5/24/2018

5/22/2018

COMMERCE/GUNS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is preparing to publish on Thursday [5-24-18] long-delayed proposed rule changes for the export of U.S. firearms, a State Department official said on Tuesday [5-22-18]. The rule changes would move the oversight of commercial firearm exports from the U.S. Department of State to the Department of Commerce. The action […]

Read More… from 5/22/2018

5/16/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump says there has been ‘no folding’ in his trade negotiations with China, as he addresses his efforts to help a Chinese telecommunications company that violated U.S. sanctions. Trump tweeted on Wednesday [5-16-18], ‘Nothing has happened with ZTE except as it pertains to the larger trade deal…’ Trump tweeted […]

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5/13/2018

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Xi of China, and I, are working together to give massive Chinese phone company, ZTE, a way to get back into business, fast. Too many jobs in China lost. Commerce Department has been instructed to get it done!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 13, 2018 10:01 am […]

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3/29/2018

COMMERCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump escalated his attack on Amazon on Thursday [2-29-18], saying that the online behemoth does not pay enough taxes — and strongly suggesting that he may try to rein in the e-commerce business. The president’s commentary was made in a Twitter post in which he accused Amazon of putting thousands of […]

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3/29/2018

COMMERCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!” –Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. […]

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3/27/2018

CENSUS/COMMERCE/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The 2020 census will ask respondents whether they are United States citizens, the Commerce Department announced Monday night, agreeing to a Trump administration request with highly charged political and social implications that many officials feared would result in a substantial undercount. In a statement released Monday [3-26-18], the Commerce Department, which oversees […]

Read More… from 3/27/2018

3/27/2018

CENSUS/COMMERCE/IMMIGRATION/LEGAL/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “New York state’s attorney general said on Tuesday [3-27-18] he will lead a multistate lawsuit to try to stop the federal government from asking people whether they are citizens in the 2020 Census, arguing the move will discourage immigrants from participating.The U.S. Commerce Department, which runs the Census Bureau, announced on Monday […]

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3/12/2018

COMMERCE/NONTRUTHS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump held a rally at Pittsburgh’s airport on Saturday [3-11-18] evening to try to shore up support for Rick Saccone, the Republican on the ballot in a special election on Tuesday to fill a House seat representing a conservative western Pennsylvania district. But he spent most of his 75-minute speech […]

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3/12/2018

COMMERCE/EU/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS: “Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross will be speaking with representatives of the European Union about eliminating the large Tariffs and Barriers they use against the U.S.A. Not fair to our farmers and manufacturers.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Mar. 12, 2018 07:20am […]

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3/11/2018

COMMERCE/TAXES/TREASURY: “The legislative blitz that rocketed the $1.5 trillion tax cut through Congress in less than two months created a host of errors and ambiguities in the law that businesses big and small are just now discovering and scrambling to address. Companies and trade groups are pushing the Treasury Department and Congress to fix the […]

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3/9/2018

COMMERCE/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says tariffs will be good for the American steel industry—just as they were for Mr. Ross himself during his business career. Profiting from such protectionist measures was a trademark of some of the biggest deals in Mr. Ross’s rise as an investor specializing in reviving and flipping […]

Read More… from 3/9/2018

3/7/2018

COMMERCE/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “The foreign-trade deficit widened in January for the fifth straight month and hit its largest level in over nine years, as exports weakened in the first month of 2018. The U.S. trade gap in goods and services expanded 5.0% from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted $56.60 billion in January, the […]

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3/5/2018

COMMERCE/ECONOMY/TARIFFS/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Since President Donald Trump announced plans last week to hit steel and aluminum imports with new tariffs, his trade adviser Peter Navarro and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross have been all over television celebrating their victory and rebutting suggestions that the move would incite a damaging trade war. But economic adviser Gary […]

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2/25/2018

CANADA/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WTO: “China is the main target of possible tough new United States trade measures against low-priced imports of steel and aluminum. But the sanctions threaten to ensnare America’s closest allies, particularly Canada. Earlier this month, the Commerce Department declared the steel and aluminum imports a national security threat, and President Trump must […]

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2/21/2018

COMMERCE/WILBUR ROSS: “Responding to industry complaints that federal rules increasingly hamper private ventures in space, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has emerged as the deregulation czar of the heavens. A senior White House policy group on Wednesday [2-21-18] agreed to tap his agency to be the prime catalyst for loosening federal controls over activities ranging from […]

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2/6/2018

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. posted its largest monthly trade deficit since the recession for December, as stronger global growth increased demand for American-made products while robust U.S. consumer spending boosted imports even more. The foreign-trade gap in goods and services expanded 5.3% from the prior month to a seasonally adjusted $53.1 billion in […]

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2/5/2018

COMMERCE/CONSUMER PROTECTION/ENERGY: “The top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee asked the Trump administration Monday [2-5-18] to investigate fake online comments uncovered by The Wall Street Journal on a rule to restrict high-interest payday lending. Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey made the request in a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s […]

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1/25/2018

COMMERCE/INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue last week was nearing the end of a speech urging Congress to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure when he offered another option: At least make it easier to build things when the money can be found… President Donald Trump hasn’t said where he will find $200 […]

Read More… from 1/25/2018

1/22/2018

BUSINESS/COMMERCE/LOBBYING/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Lobbying by U.S. business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable surged in the last three months of 2017 as lawmakers negotiated and finalized legislation that deeply cut the taxes companies pay. The amount spent on lobbying by the Business Roundtable, a group of chief executive officers at […]

Read More… from 1/22/2018

1/18/2018

COMMERCE/INFRASTRUCTURE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration is finalizing its long-awaited infrastructure plan, which would push most of the financing of projects to private investment and state and local taxpayers, according to sources familiar with the proposal taking shape. President Donald Trump, who spoke frequently of improving U.S. infrastructure during his 2016 campaign, may preview the […]

Read More… from 1/18/2018

1/5/2018

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS: “The U.S. trade gap rose to a nearly six-year high in November, driven by a surge in imports as upbeat American households stepped up purchases of cellphones, household items and other products. The trade deficit widened 3.2% from a month earlier to $50.5 billion, the highest since January 2012, the Commerce Department said […]

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11/28/2017

CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/WILBUR ROSS: “The Trump administration took new action Tuesday [11-28-17] in its emerging strategy to ramp up trade pressure on Beijing, dusting off a little-used authority to combat imports of inexpensive Chinese aluminum. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told American industry executives that his department would ‘self-initiate’ an investigation into whether their Chinese […]

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11/15/2017

COMMERCE/LEGAL/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross and the firm he founded were sued by three of his former colleagues who say WL Ross pocketed management fees from the general partnerships that handled its private-equity investments. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in New York State court, claims WL Ross covertly took management fees from general partner […]

Read More… from 11/15/2017

11/14/2017

COMMERCE/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross defended the Trump administration’s hardball strategy for renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, suggesting that the U.S. can pressure Mexico and Canada into big concessions because they have more to lose if the pact collapses… The likely result, Mr. Ross said, was that the two countries will […]

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11/6/2017

COMMERCE/CONFLICT OF INTEREST/RUSSIA/WILBUR ROSS: “The commerce secretary, Wilbur L. Ross Jr., indicated on Monday [11-6-17] that he would probably sell his stake in a shipping company with business ties to Russian President Vladimir V. Putin’s inner circle, amid fallout from publication of a vast leak of offshore files that documented the connection. Mr. Ross retained […]

Read More… from 11/6/2017

11/5/2017

COMMERCE/ETHICS/RUSSIA/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross failed to disclose business connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s family and inner circle on a required personal financial-disclosure form earlier this year, according to documents released over the weekend. Mr. Ross said earlier this year that he would retain stakes owned by his private-equity firm in a gas-shipping […]

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11/2/2017

BUSINESS/CHINA/COMMERCE/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Goldman Sachs Group Inc Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein will visit China as part of a business delegation in November at the same time as U.S. President Donald Trump, a Goldman spokesman confirmed. Blankfein will be the only executive of a major financial company traveling as part of the trade mission which is […]

Read More… from 11/2/2017

11/1/2017

COMMERCE/NASA: “Arguments over gay rights, climate change and other hot-button partisan issues sparked an escalating fight over Oklahoma GOP Rep. James Bridenstine’s bid to run the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The personal clashes and animosity that punctuated a Senate Commerce Committee hearing Wednesday [11-1-17]—highly unusual during confirmation of a NASA administrator—revealed a sharp break […]

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10/11/2017

CANADA/COMMERCE/MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump, speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, opened the door to separate trade deals with Canada and Mexico to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement and repeated his warnings that the U.S. could withdraw from the pact… Asked if he would consider separate deals with Canada and […]

Read More… from 10/11/2017

10/10/2017

COMMERCE/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce urged the Trump administration on Tuesday [10-10-17] to moderate its stance in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, describing some of Washington’s demands as ‘poison pill proposals’ that could doom the talks… The group has argued repeatedly in recent weeks that NAFTA is […]

Read More… from 10/10/2017

9/28/2017

COMMERCE/ENERGY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “In a bid to boost energy development, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration is considering shrinking or eliminating 11 marine sanctuaries designed to protect 425 million acres of coral reefs, marine mammal habitats and pristine beaches. The review is part of a broader strategy to open new areas to oil and gas drilling […]

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9/26/2017

CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday [9-27-17] the U.S. relationship with China was too lopsided and listed market access, protectionism and intellectual property as the biggest problems amid trade tensions between the two countries. Ross said both sides were frank and open, and articulated good points of view during his […]

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9/8/2017

COMMERCE/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday [9-8-17] backed President Donald Trump’s ever-present threat of terminating NAFTA, saying that withdrawal would be ‘the right thing’ to do if trilateral talks between Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are not successful. Ross noted that even though the renegotiation is in its early stages, the Trump […]

Read More… from 9/8/2017

7/28/2017

COMMERCE/ECONOMY: “The U.S. entered the ninth year of economic expansion on a familiar path of steady but unspectacular growth, with few obvious indications it is near exhausting itself. Gross domestic product, a broad measure of goods and services produced in the U.S., rose at a 2.6% annual rate in the April to June period, the […]

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7/27/2017

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s pledge to quickly provide big import protection to U.S. steelmakers has gotten bogged down in ‘complexity,’ with no clear deadline for completion, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Congress on Thursday [7-27/17], according to lawmakers who attended the briefing. ‘The secretary used the word ‘complexity’ more than any other […]

Read More… from 7/27/2017

7/21/2017

CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS: “The U.S. is toughening its scrutiny of Chinese deals, throwing a number of high-profile takeover bids into question and helping spur a huge case backlog, according to people familiar with the process. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. has signaled there are significant obstacles facing the proposed $1.2 billion purchase of […]

Read More… from 7/21/2017

7/19/2017

COMMERCE/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Establishing a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure’ The order creates a Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure within the Department of Commerce in order to ‘advance infrastructure projects that create high-quality jobs for American workers, enhance productivity, improve quality of life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic growth.’ The council will be […]

Read More… from 7/19/2017

7/19/2017

ECONOMY/ENVIRONMENT/INFRASTRUCTURE/JOBS/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. It shall be the policy of the executive branch to advance infrastructure projects that create high-quality jobs for American workers, enhance productivity, improve […]

Read More… from 7/19/2017

7/16/2017

CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “When Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced in May the ‘herculean accomplishment’ of extracting Chinese promises to open swiftly long-restricted markets in finance and agriculture, he pronounced the actions ‘more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade.’ Now, as the two countries mark Sunday’s [7-16-17] deadline for […]

Read More… from 7/16/2017

7/11/2017

COMMERCE/ENERGY/GOP/HOUSE OF REPS: “U.S. House Republicans expect to introduce bills later this week that would bar states from setting their own rules for self-driving cars and take other steps to remove obstacles to putting such vehicles on the road, a spokeswoman said. The legislative action comes as major automakers are joining forces with auto suppliers […]

Read More… from 7/11/2017

7/10/2017

COMMERCE/WILBUR ROSS: “Rio Tinto’s proposed Resolution Copper Mine in Arizona would tunnel 7,000 feet underground, where rocks radiate heat from the earth’s molten core. It would suck up enough water to supply a city and leave a crater a mile and a half wide and 1,000 feet deep. Planned for more than a decade, the […]

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6/29/2017

COMMERCE/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce Delegation of Authority under the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1998 By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby delegate to […]

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6/29/2017

COMMERCE/GERMANY/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was cut off in the midst of his remarks to a Berlin economic conference hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s party ahead of the G20 conference the country is hosting next week. The video feed showing Ross’ remarks on Tuesday [6-27-17] evening was killed after Ross doubly exceeded […]

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6/23/2017

COMMERCE/TAXES/TRADE DEALS: “Senior lawmakers in both parties are resisting the Trump administration’s moves toward imposing steel tariffs on national security grounds, worried that other countries could use the same argument to block exports from their states. The Commerce Department is expected to reveal the results of an investigation of steel imports in coming days, a […]

Read More… from 6/23/2017

6/20/2017

COMMERCE/CYBERWAR: “More than two dozen U.S. companies, including several big banks, have teamed up to establish shared principles that would allow them to better understand their cyber security ratings and to challenge them if necessary, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday [6-20-17]. Large corporations often use the ratings, the cyber equivalent of a […]

Read More… from 6/20/2017

6/12/2017

COMMERCE/LABOR/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration intends to unveil this week a plan to trim regulations it believes constrain U.S. manufacturing growth, potentially affecting environmental permits, worker safety and labor rules, an administration official said. The U.S. Commerce Department’s regulations ‘hit list’ recommendations follow more than three months of study and consultation with industry on […]

Read More… from 6/12/2017

5/10/2017

CABINET/COMMERCE/CENSUS: “As work gears up for the 2020 Census, the bureau announced on Tuesday [5-9-17] that Director John Thompson will leave the agency next month instead of at the end of the year. ‘As I pursue opportunities in the private sector, please be assured that I will continue to be supportive of the administration’s priority […]

Read More… from 5/10/2017

4/29/2017

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Addressing Trade Agreement Violations and Abuses’ The order directs Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to review all U.S. trade agreements, as well as relations with countries that run trade deficits with America. Within 180 days, Ross must send a performance review to Trump detailing any violations.” -Avalon Zoppo, Amanda Proenca […]

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4/29/2017

COMMERCE/DEFENSE/ECONOMY/JOBS/MANUFACTURING/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS: “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Establishment. The Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP) is hereby established within the White House Office. The OTMP shall consist of a Director […]

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4/29/2017

ATTORNEY GENERAL/COMMERCE/ECONOMY/MANUFACTURING/SECRETARY OF STATE/TAXES/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO): “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Policy. Every trade agreement and investment agreement entered into by the United States, and all trade relations and […]

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4/27/2017

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce Aluminum Imports and Threats to National Security By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, it is hereby directed as follows: Section 1. Policy. Core industries […]

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4/27/2017

COMMERCE/ECONOMY: “On Friday [4-28-17] the government will release data that’s widely expected to show slow growth in U.S. output in the first quarter. Now—even before its release—there’s evidence output growth was even slower than this estimate will convey. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis won’t incorporate into its growth estimates recently revised U.S. retail […]

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3/31/2017

COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits’ The order directs the Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative to compile a report on trade practices that contribute to the trade deficit. The report will look at each of America’s trade partners and assess whether the country’s trade practices unfairly discriminate against the […]

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3/31/2017

AGRICULTURE/COMMERCE/DEFENSE/DHS/ECONOMY/FOREIGN POLICY/MANUFACTURING/NATIONAL SECURITY/SECRETARY OF STATE/TREASURY/TRUMP EXECUTIVE ORDERS/WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO): “By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to ensure the informed exercise of the authority over international trade granted to me by law, it is hereby ordered as follows: […]

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2/28/2017

CABINET/COMMERCE/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross was sworn in as U.S. commerce secretary on Tuesday after helping shape Republican President Donald Trump’s opposition to multilateral trade deals. Vice President Mike Pence administered the oath of office to Ross, 79, a day after the U.S. Senate voted to confirm the corporate turnaround expert’s nomination, with […]

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2/27/2017

CABINET/COMMERCE/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “The Senate is expected to confirm Wilbur Ross as Commerce secretary Monday, an appointment key to allowing President Donald Trump to make progress on his campaign promise to overhaul U.S. trade policy. Mr. Trump rode a wave of economic discontent to the White House driven partly by his message that existing trade […]

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2/13/2017

CABINET/COMMERCE/TRUMP PEOPLE/WILBUR ROSS: “Wilbur Ross Jr. plans to keep millions of dollars invested in offshore entities whose values could be affected by policies that he implements as commerce secretary… But he plans to hold on to investments in an oil-tanker company and 10 other entities that invest in shipping and real-estate financing, according to federal […]

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1/24/2017

COMMERCE/PIPELINES/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum Regarding Construction of American Pipelines The Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with all relevant executive departments and agencies, shall develop a plan under which all new pipelines, as well as retrofitted, repaired, or expanded pipelines, inside the borders of the United States, including portions of pipelines, use materials and equipment produced […]

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1/23/2017

CABINET/COMMERCE/WILLBUR ROSS: “Willbur Ross [Net Worth $2.5 Billion] Commerce. The ‘king of bankruptcy’ made his fortune accquiring and restructuring failing companies.”  – Abigail Abrams, “Trump’s Gilded Team,” Time Magazine, Jan 23, 2017 […]

Read More… from 1/23/2017