The American Sheep Industry Association formally asked that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative initiate a safeguard investigation on lamb imports, the group announced last week. The trade group's request follows a request by two Utah members of the House in July for the same action (see 2507240058).
Although China agreed to temporarily suspend its sweeping rare earth export restrictions, the threat of those controls returning appears likely, said Jude Blanchette, director of the Rand China Research Center.
Sheffield Hallam University ordered forced labor researcher Laura Murphy to stop her work on China in February, before lifting the ban in October and apologizing after Murphy threatened legal action, The Guardian reported Nov. 3. The U.K. university’s decision to halt the research came amid threats from the Chinese government and its concerns that the university’s insurance provider would no longer cover the work for defamation risk, the report said.
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently posted to its website frequently asked questions about the process for specific authorizations that exempt Chinese connected vehicles, parts and software from a ban on sales that starts in model year 2027. The FAQ includes information on how to submit an application, the review process, and whether a specific authorization is necessary.
Asia Society think tank experts, in an analysis of President Donald Trump's visit in Malaysia, Japan and Korea, called the trip very successful.
The Federal Communications Commission voted Oct. 28 to “close loopholes” in its restrictions on imports of telecommunications equipment by establishing a process to prohibit imports of previously authorized devices that were subsequently added to the commission’s Covered List of devices that threaten national security, it said in a news release.
Think tank and academic experts say that China and the U.S. are misinterpreting both sides' actions and the other country's vulnerability to the trade war, and that may extend the battles.
Nicholas Burns, a career diplomat who served as ambassador to China in the Biden administration, told the Atlantic Council that while the Trump administration may have miscalculated "that China didn't have real weight to throw around," he also thinks President Donald Trump has been right to be "tough-minded" on China's economic policies.
China’s recently issued rare earth export controls were likely a response to the Commerce Department’s 50% rule for the Entity List and highlighted the ongoing communication issues between the two sides, said David Sacks, the White House’s AI policy adviser.
The increase in U.S. tariffs enacted by the Trump administration is likely to persist "for several more administrations," according to former White House Trade Adviser Kelly Ann Shaw.