Category: United States

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Extending the TikTok Enforcement Delay

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1Extension.  (a)  The enforcement delay specified in section 2(a) of Executive Order 14166 of January 20, 2025 (Application of Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act to TikTok), is further extended until June 19, 2025.  During this period, the Department of Justice shall take no action to enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (the “Act”) (Public Law 118-50, Div. H) or impose any penalties against any entity for any noncompliance with the Act, including for distributing, maintaining, or updating (or enabling the distribution, maintenance, or updating) of any foreign adversary controlled application as defined in the Act.  In light of this direction, even after the expiration of the above-specified period, the Department of Justice shall not take any action to enforce the Act or impose any penalties against any entity for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period or any period prior to the issuance of this order, including the period of time from January 19, 2025, to the date of this order.

    (b)  The Attorney General shall take all appropriate action to issue written guidance to implement the provisions of subsection (a) of this section.

    (c)  The Attorney General shall further issue a letter to each provider stating that there has been no violation of the statute and that there is no liability for any conduct that occurred during the above-specified period, as well as for any conduct from the effective date of the Act until the date of this order.

    (d)  Because of the national security interests at stake and because section 2(d) of the Act vests authority for investigations and enforcement of the Act only in the Attorney General, attempted enforcement by the States or private parties represents an encroachment on the powers of the Executive.  The Attorney General shall exercise all available authority to preserve and defend the Executive’s exclusive authority to enforce the Act.

    Sec. 2.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Everyday Americans Support President Trump’s Trade Action

    Source: The White House

    President Donald J. Trump is finally doing what politicians have refused to do for decades — fighting back against the one-sided war waged on American workers. As he puts into action his bold plan to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base, President Trump is putting the Forgotten Men and Women of America first.

    There’s a reason groups like the United Auto Workers, the Steel Manufacturers Association, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Southern Shrimp Alliance, and the National Council of Textile Organizations have all praised President Trump’s policy.

    Across the country, everyday Americans, small business owners, and industry leaders are supporting President Trump’s plan:

    Illinois cattle farmer Alan Adams: “We’ve struggled with tariffs my whole adult life in the cattle business, so we were happy last week to hear the president last week mentioned that beef was one of the things he wanted to have tariffs lowered. And so some of the European countries and Australia have been difficult for us to sell beef in — and so they get to sell beef into our country, and we’re happy to have them compete against us, but we’d like the same chance to sell the great taste of American beef to them.”

    Fourth-generation Louisiana shrimp producer Acy Cooper: “We’ve been suffering for over 20 years … this country can’t feed itself, this country can’t sustain its own way of life. If we get into a war with China, one of our big importers … how are we going to feed the people of this country? … It has to come [from] within this country.”

    Retired auto worker Brian Pannebecker: “To see those plants close, one after another, and just sit idle and then fall into disrepair and collapse, they become abandoned buildings… I’m glad to see Donald Trump finally standing up saying he’s going to do something about it.”

    Guardian Bikes CEO Brian Riley: “[President Trump’s trade agenda] is a welcome departure from a trade and economic policy that prioritized offshoring production and cheap consumption.”

    Paddock Chevrolet, Inc., CEO Duane Paddock: “Whether President Trump was a Democrat or Republican, I have to have faith in my president and that’s what I choose to do … It’s a great opportunity for people to get back with manufacturing and have an opportunity to have a great middle-class life and increase their compensation over the course of time.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: White House Releases New Policies on Federal Agency AI Use and Procurement

    Source: The White House

    WASHINGTON D.C — Today, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is delivering on President Trump’s decisive Executive Order to remove barriers to American leadership in Artificial Intelligence (AI) by releasing two revised policies on Federal Agency Use of AI and Federal Procurement. These memos were revised at the direction of the Executive Order and in coordination with the Assistant to the President on Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).  

    Under President Trump’s leadership, America is well positioned to maintain our global dominance in AI. To better serve the public, the Federal Government must capitalize on the advantages of American innovation while maintaining strong protections for Americans’ privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties.

    “President Trump recognizes that AI is a technology that will define the future. This administration is focused on encouraging and promoting American AI innovation and global leadership, which starts with utilizing these emerging technologies within the Federal Government. Today’s revised memos offer much needed guidance on AI adoption and procurement that will remove unnecessary bureaucratic restrictions, allow agencies to be more efficient and cost-effective, and support a competitive American AI marketplace,” said Lynne Parker, Principal Deputy Director of the White House OSTP.

    The Office of the Federal Chief Information Officer’s Greg Barbaccia continued, stating that “Federal agencies have experienced a widening gap in adopting AI and modernizing government technology, largely due to unnecessary bureaucracy and outdated procurement processes. OMB’s new policies demonstrate that the government is committed to spending American taxpayer dollars efficiently and responsibly, while increasing public trust through the Federal use of AI.”

    Learn more:
    OMB Memorandum M-25-21, Accelerating Federal Use of AI through Innovation, Governance, and Public Trust
    OMB Memorandum M-25-22, Driving Efficient Acquisition of Artificial Intelligence in Government
    View the Fact Sheet  
     
    Questions? Contact MBX.OMB.Media@OMB.eop.gov

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK 11 WINS: President Trump Unleashes Economic Prosperity

    Source: The White House

    It was another highly successful week for the American people as President Donald J. Trump continues his relentless pursuit of strength, prosperity, and peace — and lays the foundation for America to be the global powerhouse for generations to come.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week 11:

    • Illegal crossings hit a stunning new record low — down 95% over last year.
      • The number of unaccompanied illegal immigrant children also reached a record low.
      • Los Angeles Times: “California-Mexico border, once overwhelmed, now nearly empty”
      • Bloomberg: “US-Bound Migration Plunges 99% Along Panama Jungle Route”
    • President Trump continued to rid our communities of illegal immigrant criminals.
      • The Trump Administration directed the successful arrests of three illegal immigrant MS-13 gang members in Florida, wanted on first-degree murder charges, and another high-ranking MS-13 member in New York, linked to 11 murders.
      • The Trump Administration directed the transfer of 17 violent illegal immigrant terrorists from the U.S. to El Salvador.
      • The Trump Administration, with state and local law enforcement, successfully arrested more than 40 individuals in a Texas operation targeting the brutal Tren de Aragua gang.
      • The Trump Administration deported an illegal immigrant “influencer” who infamously encouraged fellow illegal immigrants to become squatters.
      • Since taking office, the Trump Administration has arrested 113,000+ illegal immigrants, deported 100,000+ illegal immigrants, and released just nine illegal immigrants into the U.S. — a staggering 99.995% decrease over the same period last year under Biden.
    • President Trump implemented his bold plan for reciprocal trade as he seeks to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.
      • Coalition for a Prosperous America: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership.”
      • National Cattlemen’s Beef Association: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef.”
    • Americans saw early results of President Trump’s declaration that the days of economic surrender are over.
      • Nissan abandoned plans to eliminate a shift at its Tennessee production facility.
      • General Motors announced it will increase truck production at its Indiana assembly plant.
      • Guardian Bikes announced it will expand its production capacity and grow its U.S.-based investment.
      • Equipment giant JCB committed to doubling the size of its new U.S. manufacturing facility.
      • Ford Motor Company and Stellantis both announced they will offer U.S. consumers employee pricing on their vehicles.
    • President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
      • President Trump deployed additional military assets to the Middle East as a warning to the Iranian regime.
      • The Trump Administration inked a $2 billion air defense deal with Poland.
      • President Trump secured a pledge from Finland to raise its defense spending to 3% of its GDP.
      • President Trump held a successful call with Egyptian President El-Sisi to discuss the immense progress the U.S. has made in eliminating Houthi terrorists.
      • President Trump had a “productive call” with Vietnamese leader To Lam, who expressed willingness to cut the country’s tariffs on U.S. imports.
    • President Trump’s economic agenda delivered more relief for Americans.
      • The latest jobs report shattered expectations for the second straight month — highlighted by massive private sector job growth, a spike in full-time employment, wage growth, and an expanding labor market.
      • CNBC: “Private companies added 155,000 jobs in March, more than expected”
      • Wholesale egg prices continued to drop, falling to an average price of $3 per dozen — or nearly 60% since January amid the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat the avian bird flu and repopulate the chicken supply.
    • President Trump secured the release of two U.S. citizens detained in Mexico.
    • President Trump signed an executive order to crack down on price gouging and ticket scalping in the entertainment industry.
    • President Trump established the United States Investment Accelerator to attract and facilitate billion-dollar investments in the U.S.
    • The Department of Energy unveiled plans to use thousands of acres of its land — including national laboratory campuses, nuclear sites, and former enrichment plants — to quickly develop data centers that will power the artificial intelligence revolution.
    • The Department of Energy removed additional regulatory barriers on liquefied natural gas exports.
    • The Department of the Treasury launched a new public-private partnership to safeguard the financial system against illicit activities by the Iranian regime and announced additional sanctions against Iran as part of the Trump Administration’s maximum pressure strategy.
    • The Department of the Treasury leveled new sanctions against financiers of the Sinaloa drug cartel, which has flooded our country with deadly fentanyl.
    • The Department of the Treasury announced additional sanctions against a network of Houthi terrorist facilitators.
    • The Department of the Treasury withdrew burdensome, duplicative climate-based financial risk guidelines from the banking industry.
    • The Department of the Interior announced its next oil and gas lease sale in the Gulf of America, fulfilling President Trump’s pledge to unleash American energy.
    • The Department of the Interior implemented President Trump’s executive order to enhance public safety, clean up lands, protect federal parks, and preserve historic monuments in the District of Columbia.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services launched a department-wide restructuring to realign with its core mission and save taxpayers billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services announced states can bar welfare recipients from using taxpayer dollars to purchase unhealthy soft drinks.
    • The Department of Labor announced it will return $1.4 billion in unused COVID funds back to the U.S. Treasury.
    • The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced a record number of new agent applications under its new leadership.
    • The Department of Justice dismissed a Biden-era lawsuit against common-sense, effective Georgia election law reforms.
    • The Department of Justice launched investigations into DEI initiatives at Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, and University of California, Irvine.
    • The Department of Justice said it will pursue the death penalty for the accused cold-blooded killer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency continued cutting wasteful spending, shuttering a politicized museum erected by the Biden Administration, consolidating office space, and eliminating duplicative grants and contracts — saving taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
    • The Department of Defense directed a review of the military’s physical fitness standards to ensure it remains the strongest, most lethal fighting force on the planet.
    • The Department of Education and the Department of Justice launched a joint effort to ensure rapid investigations into violations of women’s civil rights.
    • The Department of Education issued a final warning to Maine over its ongoing refusal to comply with Title IX by forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Education warned states with unlawful K-12 “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs that they are at risk of losing federal funding.
    • The Department of Education encouraged state education officials to leverage federal funds to support school choice initiatives — a key part of President Trump’s education agenda.
    • The Department of Agriculture paused federal funding to Maine over its unlawful policies forcing women to compete against men in athletics.
    • The Department of Agriculture announced sweeping reforms to protect forests and boost domestic timber production.
    • The Department of Transportation announced an updated Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, eliminating DEI and environmental justice requirements that prevented money from getting where it is needed.
    • The Department of Transportation continued making progress on the unprecedented backlog of unfulfilled grants left over by the Biden Administration.
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development launched a streamlined website that efficiently provides vital information to Americans and saves taxpayers in the long run.
    • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services formally removed the option of a third gender on immigration paperwork, further restoring common sense to government.
    • Dr. Mehmet Oz was confirmed as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Matthew Whittaker was confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to NATO — continuing the rapid pace at which President Trump’s nominees receive final approval.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: JOBS, JOBS, JOBS: Explosive Job Growth in March as Trump Economy Booms

    Source: The White House

    Today’s jobs report shows the private sector is roaring back under President Donald J. Trump — smashing expectations for the second straight month as the Golden Age of America is well on its way.

    In March, the U.S. added 228,000 jobs — nearly 100,000 more jobs than economists predicted and the fourth-highest month for private payroll growth in the past two years. In fact, last month’s jobs increase is roughly twice the pace of the previous two months.

    The report highlights a resilient labor market as companies aggressively onshore jobs amid President Trump’s bold trade and economic agenda.

    • Private employment grew by 209,000 jobs — well above the pre-election 12-month average of 124,000 jobs:
      • + 23,700 jobs in retail trade.
      • + 22,900 jobs in transportation and warehousing.
      • + 13,000 jobs in construction.
    • The number of full-time workers increased by a remarkable 459,000 over last month, while labor force participation grew by 232,000 as more Americans seek jobs.
    • Americans’ wages are up, with nominal hourly wages rising by nearly 4% over the past year.
    • Under Biden, government and government-adjacent employment accounted for nearly three-fourths of new employment. Under President Trump, that number dropped to just 42% in March.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: National Child Abuse Prevention Month, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America 
    A Proclamation

    America’s children are the foundation of our families, the heirs of our freedom, and the stewards of our national promise.  This National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we commit to empowering every child in America to lead a fulfilling life of dignity and love — and we pledge to bring every abuser, predator, and evildoer who threatens the health and safety of our children to swift justice.

    As citizens, each of us is entrusted with the sacred responsibility of caring for the most vulnerable among us, especially children uniquely at risk of trauma and abuse.  My Administration recognizes that the most powerful safeguard against child abuse is a stable family with loving parents, and that there is no substitute for a strong mother and father.  For this reason, I am working every day to fortify our families and embolden our Nation’s children to live their lives full of happiness, health, and success that they so dearly deserve.  I call on every American to take steps to prevent child abuse and neglect before it occurs.  By doing so, we can reduce the risk of depression, suicide, substance abuse, and developmental challenges in our youth.

    Sadly, one of the most prevalent forms of child abuse facing our country today is the sinister threat of gender ideology.  Proponents of the gender ideology movement are outrageously indoctrinating our children with the devastating lie that they are trapped in the wrong body — and that the only way they can be truly happy is to alter their sex with hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and sexual mutilation surgery.  The evil and backwards lies of gender insanity are robbing our children of their happiness, health, and freedom, while imposing unimaginable heartbreak on parents and families.  As I stated during my Joint Address to the Congress last month, my message to every American child is simple:  you are perfect exactly the way God made you.

    As President, I proudly signed Executive Order 14187 prohibiting public schools from indoctrinating our children with transgender ideology, while also taking action to cut off all taxpayer funding to any institution that engages in the sexual mutilation of our youth.  To further protect our children, I have taken historic action to secure our southern border and end child trafficking — and am working diligently to make our young people healthy again.

    This National Child Abuse Prevention Month, we pledge to stop the atrocity of child abuse in all its forms.  We affirm that every perpetrator who inflicts violence on our children will be punished to the fullest extent of the law.  Above all, we vow to give our children the tools they need to fully embrace God’s gift of life, and to carry that radiant torch of American Liberty generations into the future.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.  I call upon all Americans to invest in the lives of our Nation’s children, to be aware of their safety and well-being, and to support efforts that promote their psychological, physical, and emotional development.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ONDCP Releases Trump Administration’s Statement of Drug Policy Priorities

    Source: The White House

    >Today, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is announcing the release of the Trump Administration’s Drug Policy Priorities, a comprehensive and coordinated blueprint to reduce the devastating impact of illicit drugs on American society. The Statement lays out the urgent, first-year steps that must be taken to address the scourge of illicit drug use that continues plaguing our nation and taking American lives. The implementation of these priorities will complement President Trump’s tireless efforts to stop Foreign Terrorist Organizations, cartels, and drug traffickers from harming Americans, and will help build a safer, healthier future for America.  

    In the next year, the White House will work across the government to implement the following six priorities:

    1. Reduce the Number of Overdose Fatalities, with a Focus on Fentanyl
    2. Secure the Global Supply Chain Against Drug Trafficking
    3. Stop the Flow of Drugs Across our Borders and into Our Communities
    4. Prevent Drug Use Before It Starts
    5. Provide Treatment That Leads to Long-Term Recovery
    6. Innovate in Research and Data to Support Drug Control Strategies

    “Terrorists, cartels, and other drug traffickers are taking hundreds of thousands of American lives by poisoning them for profit,” said Jon Rice, the ONDCP Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director. “To meet the urgent need of this moment, the Trump Administration is launching an unprecedented whole-of-government effort to stop these drugs from entering our communities and hold drug traffickers accountable. The priorities in this framework outline the first steps to kick cartels out of our country, free Americans from the deadly grip of addiction, and guide America back to health and safety.”

    To achieve our vision of a safer, healthier future for Americans, we will disrupt the supply chain from tooth to tail. We will continue to take decisive action and exploit all existing authorities, both punitive and economic, to eliminate the production and distribution networks that allow these drugs to reach the United States. We will develop bold policy choices, employ innovative and sophisticated technology, and create a skilled, recovery-ready workforce to combat this crisis and ensure the safety of all Americans. Domestically, we must acknowledge the complexity of substance use disorder and addiction. The statistics surrounding drug use and overdose deaths mandate a comprehensive approach that emphasizes drug use prevention and increases access to recovery and overdose prevention and reversal services. Recognizing that a sustainable solution requires coordination across all levels of government, we will collaborate with law enforcement, first responders, healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and individuals to ensure the health and well-being of all Americans.

    The staggering loss of life caused by illicit drugs underscores the severity of the challenge, but the Trump Administration has already taken critical steps to confront this crisis through a series of Executive Orders that secure our borders, combat foreign terrorist organizations and drug trafficking organizations, and demand reform by source countries from which illicit drugs and precursor chemicals flow into the United States. Critically, the Trump Administration will identify and hold accountable those responsible for exacerbating the flow of drugs within our borders. 

    While these Policy Priorities outline the broad areas of effort for the first year, the President’s drug control policy will evolve to keep pace with the changing landscape of illicit drug trafficking and ensure that our borders, communities, and schools are secure from the destructive influence of illicit drugs. 

    To read the Trump Administration’s Drug Policy Priorities, click here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: National Donate Life Month, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    Americans demonstrate their compassion in countless ways, perhaps none more selfless or vital than organ donations.  More than 170 million people in the United States have made the decision to become donors, and for that, my Administration is grateful.  During National Donate Life Month, we celebrate these heroes and the life-giving impact of their precious gift.

    Last year alone, Americans saved and extended nearly 50,000 lives through organ donations and transplantations.  Every life is precious, and each new donor can offer the gift of life to 8 souls while also enhancing the lives of 75 others who are battling chronic diseases, blindness, severe burns, and trauma. 

    There are more than 103,000 men, women, and children on the national transplant waiting list, clinging to hope and longing for a miracle.  A new name is added every 8 minutes. Tragically, 17 people lose their lives each day while waiting for a transplant, highlighting the urgent need for more registered donors.

    Anyone who is eligible, regardless of age or medical history, has the ability sign up to be an organ donor.  To enroll, visit your State registry, the Department of Motor Vehicles, or www.organdonor.gov.  The registration process is as simple as checking a box or registering online.

    Throughout this month, we honor the selfless donors who generously give life to others and celebrate the beneficiaries who receive health and healing.  The First Lady and I pray for all who await a transplant with anticipation and hope.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as National Donate Life Month.  I urge all Americans to consider becoming a donor and sharing this decision with family members and loved ones. 

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                                  DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    This month, we recognize National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month by ending the unfathomable human abuse committed under open borders policies.

    One of the leading causes of sexual violence over the last 4 years has been the invasion of illegal aliens at our southern border.  In a treasonous act of betrayal against the American people, the previous administration unleashed an army of gangs and criminal aliens from the darkest and most dangerous corners of the world — causing a dramatic increase of sexual violence in our neighborhoods and communities.  These reckless policies empowered some of the most depraved people on the planet to exploit women and children in the most vicious ways imaginable.

    We will never forget the names of precious American souls like Jocelyn Nungaray, Laken Riley, Rachel Morin, and many others who were savagely killed by illegal alien crime.  Last June, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally assaulted and murdered by two illegal aliens in her home state of Texas.  To memorialize her young life and love of nature and animals, I proudly renamed the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Texas to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge.  May this be Jocelyn’s little piece of Heaven on Earth.

    Every act of violence committed against an American at the hands of an illegal alien is a crime beyond all comprehension.  For that reason, I am doing everything in my power to defend the dignity of every human life, keep violent criminals out of our country, and end sexual violence — including the degrading scourge of sex trafficking, a form of modern-day slavery that has battered multitudes of innocent lives and scarred untold numbers of our most vulnerable fellow citizens.

    To protect our communities, one of my first actions as President was to declare a national emergency at the southern border.  I also designated cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists to end their campaign of violence and bloodshed.  In my first legislative action as President, I signed into law the Laken Riley Act, which requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens convicted of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.  I have also initiated the largest deportation operation in the history of our country — including the deportation of hundreds of illegal alien gang members to El Salvador. 

    As President, I am bringing back security on our border, safety on our streets, and law and order in our communities.  Under my leadership, human trafficking is being brought to a rapid end, and justice is being swiftly served.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.  I urge all Americans, families, law enforcement personnel, healthcare providers, and community and faith-based organizations to support survivors of sexual assault and work together to prevent these crimes in their communities.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                                   DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Report to the President on the America First Trade Policy Executive Summary

    Source: The White House

    Pursuant to the January 20, 2025 Presidential Memorandum on America First Trade Policy (AFTP), directed to the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Commerce, Secretary of Homeland Security, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, the President instructed the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative to report to the President on April 1, 2025, on the topics set forth therein, consisting of 24 individual chapters containing the reviews, investigations, findings, identifications, and recommendations enumerated in Sections 2(a) through 4(g) of the Presidential Memorandum. The Report also includes the expanded scope of work on non-reciprocal trading practices directed by the February 13, 2025 Presidential Memorandum on Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs. The findings from Sections 3(c), 3(d), and 3(f) of the February 21, 2025 Presidential Memorandum on Defending American Companies and Innovators from Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties are incorporated therein. This unified report is delivered to the President accordingly.

    Introduction

    An America First Trade Policy will unleash investment, jobs, and growth at home; reinforce our industrial and technological advantages; reduce our destructive trade imbalance; strengthen our economic and national security; and deliver substantial benefits for American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs, and businesses. The America First Trade Policy Report (the Report) provides a foundation and resource for trade policy actions that will Make America Great Again by putting America First. It presents comprehensive recommendations covering the full scope of trade policies and challenges, from market access and the de minimis duty exemption to export controls and outbound investment restrictions. 

    The need for an America First Trade Policy is self-evident. For decades, the United States has shed jobs, innovation, wealth, and security to foreign countries who have used a myriad of unfair, non-reciprocal, and distortive practices to gain advantage over our domestic producers. There is no better expression of this dangerous state of affairs than America’s large and persistent trade deficit in goods, which soared to $1.2 trillion in 2024. Emerging from a tenuous geopolitical landscape in the previous four years, the United States cannot approach international economic and industrial policy issues with malaise. Our Nation’s future prosperity and national security requires a coordinated, strategic approach that fully utilizes the authorities and expertise of the Federal government to ensure the enduring economic, technological, and military dominance of the United States.

    It was for this reason that President Trump wasted no time in launching the America First Trade Policy mere hours after taking his oath of office. In the weeks that followed, he expanded the scope of work to include non-reciprocal trading practices—a key driver of the trade deficit—and foreign extortion of American firms, especially leading U.S. technology companies. For most administrations, success in any of the 24 separate workstreams discussed in the Report would represent some of the most significant international economic change in the history of the country. Each could easily take decades to resolve. In fact, it is precisely because decades have passed without resolution of these issues that urgent action is required today. The United States does not have decades to continue tinkering around the edges of international economics—the urgency of the situation requires bold action now.

    Today—on April 1—after a mere 71 days on the job, President Trump’s Administration delivered the results of its work. The Report provides the President with recommendations for transformative action. The Report charts a course for his Presidency to reshape U.S. trade relations by prioritizing economic and national security, and restoring the ability to make America, once again, a nation of producers and builders.

    Specifically, the Report includes a chapter for each subsection in the AFTP Memorandum, with an additional chapter for Section 3(f) of Presidential Memorandum on Defending American Companies and Innovators from Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties; reporting pursuant to Sections 3(c) and 3(d) of the latter are included within Chapter 3. Although the full Report delivered to the President is non-public, what follows is a brief public summary of the contents of each chapter.

    Addressing Unfair and Unbalanced Trade

    Chapter 1. Economic and National Security Implications of the Large and Persistent Trade Deficit (Section 2(a) of AFTP)

    The Report opens with a discussion of the magnitude and urgency of the economic and national security threat posed by the large and persistent trade deficit. In particular, the trade deficit demonstrates a fundamental unfairness and lack of reciprocity in how the United States is treated by its trading partners. For decades, while the United States has kept its tariffs low and its economy open, our trading partners have imposed egregious tariff and non-tariff barriers on American goods and services.  These unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices have undermined U.S. competitiveness, leading to business closures, job losses, missed market opportunities for American exporters, loss of industrial capacity, and an atrophying of our defense industrial base and national security posture. The sum total of these various non-reciprocal practices is that American exporters are less competitive abroad and foreign imports are artificially more competitive in the United States. Hence, our large and persistent trade deficit. The Report makes recommendations to the President to reduce the trade deficit, including the imposition of a tariff on certain imports in pursuit of reciprocity and balanced trade.

    Chapter 2. The External Revenue Service (Section 2(b) of AFTP)

    Through a collaboration between the Department of Commerce (DOC), the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the creation of an External Revenue Service (ERS) offers an opportunity to improve tariff collection. Tariffs have historically played a central role in the collection of Federal revenues. One way the United States can maximize its revenue recovery while deterring fraudulent and unfair trade practices is by establishing a centralized system to optimize revenue collection in the form of an ERS. By closing regulatory gaps and modernizing revenue collection mechanisms, the United States can reaffirm its commitment to a strong, fair, and enforceable trade system that benefits American businesses and taxpayers alike.

    Chapter 3. Review of Unfair and Non-Reciprocal Foreign Trade Practices (Section 2(c) of AFTP)

    U.S. trading partners pursue various unfair and non-reciprocal trade practices. In its review, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) identified more than 500 of these practices, and stakeholders reported many more during a public comment process. Many countries impose higher tariffs on U.S. exports than the United States imposes on imports from those countries. The U.S. average applied tariff is 3.3%. But the average tariffs in the European Union (EU) (5%), China (7.5%), Vietnam (9.4%), India (17%), and Brazil (11.2%) are all higher. The disparity is even more evident in specific products. The U.S. most-favored nation (MFN) tariff on passenger vehicles is 2.5%, but the EU, India, and China tariff cars at much higher rates, 10%, 70%, and 15% respectively. The United States has no tariffs on apples, but India has a 50% tariff and Turkey a 60.3% tariff.

    Non-tariff barriers by our trade partners are often an even greater obstacle. The EU only allows imports of shellfish from two states—Massachusetts and Washington—but the United States gives the EU unlimited access to the U.S. shellfish market. The United Kingdom (UK) maintains non-science-based standards that adversely affect U.S. exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products. Non-tariff barriers also include domestic economic policies that suppress domestic consumption. While the U.S. share of consumption to gross domestic product (GDP) is 68%, it is much lower in Ireland (24%), China (38%), and Germany (49%). This is because our trading partners pursue intentional policies of consumption-reduction (e.g., wage suppression and labor, environmental, and regulatory arbitrage) to gain unfair trade advantage over the United States. This, in turn, contributes to our large and persistent trade deficit. USTR recommends a number of ways in which current legal authorities might be used to address these unfair practices and trade barriers.

    Chapter 4. Renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (Section 2(d) of AFTP)

    In his first term, President Trump ended the job-killing North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and replaced it with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). USMCA gained new market access for American exporters and adopted rules to incentivize the reshoring of manufacturing to the United States. It also included an innovative review mechanism to ensure that the agreement is responsive to changing economic circumstances. Under the USMCA Implementation Act, USTR is statutorily required to initiate the review process ahead of the July 2026 deadline. Numerous changes are needed, such as stronger rules of origin to reduce the inflow of non-market economy content into the United States, expanded market access—especially for dairy exports to Canada, and action to address Mexico’s discriminatory practices, such as in the energy sector.

    Chapter 5. Review of Foreign Currency Manipulation (Section 2(e) of AFTP)

    The Secretary of the Treasury is required to assess the policies and practices of major U.S. trading partners with respect to the rate of exchange between their currencies and the United States dollar pursuant to section 4421 of title 19, United States Code, and section 5305 of title 22, United States Code. The Department of the Treasury will strengthen its ongoing currency analysis and address the lack of transparency by foreign governments in currency markets.

    Chapter 6. Review of Existing Trade Agreements (Section 2(f) of AFTP)

    The United States has 14 comprehensive trade agreements in force with 20 countries. There is significant scope to modernize existing U.S. trade agreements so that trade terms are aligned with American interests while addressing underlying causes of imbalances. This includes lowering foreign tariff rates for American exporters, improving transparency and predictability in foreign regulatory regimes, improving market access for U.S. agricultural products, strengthening rules of origin to ensure the benefits of the agreement appropriately flow to the parties, and improving the alignment of our trading partners with U.S. approaches to economic security and non-market policies and practices.

    Chapter 7. Identification of New Agreements to Secure Market Access (Section 2(g) of AFTP)

    The negotiation of new trade agreements with trading partners offers an opportunity for the United States to knock down non-reciprocal barriers to U.S. exports, especially for agricultural products, and reshape the global trading system in ways that promote supply chain resilience, manufacturing reshoring, and economic and national security alignment with partners. The Report identifies countries and sectors which may be ripe for the negotiation of America First Agreements.

    Chapter 8. Review of Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duty Policies (Section 2(h) of AFTP)

    Administered by DOC, anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) are a critical tool to address unfair trade and support domestic manufacturing. Recommendations include considering the addition of new countries to the list of non-market economies, methodologies to better implement AD/CVD laws, and more-active self-initiation of new investigations.

    Chapter 9. Review of the De Minimis Exemption (Section 2(i) of AFTP)

    Packages containing imports valued at $800 or less imported by one person on one day currently enter the United States duty free. The United States should end this duty-free de minimis exemption.  This exception has resulted in approximately $10.8 billion in foregone tariff revenue in 2024 alone.  De minimis shipments also pose serious security risks to the United States. The de minimis exemption is a means by which fentanyl, counterfeit goods, and various deadly and high-risk products enter the United States with little scrutiny. Countless consumer products that don’t meet U.S. health and safety standards, such as flammable children’s pajamas and lead-ridden plumbing fixtures, enter the United States through under the de minimis administrative exemption every year.  This is in part because the government does not collect sufficient data on low-value shipments to allow for enforcement targeting.  The de minimis exemption also allows for importers to evade trade enforcement tariffs; for instance, goods entering through the de minimis exemption do not need to pay duties owed pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. With nearly four million packages arriving each day through the de minimis exemption, it is imperative that DOC and CBP recover our rightful tariff revenue and defend our national security by ending the exemption.

    Chapter 10. Investigation of Extraterritorial Taxes (Section 2(j) of AFTP)

    The United States must combat efforts by foreign governments to collect illegitimate revenue from U.S. firms by imposing various discriminatory taxes and regulatory regimes aimed to capture the success of America’s most successful companies—not the least of which are our leading technology firms. Digital Services Taxes, for example, are often devised so as to shield most non-U.S. headquartered firms from taxation and UTPRs determine tax based primarily on factors outside the taxing jurisdiction. We need to ensure we have available the tools necessary to defend U.S. interests, including by providing technical assistance in furtherance of new legislative tools and further investigating identified taxes to determine the appropriate action.

    Chapter 11. Review of the Government Procurement Agreement (Section 2(k) of AFTP)

    Buy American is the epitome of common-sense public policy. In recent decades, the United States has weakened domestic procurement preferences by opening up our procurement market pursuant to the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). Unfortunately, this market access is lopsided. A 2019 report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on the GPA found that in 2010, the United States reported $837 billion in GPA coverage. This was twice as much as the $381 billion reported by the next five largest GPA parties (the EU, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and Canada), despite the fact that total U.S. procurement was less than that of these five partners combined. Moreover, some GPA partners open their procurement markets to third countries who are not parties, forcing U.S. suppliers to compete for the preferential market access they are entitled to under the agreement. To address this lack of reciprocity and unfair competition, the United States should modify or renegotiate the GPA, and if unsuccessful, withdraw.

    An additional challenge is that, although defense procurement is closed to GPA partners, the Department of Defense still gives countries access to our huge defense procurement market by negotiating Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP) agreements. Shockingly, these RDPs not only open our market to foreign suppliers, but also require U.S. firms to move industrial capacity offshore as a condition of access to the markets of partner countries. These RDPs must be reviewed to ensure they put America First.

    Economic and Trade Relations with the People’s Republic of China

    Chapter 12. Review of the Phase One Agreement (Section 3(a) of AFTP)

    A key success of President Trump’s first term was the Phase One Agreement with China. Unfortunately, five years following the entry into force in February 2020, China’s lack of compliance with the Agreement is a serious concern. China has failed to live up to its commitments on agriculture, financial services, and protection of intellectual property (IP) rights. USTR assessed this lack of compliance and recommends potential responses.

    Chapter 13. Assessment of the Section 301 Four-Year Review (Section 3(b) of AFTP)

    The United States imposed tariffs pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 in 2018. The law requires that Section 301 actions be reviewed every four years by USTR. The first Four-Year Review was completed in May 2024 and resulted in increases of some of the Section 301 tariffs on China. USTR assessed the results of this review to ensure the Section 301 action remains fit for purpose.

    Chapter 14. Identification of New Section 301 Actions (Section 3(c) of AFTP)

    Given the expansiveness of China’s non-market policies and practices, there may be a need for additional Section 301 investigations. USTR looked at various elements of China’s non-market policies and practices to identify additional investigations that may be warranted.

    Chapter 15. Assessment of Permanent Normal Trade Relations (Section 3(d) of AFTP)

    After China was granted Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with the United States in 2000, China took full advantage of the openness of the U.S. economy by leveraging its state-directed capital investments and subsidies, industrial overcapacity, lax labor and environmental standards, forced technology transfer policies, and countless protectionist measures. U.S. goods imports from China increased from $100 billion in 2000 to $463.9 billion in 2024, while the U.S. trade deficit in goods with China ballooned from $83.8 billion in 2000 to $295.4 billion in 2024. More than two decades after being granted PNTR, China still embraces a non-market economic system. USTR carefully reviewed legislative proposals related to PNTR and advised the President accordingly.

    Chapter 16. Assessment of Reciprocity for Intellectual Property (Section 3(e) of AFTP)

    The full extent of China’s abusive tactics and practices with respect to U.S. intellectual property is staggering. The Report catalogues China’s abuses of this system and recommends appropriate responsive actions to address China’s massive imbalance on treatment of intellectual property.

    Additional Economic Security Matters

    Chapter 17. Identification of New Section 232 Actions (Section 4(a) of AFTP)

    In his first term, President Trump used Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to save America’s steel and aluminum industries. Last week, President Trump invoked Section 232 to impose a 25% tariff on foreign automobiles and certain automobile parts to protect our automotive industrial base. Reshoring industrial production in key sectors is critical to national security, and DOC identified additional products and sectors that merit consideration for initiation of new Section 232 investigations, including pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and certain critical minerals. 

    Chapter 18. Review of Section 232 Action on Steel and Aluminum (Section 4(b) of AFTP)

    On February 11, President Trump ended all product exclusions and country exemptions for the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum. DOC further explains the basis for this needed action and recommends additional measures for steel and aluminum for that could be taken.

    Chapter 19. Review of U.S. Export Controls (Section 4(c) of AFTP)

    The United States must ensure that its advanced technology does not flow to our adversaries. Export controls should be simpler, stricter, and more effective, while promoting U.S. dominance in AI and asserting global technological leadership.

    Chapter 20. Review of the Office of Information and Communication Technology and Services (Section 4(d) of AFTP)

    Using his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), President Trump created a new Office of Information and Communication Technology and Services (ICTS) at DOC in his first term. In the last administration, however, ICTS was underutilized. DOC reviewed ongoing ICTS work and identified key areas to strengthen and improve in line with ITCS’s original intent, including expanding its scope and remit to encompass advanced technologies controlled by our adversaries.

    Chapter 21. Review of Outbound Investment Restrictions (Section 4(e) of AFTP)

    President Trump’s America First Investment Policy serves as a basis for how the Administration will approach investment policy, including on outbound investment restrictions. Pursuant to the America First Investment Policy, the National Security Council and the Department of the Treasury will evaluate options that allow American business to thrive while ensuring that they, too, put America First and do not undermine U.S. national security interests. Among the things the Administration plans to evaluate is whether the scope of outbound investment restrictions should be expanded to be responsive to developments in technology and the strategies of countries of concern.

    Chapter 22. Assessment of Foreign Subsidies on Federal Procurement (Section 4(f) of AFTP)

    Foreign subsidies can disadvantage domestic products in a country’s government procurement market. The EU has recognized this problem and introduced the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR) to address distortions caused by foreign subsidies for public procurement. OMB assessed the value of the FSR and other policies to tilt the playing field in favor U.S. producers by strengthening domestic procurement preferences and closing loopholes.

    Chapter 23. Assessment of Unlawful Migration and Fentanyl Flows from Canada, Mexico, and China (Section 4(g) of AFTP)

    On February 1, President Trump invoked IEEPA to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China to stop the threat posed by the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States. DOC and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) elaborated on the necessity for the strong action already taken by President Trump and identified measures to further stem the flow of illegal migrants and drugs into the United States.

    Chapter 24. E-Commerce Moratorium (Section 3(f) of Presidential Memorandum on Defending American Companies and Innovators from Overseas Extortion and Unfair Fines and Penalties)

    At present, WTO Members have committed to a temporary moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, known popularly as the e-commerce moratorium. In other words, no tariffs on data flows. However, some countries—such as India, Indonesia, and South Africa—seek to tariff the flow of data, thereby destroying the internet and harming the competitiveness for U.S. companies that are global leaders. USTR assessed the risks posed by data tariffs and made recommendations to ensure that the e-commerce moratorium is made permanent.

    Conclusion

    The Report offers a broad, yet substantive, view of U.S. trade policy as it currently stands, and articulates a roadmap for where it should go. The U.S. trade policy of today does not address long-standing and destructive global imbalances, nor does it reflect the reality that the United States is the most open, innovative, and dynamic economy in the world, which is why we must work to unlock its full potential.  Now is the time to pursue trade and economic policies that put the American economy, the American worker, and our national security first. This Report provides a foundation to do exactly that.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Cancer Control Month, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>By the President of the United States of America

    A Proclamation

    During Cancer Control Month, we honor the unwavering strength and courage of every American battling cancer and celebrate with over 18 million survivors who are still with us today.  We also hold dear the memories of beloved family members and friends that we have lost to this devastating disease.  My Administration remains devoted to pursuing groundbreaking medical advancement and spearheading innovative treatments to combat and prevent all forms of cancer.

    Last year, over 2 million Americans were diagnosed with cancer, and more than 600,000 lost their lives to this horrific disease.  Since 1990, adult cancer cases have surged by 88 percent, while childhood cancer cases, though still uncommon, has incrementally increased by 0.8 percent annually since 1975, leading to a more than 40 percent increase in the past 50 years.  These trends indicate that something is wrong.  That is why I have proudly established the Make America Healthy Again Commission to address the root causes of America’s chronic disease crisis.

    My Administration is committed to lowering healthcare costs; making additional treatment options available through Right to Try; and rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse in Government.  By promoting transparency and ending conflicts of interest in federally funded health research, we are working to restore trust in our medical and scientific institutions.  As President, I am also tapping into emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to support cutting-edge research in innovative fields like genomics and immunotherapy, pioneering medical advances that will improve the lives of cancer patients. 

    Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States.  However, there are encouraging signs of progress.  The combined death rate from all types of cancer continues to decline among both men and women, and the mortality rates for several common cancers — including lung, colon, breast, and ovarian — are steadily decreasing.  These promising developments reflect the unending efforts of our Nation’s dedicated healthcare professionals to diagnose cancers at earlier stages, improve prevention, and enhance treatment.

    Americans must take action to prevent and combat cancer.  Maintaining a healthy weight, adopting balanced eating habits, and engaging in regular physical activity may help prevent kidney, endometrial, esophageal, colorectal, and other cancers.  Avoiding tobacco use and alcohol consumption can also help prevent and combat cancers.  Additionally, Americans should discuss their family medical history with their doctors and undergo recommended screenings.  This can lead to an early diagnosis and increase the odds of overcoming the disease.

    As a country, we will continue to push the boundaries of medical innovation, driven by the unwavering spirit of the American people.  Together, we will work to vanquish cancer, eradicating the suffering and pain it has inflicted on too many American families.  I have unshakable faith in the greatness of our Nation and the excellence of our people.  We will continue to fight until we find a long-sought cure, and we will emerge victorious in our fight against cancer.

    The Congress of the United States, by joint resolution approved March 28, 1938 (52 Stat. 148; 36 U.S.C. 103), as amended, has requested the President to issue an annual proclamation declaring April as “Cancer Control Month.”

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2025 as Cancer Control Month.  I call upon the people of the United States to observe this month with relevant programs, ceremonies, and activities.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    third day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

                                   DONALD J. TRUMP

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Support Grows for President Trump’s America First Reciprocal Trade Plan

    Source: The White House

    One day after President Donald J. Trump announced a new chapter in American prosperity, support continues to roll in for his bold vision to reverse the decades of globalization that has decimated our industrial base.

    The support is bipartisan, with Democrat Rep. Jared Golden lauding President Trump’s plan: “I’m pleased the president is building his tariff agenda on the foundation of a universal 10 percent tariff like the one I proposed in the BUILT USA Act. This ring fence around the American economy is a good start to erasing our unsustainable trade deficits. I’m eager to work with the president to fix the broken ‘free trade’ system that made multinational corporations rich but ruined manufacturing communities across the country.”

    Here’s what else they’re saying:

    Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership. Today’s action will deliver lasting benefits to the U.S. economy and working-class Americans, cementing President Trump’s legacy as one that ushered in a new Golden Age of American industrialization and prosperity.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association SVP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”

    Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “President Trump is a champion of the domestic steel industry, and his America First Trade Policy is designed to fight the unfair trade that has harmed American workers and weakened manufacturing in the United States. The recently reinvigorated 232 steel tariffs have already started creating American jobs and bolstering the domestic steel industry. President Trump is working to turn America into a manufacturing powerhouse and the steel tariffs are driving that movement. President Trump’s initial 232 steel tariffs and the historic tax cuts led to investments of nearly $20 billion by steel manufacturers in the United States. Since the revised tariffs took effect, Hyundai Steel announced a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana, demonstrating that the tariffs are working to bring more steel investments and production to the United States. The domestic steel market is stronger when other nations are forced to compete on a level playing field. On a level playing field, American workers can outcompete anyone. We look forward to continuing working with President Trump and his administration to ensure a level playing field for Americans and a robust domestic steel industry that strengthens our national, economic and energy security.”

    Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul: “Today’s trade action prioritizes domestic manufacturers and America’s workers. These hardworking men and women have seen unfair trade cut the ground from beneath their feet for decades. They deserve a fighting chance. Our workers can out-compete anyone in the world, but they need a level playing field to do it. This trade reset is a necessary step in the right direction.”

    National Electrical Contractors Association CEO David Long: “President Trump has consistently prioritized policies that put the electrical industry as a priority, and we recognize his commitment to strengthening our nation’s economy. As these new tariffs take effect, we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that electrical contractors and the entire electrical industry can continue powering America efficiently while navigating potential cost and supply chain challenges.”

    American Compass Chief Economist Oren Cass: “The new policies announced by President Trump today confirm the end of the disastrous WTO era and lay the groundwork for a new set of arrangements in the international economy that prioritize the national interest and the flourishing of the nation’s working families.”

    National Council of Textile Organizations CEO Kim Glas: “We strongly commend President Trump and his administration on their tariff reciprocity plan to finally begin rebalancing America’s trade positioning in markets at home and abroad. We want to thank President Trump on behalf of the U.S. textile industry and the 471,000 workers we employ.”

    Southern Shrimp Alliance Executive Director John Williams: “We’ve watched as multigenerational family businesses tie up their boats, unable to compete with foreign producers who play by a completely different set of rules. We are grateful for the Trump Administration’s actions today, which will preserve American jobs, food security, and our commitment to ethical production.”

    American Iron and Steel Institute President Kevin Dempsey: “AISI thanks President Trump for standing up for American workers by restoring fairness in international trade and addressing non-reciprocal trade relationships. American steel producers are all too familiar with the detrimental effects of unfair foreign trade practices on domestic industries and their workers. Driven by subsidies and other foreign government trade-distorting practices, global overcapacity in the steel industry reached 573 million metric tons in 2024 and has spurred high levels of exports of steel from countries like China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Indonesia that continue to produce steel in volumes that significantly exceed their domestic demand. These exports directly and indirectly injure steel producers in the U.S. and government action to address this unloading of steel overproduction on world markets is overdue.”

    Americans for Limited Government Executive Director Robert Romano: “Thank you, President Trump, for putting America first and finally once and for all levying the same tariffs on trade partners that they have levied mercilessly on the United States for decades. This was not an easy decision to make, but one that is long overdue with a record $1.2 trillion trade in goods deficit in 2024 after the failed rule of former President Joe Biden. … Under President Trump’s leadership, America will be the industrial and technology leader of the world, with commitments for hundreds of billions of investments in the United States. For countries that want to avoid the tariffs, it’s simple: Build in America. … Thank you again, President Trump, for your leadership in restoring reciprocity in trade and for having the courage that all of our other leaders have lacked.”

    American Petroleum Institute: “We welcome President Trump’s decision to exclude oil and natural gas from new tariffs, underscoring the complexity of integrated global energy markets and the importance of America’s role as a net energy exporter. We will continue working with the Trump administration on trade policies that support American energy dominance.”

    National Association of Home Builders Chairman Buddy Hughes: “NAHB is pleased President Trump recognized the importance of critical construction inputs for housing and chose to continue current exemptions for Canadian and Mexican products, with a specific exemption for lumber from any new tariffs at this time. NAHB will continue to work with the administration to find ways to increase domestic lumber production, reduce regulatory burdens, and create an environment that allows builders to increase our nation’s housing supply.”

    International Dairy Foods Association SVP of Trade and Workforce Policy Becky Rasdall Vargas: “The U.S. dairy industry exports more than $8 billion of high-quality dairy products every year to approximately 145 countries around the world. To meet growing global demand, dairy businesses have invested $8 billion in new processing capacity here in the United States—creating jobs, strengthening rural economies, and positioning America as the world’s leading dairy supplier. This growth depends on strong trade relationships and access to essential ingredients, finished goods, packaging, and equipment to provide Americans with safe, affordable, and nutritious dairy foods and beverages. IDFA supports the Trump Administration’s efforts to hold trading partners accountable and expand market access for U.S. dairy.”

    Bienvenido Empresarios: “As an organization committed to empowering Hispanic Americans and strengthening our nation’s future, Bienvenido supports policies that build a more resilient American economy, safeguard our communities, and reassert U.S. leadership on the global stage. President Trump’s emphasis on using economic leverage — including tariffs — reflects a broader strategy to counter China, confront the deadly fentanyl crisis, and bring critical industries back home. Now is a time for tough, decisive action when national security and American livelihoods are at stake. Our hope is that these measures lead to stronger enforcement, fairer trade, and long-term prosperity for all Americans.”

    America First Policy Institute: “Tariffs worked then—and they’ll work again. Under President Trump, tariffs brought back jobs, lowered inflation, and strengthened national security. It’s not just economic policy—it’s America First in action.”

    Author Batya Ungar-Sargon: “[President Trump] is saying we’re going to invest heavily in our middle class. We are no longer going to be a country in which our economy is an upward funnel of wealth from the hardest-working Americans into the pockets of the international global elites.”

    Fox Business Network’s Charles Payne: “President Trump ran on tariffs. What we just saw was a president who did what he said he was going to do … This system is unsustainable … Is our patriotism tied to Wall Street? Or should it be tied to our own personal ability to achieve the American Dream?”

    Republic Financial Chairman Nate Morris: “As someone who was raised by a proud autoworker – thank you President Trump for putting AMERICAN workers first again!”

    Commentator Geraldo Rivera: “The family did visit Japan… we did not see a single American car on the road in Tokyo — not a Caddy, not a Buick, not a Ford, not a Chevy… I have an innate sense that there’s something unfair going on… if they are screwing us, we got to tax them.”

    Commentator Bill O’Reilly: “We’ve been getting hosed since World War II by the trade imbalance … You can do what Biden and Obama did, which is just ignore it completely … The numbers are staggering, and the best part of Trump’s speech today was that he said that if you go to Japan or South Korea or China or Germany, you’re not going to see any American cars because they won’t let them in … Trump is right.”

    CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp: “America cannot afford to be taken advantage of any longer.  Even our friends and strategic allies have for too long assumed that the United States could absorb unfair treatment, including high tariffs on American goods.  We applaud the steps taken by President Trump today to defend American manufacturers not because we like higher taxes, but because we know that trade is only free when both sides follow similar rules.  What President Trump understands is that America needs to get back on track by improving our domestic competitiveness by cutting taxes and regulations AND we need to take on the globalists who believe Americans should not always have to take it in the chops.  Real respect begins with economic reciprocity.”

    Speaker Mike Johnson: “President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore. These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!”

    Gov. Jeff Landry: “Pro Jobs. Pro Business. Pro America.”

    Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “President Trump is acting boldly to put America first. America needs fair and free trade. We can’t allow other countries to keep abusing our workers and job creators. It’s time we had a level playing field. I applaud President Trump’s 100% commitment to Made in America.”

    Sen. Jim Banks: “The decision by President Trump today to impose reciprocal tariffs will be so good for Indiana. … Those are the manufacturing jobs that President Trump is bringing back from overseas.”

    Sen. Bill Cassidy: “The president’s trade agenda can pave the way for stronger trade deals, fairer rules, and real results. I am excited to work with President Trump to make it happen. Louisiana’s workers and families deserve nothing less.”

    Sen. John Kennedy: “America is rich. We buy a lot of stuff. President Trump is saying that if you foreign businesses want to sell in America, then move your business here and hire American workers.”

    Sen. Roger Marshall: “President Donald Trump is fighting for long-term solutions to put America’s farmers and ranchers first.”

    Sen. Ashley Moody: “It’s liberation day in America! Today, @POTUS sent a message to the world that the era of America being taken advantage of is over.”

    Sen. Bernie Moreno: “President Trump is finally reversing their failed policies and fighting back for American workers.”

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “President Trump is going to charge foreign countries roughly half of what they *already* charge us to do business. Literally who can argue with this?”

    Sen. Pete Ricketts: “President Trump is delivering on his campaign promises to level the playing field and stand up for the American people. Reciprocal tariffs will ensure equal treatment for American businesses. @POTUS is working to reshore jobs lost overseas and secure our supply chains. He is working to open new markets for our nation’s agriculture products. He is demonstrating to foreign adversaries like China that we will no longer be taken advantage of.”

    Sen. Rick Scott: “The days of the U.S. being taken advantage of by other countries are OVER! Pres. Trump is making it clear that he will ALWAYS put American jobs, manufacturing and our economy first. As Americans, let’s stand with him and support one another by buying products MADE IN AMERICA.”

    Sen. Eric Schmitt: “President Trump is bringing America back. We won’t be ripped off by other countries anymore. We’re bringing back manufacturing, unleashing energy production, and paving the way for prosperity.”

    Sen. Tim Sheehy: “They tariff us at up to 50% of our exported ag products and then dump mass produced ag products into our market severely hurting our farmers and ranchers. It’s about time we have a level playing field for businesses.”

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “For too long, other countries have ripped us off with bad trade deals – resulting in American jobs and manufacturing moving overseas. But change is coming. The Golden Age of America’s economy is here. Happy Liberation Day.”

    House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “The United States and American workers will no longer be ripped off by other countries with unfair trade practices. Thank you President Trump for putting America’s workers and innovators first with reciprocal tariffs that level the playing field and make trade FAIR.”

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer: “For too long, foreign countries have taken advantage of us at the expense of American workers. President @realDonaldTrump says NO MORE.”

    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “Tariffs work! @POTUS has proven tariffs are an effective tool in achieving economic and strategic objectives. The President’s long-term strategy will pay off.”

    Rep. Elise Stefanik: “I strongly support President Trump’s America First economic policies to strengthen American manufacturing and create millions of American jobs. For too long, Americans have suffered under unfair trade practices putting America Last. We will not allow other countries to take advantage of us and we must put America and the American worker first.”

    Rep. Jason Smith: “America shouldn’t reward countries that discriminate against American workers and manufacturers. On Liberation Day, President Trump is correcting this and demanding fair treatment for American producers.”

    Rep. Mark Alford: “The days of the United States being taken advantage of are OVER. Republicans are putting American workers FIRST.”

    Rep. Rick Allen: “@POTUS is undoing decades of unfair trade practices and putting American workers, businesses, and manufacturers FIRST. These reciprocal tariffs are simply leveling the playing field and will help ensure the U.S. is no longer on the losing end of global trade.”

    Rep. Jodey Arrington: “For too long, our leaders have allowed other nations to rip us off through numerous unfair trade practices resulting in suppressed wages, lost opportunities, and unrealized economic growth. Just as he did in his first term, President Trump is fighting to ensure an even playing field for our manufacturers, farmers, and workers so we can unleash American prosperity and Make America Great Again.”

    Rep. Brian Babin: “Trump’s tariffs aren’t starting a trade war—they’re ending one. For decades, other countries ripped off American workers with unfair tariffs and barriers. Now, we’re finally fighting back.”

    Rep. Andy Biggs: “Past administrations have allowed the United States to be ripped off by allies and adversaries alike. President Trump said “NO MORE!” The Art of the Deal.”

    Rep. Vern Buchanan: “For too long, unfair trade practices devastated America’s manufacturing base and stole millions of blue-collar jobs. It’s time to level the playing field and bring those jobs back. @POTUS is fighting for American workers.”

    Rep. Eli Crane: “America First policies are what the American people voted for.”

    Rep. Michael Cloud: “America-First means putting the American people first. We will no longer be taken advantage of as a nation and people.”

    Rep. Andrew Clyde: “For far too long, the U.S. has been ripped off by countries across the globe with unfair trade practices. Now, we’re finally leveling the playing field. THANK YOU, President Trump, for putting American workers and manufacturing FIRST.”

    Rep. Mike Collins: “This is fair. Whether it’s our military or economy, other countries have taken advantage of the U.S. for far too long. That time is over.”

    Rep. Byron Donalds: “For decades, a lot of these countries have built their economies on the back of the American economy … These nations have become, not just developing nations, they are now strong economies. And so, we have to have fair trade if we’re going to have free trade.”

    Rep. Chuck Edwards: “Many countries are taking advantage of the United States by imposing tariffs against us while we don’t have reciprocal tariffs against them. @POTUS has used tariffs to produce successful trade deals for us in his first term, and I support his plan to use them again to create a more level playing field and secure fairer trade deals for America. The quicker other countries agree to fairer trade deals, the quicker the tariffs can end.”

    Rep. Gabe Evans: “This admin puts America first from strengthening our economy & national security to prioritizing hard working Americans. Farmers in #CO08 have been disadvantaged in foreign trade deals & will benefit from reciprocal tariffs that promote FAIR & free trade.”

    Rep. Scott Franklin: “For years the US handcuffed itself and played nice while other countries imposed massive tariffs and took advantage of us. We’re done putting America last. @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ending trade imbalances and prioritizing American workers and manufacturing again!”

    Rep. Mike Flood: “Biden did nothing for four years on trade. Five years after Brexit, America doesn’t have a free trade deal with the UK. President @realDonaldTrump is rightsizing our trade relationships.”

    Rep. Russell Fry: “HAPPY LIBERATION DAY. Thanks to @POTUS, America is DONE being taken advantage of. A new era has begun.”

    Rep. Lance Gooden: “For decades, Washington allowed Texans to be ripped off by foreign countries. Those days are now over. @POTUS is committed to making America wealthy again!”

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “If you want to do business in America, you need to play by our rules. For too long, American businesses, big and small, have been ripped off by bad trade deals and unfair competition. President Trump is putting a stop to it. He’s standing up for our workers, our companies, and our consumers.”

    Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “The America First Republican party is the party of the working class, the forgotten men and women. On this Liberation Day, we further our commitment to them, that we will reshore our manufacturing, restore fair trade, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.”

    Rep. Pat Harrigan: “If you want access to the most powerful economy in the world, treat us fairly. If not, don’t expect a free ride. That’s real leadership and @POTUS is delivering it!”

    Rep. Andy Harris: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will put the American worker first and bring fairness back to international trade. America is being respected again.”

    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “President Trump is bringing back the American Dream. Our taxpayers have been ripped off by foreign countries for far too long, but those days are over. President Trump is right to impose these reciprocal tariffs.”

    Rep. Clay Higgins: “.@POTUS’ trade agenda puts American industry and America first. I support the President’s action to protect our domestic producers.”

    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “Today, President Trump empowered the American middle class.  His policies on tariffs will bring automotive manufacturing back to America.”

    Rep. Morgan Luttrell: “President Trump is putting America First on trade—standing up to foreign adversaries, protecting American workers, and rebuilding our manufacturing base. The days of unfair trade deals and economic surrender are OVER.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: “Since President Trump has been elected, we’ve attracted $5 trillion in private investment, foreign & domestic companies have announced Made in USA manufacturing, countries have reduced tariffs or changed foreign policies. President Trump is sticking up for American workers & farmers, repatriating our supply chain and protecting our national security.”

    Rep. Addison McDowell: “My district was hit hard over the years by unfair trade deals. Finally, we have a President who wants to put the American worker FIRST.”

    Rep. Dan Meuser: “We have been treated unfairly. Free trade has become synonymous with unfair trade, and @POTUS is recognizing that… We needed a reckoning; we needed a correction. President Trump is bringing it.”

    Rep. Mary Miller: “America will no longer be taken advantage of! This is how you put America First.”

    Rep. John Moolenaar: “For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited America’s generosity, stolen our intellectual property, and undermined our workers. President Trump’s recent tariffs and the Restoring Trade Fairness Act, which I introduced earlier this year to revoke China’s permanent normal trade relations status, will finally put an end to this abuse—holding China accountable and protecting American jobs. For decades, we’ve accepted one-sided trade deals that hurt our industries while benefiting our adversaries. Trade deficits reflect that imbalance, but they also reveal something deeper: the strength of the American consumer. It’s time we stopped allowing that strength to be used against us and started putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Riley Moore: “For decades, foreign countries have enjoyed free access to the greatest consumer marketplace on the face of the planet, all while still charging our domestic producers hefty duties or imposing significant barriers to access their markets. Today that ends. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime to acknowledge how unfair trade has gutted the heartland and shipped countless jobs overseas. By finally reciprocating in-kind, we’ll force foreign competitors to the negotiating table, lower trade barriers, and ultimately create real free and fair trade across the board. I’m confident this move will boost our domestic manufacturing industry and fuel demand for American products across the globe.”

    Rep. Tim Moore: “President Trump is leveling the playing field for American workers and bringing back MADE IN AMERICA!”

    Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs make it clear that our country will not be ripped off anymore. We are bringing back American manufacturing and putting America First.”

    Rep. Ralph Norman: “Happy LIBERATION Day … ✅Protect the American worker ✅Strengthen manufacturing ✅Reduce unfair trade practices … Our economy will be competitive again!!”

    Rep. Andy Ogles: “He’s resetting the negotiating table. He’s resetting the deck here to say, ‘You know what? For too long, you’ve taken advantage of our free market and you’ve literally leached jobs away from the American people … Let’s have a serious conversation and let’s do something that’s fair and mutually beneficial for both sides.’”

    Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: “I fully support President Trump’s critical efforts to right this generational wrong, bring manufacturing jobs home, and rejuvenate American working families. Made in America is back.”

    Rep. John Rutherford: “Tariffs help bring American jobs back home, incentivize buying American, AND put pressure on Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from their countries into ours. Even the Biden Admin kept or increased tariffs that President Trump imposed during his first presidency. Under Trump, inflation stayed around 2% and our GDP grew to 3%. Smart tariffs are a long-term investment in the American economy that are worth the short-term cost.”

    Rep. Adrian Smith: “Reducing trade barriers is necessary to ensuring American farmers, ranchers, manufacturers, small businesses, and innovators can sell their products in other markets. President Trump has made it clear other countries can avoid tariffs by reducing or eliminating their existing barriers to U.S. products. Engagement on trade is vital to our economy and opportunity for U.S. workers. In his first term, President Trump proved robust engagement can be productive as he moved the ball down the field on several agreements with our top trade partners. To achieve economic stability, we must continue to fight to give our producers the chance to compete in a global marketplace.”

    Rep. Greg Steube: “What many fail to realize: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a long-overdue response to years of unfair trade policies against America. For decades, America has been ripped off by other countries who have repeatedly slapped tariffs on our goods, blocked our products, and flooded our markets with theirs. The numbers don’t lie–the rest of the world has profited at the expense of American workers and businesses. President Trump is finally putting America First by taking bold, necessary actions that past leaders wouldn’t take.”

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “If Australia doesn’t want our beef – WE DON’T WANT THEIRS! Thank you @POTUS for opening the door of fair treatment for America’s Cattlemen‼️”

    Rep. Tom Tiffany: “Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of by foreign countries. The American worker comes FIRST.”

    Rep. William Timmons: “President Trump’s tariffs are a necessary move to protect American workers and rebuild our economy. We are finally breaking free from decades of unfair trade deals that gutted our industries. These tariffs will bring jobs back to our districts, strengthen manufacturing, and ensure our children inherit a country that is not just a consumer, but a producer. Thank you, @POTUS.”

    Rep. Beth Van Duyne: “For far too long, the United States has been taken advantage of by our foreign trade partners. The American people re-elected President Trump to bring back truly fair trade with other countries. Reciprocal tariffs are a first step to have a level playing field for American products and to start bringing back manufacturing to our country!”

    Rep. Daniel Webster: “President @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his mandate to restore America’s economic strength. For too long, unfair trade deals have hollowed out our factories and shipped American jobs overseas. By standing up to bad actors like China and Venezuela and enforcing fair trade, President Trump is defending American industries and putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Tony Wied: “President Trump has made it clear with these reciprocal tariffs that we will no longer allow other countries to take advantage of us. His goal is simple: to bring jobs and manufacturing back to our country and open up foreign markets to American products. If companies want to avoid these tariffs, they will do business in the United States. I applaud the President for taking a stand against years of unfair trade practices and making sure we put American workers and consumers first. It’s time our foreign trading partners finally live up to their end of the bargain.”

    Rep. Roger Williams: “For too long, America Last policies have put the U.S. auto industry at a disadvantage. As a car dealer and small business owner, I support @POTUS’ Executive Order to increase competition, boost revenue, and bring back American jobs.”

    Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson: “I applaud President Trump’s actions today to reset global trade relations through the President’s ‘Liberation Day’ tariff plan. America is not only in a trade war, we’ve been in a trade war for years now. This trade war has resulted in historic trade deficits that continue to hurt our farmers. … I believe President Trump’s actions today will set the stage for the renegotiation of better trade deals that will benefit American farmers and all our domestic industries going forward and will also serve to spur more local production.”

    U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer: “Today, President Trump is taking urgent action to protect the national security and economy of the United States. The current lack of trade reciprocity, demonstrated by our chronic trade deficit, has weakened our economic and national security. After only 72 days in office, President Trump has prioritized swift action to bring reciprocity to our trade relations and reduce the trade deficit by leveling the playing field for American workers and manufacturers, reshoring American jobs, expanding our domestic manufacturing base, and ensuring our defense-industrial base is not dependent on foreign adversaries—all leading to stronger economic and national security.”

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick: “Today, the world starts taking us seriously. Our workforce will finally be treated fairly.”

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “President Trump signed the Declaration of Economic Independence for the American people. For decades, the trade status quo has allowed countries to leverage tariffs and unfair trade practices to get ahead at the expense of hardworking Americans. The President’s historic actions will level the playing field for American workers and usher in a new age of economic strength.”

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “FARMERS COME FIRST — @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ensuring American farmers and ranchers can compete globally again!”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you, @POTUS! ‘Made in America’ is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority.”

    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “For too long, America has been targeted by unfair trade practices that made our supply chain dependent on foreign adversaries, eroded our industrial base, and hurt American workers. This has gravely impacted our national security. President Trump’s strong action will help make America safe again. @DHS, primarily through @CBP, is ready to collect these new tariffs and put an end to unfair trade practices. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump for putting America FIRST.”

    Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer: “Promises made, promises kept”

    Secretary of Energy Chris Wright: “President Trump is a businessman; he’s a negotiator. The result of that has been and will continue to be improvements for the American people. We are in the midst of a negotiation, and he is fighting every day to make the cost-of-living conditions better for Americans.”

    Secretary of Education Linda McMahon: “At the White House this afternoon, we celebrated Liberation Day — setting our economy on the path of future prosperity for our children. Business owners, workers, and taxpayers have been waiting for strong economic leadership.

    @POTUS’ actions today prove we are done being taken advantage of in international trade.”

    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “President Trump’s Liberation Day reciprocity plan is commonsense. If you tariff us, we’ll tariff you. This will strengthen our economy and make America wealthy again!”

    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Today is the day we will liberate ourselves from unfair trade practices and outdated ways of thinking. Tariffs are an important tool in the President’s toolbox to stop foreign countries from ripping us off, protect America’s workers, and restore U.S. manufacturing. I stand with @POTUS as he finally levels the playing field. Happy Liberation Day!”

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “For four years, Americans couldn’t afford groceries, let alone a house. This Liberation Day, @POTUS is bringing manufacturing and jobs back. President Trump is making the American Dream achievable again!”

    Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin: “Massive announcement by @POTUS today restoring U.S. dominance, cementing his America First vision, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”

    Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler: “Small businesses will no longer be crushed by foreign governments and unfair trade deals. Instead, we will put American industry, workers, and strength FIRST. Thank you @POTUS for bringing back Made in America!”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz: “Economic security is national security. Thank you President Trump for putting America first.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump’s Bold Trade Action Draws Praise

    Source: The White House

    Today, President Donald J. Trump made clear to the world that the days of economic surrender are over. After being sold out by career politicians for generations, President Trump is enacting fair trade policies that will restore our workforce, rebuild our economy, and finally put America First.

    The move drew immediate praise:

    Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “A permanent, universal baseline tariff resets the global trade environment and finally addresses the destructive legacy of decades of misguided free-trade policies. President Trump’s decision to implement a baseline tariff is a game-changing shift that prioritizes American manufacturing, protects working-class jobs, and safeguards our economic security from adversaries like China. This is exactly the type of bold action America needs to restore its industrial leadership. Today’s action will deliver lasting benefits to the U.S. economy and working-class Americans, cementing President Trump’s legacy as one that ushered in a new Golden Age of American industrialization and prosperity.”

    National Cattlemen’s Beef Association SVP of Government Affairs Ethan Lane: “For too long, America’s family farmers and ranchers have been mistreated by certain trading partners around the world. President Trump is taking action to address numerous trade barriers that prevent consumers overseas from enjoying high-quality, wholesome American beef. NCBA will continue engaging with the White House to ensure fair treatment for America’s cattle producers around the world and optimize opportunities for exports abroad.”

    Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “President Trump is a champion of the domestic steel industry, and his America First Trade Policy is designed to fight the unfair trade that has harmed American workers and weakened manufacturing in the United States. The recently reinvigorated 232 steel tariffs have already started creating American jobs and bolstering the domestic steel industry. President Trump is working to turn America into a manufacturing powerhouse and the steel tariffs are driving that movement. President Trump’s initial 232 steel tariffs and the historic tax cuts led to investments of nearly $20 billion by steel manufacturers in the United States. Since the revised tariffs took effect, Hyundai Steel announced a $5.8 billion steel mill in Louisiana, demonstrating that the tariffs are working to bring more steel investments and production to the United States. The domestic steel market is stronger when other nations are forced to compete on a level playing field. On a level playing field, American workers can outcompete anyone. We look forward to continuing working with President Trump and his administration to ensure a level playing field for Americans and a robust domestic steel industry that strengthens our national, economic and energy security.”

    Alliance for American Manufacturing President Scott Paul: “Today’s trade action prioritizes domestic manufacturers and America’s workers. These hardworking men and women have seen unfair trade cut the ground from beneath their feet for decades. They deserve a fighting chance. Our workers can out-compete anyone in the world, but they need a level playing field to do it. This trade reset is a necessary step in the right direction.”

    National Electrical Contractors Association CEO David Long: “President Trump has consistently prioritized policies that put the electrical industry as a priority, and we recognize his commitment to strengthening our nation’s economy. As these new tariffs take effect, we look forward to working with the Administration to ensure that electrical contractors and the entire electrical industry can continue powering America efficiently while navigating potential cost and supply chain challenges.”

    Bienvenido Empresarios: “As an organization committed to empowering Hispanic Americans and strengthening our nation’s future, Bienvenido supports policies that build a more resilient American economy, safeguard our communities, and reassert U.S. leadership on the global stage. President Trump’s emphasis on using economic leverage — including tariffs — reflects a broader strategy to counter China, confront the deadly fentanyl crisis, and bring critical industries back home. Now is a time for tough, decisive action when national security and American livelihoods are at stake. Our hope is that these measures lead to stronger enforcement, fairer trade, and long-term prosperity for all Americans.”

    America First Policy Institute: “Tariffs worked then—and they’ll work again. Under President Trump, tariffs brought back jobs, lowered inflation, and strengthened national security. It’s not just economic policy—it’s America First in action.”

    Speaker Mike Johnson: “President Trump is sending a clear message with Liberation Day: America will not be exploited by unfair trade practices anymore. These tariffs restore fair and reciprocal trade and level the playing field for American workers and innovators. The President understands that FREE trade ONLY works when it’s FAIR!”

    Gov. Jeff Landry: “Pro Jobs. Pro Business. Pro America.”

    Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso: “President Trump is acting boldly to put America first. America needs fair and free trade. We can’t allow other countries to keep abusing our workers and job creators. It’s time we had a level playing field. I applaud President Trump’s 100% commitment to Made in America.”

    Sen. Jim Banks: “The decision by President Trump today to impose reciprocal tariffs will be so good for Indiana. … Those are the manufacturing jobs that President Trump is bringing back from overseas.”

    Sen. Bill Cassidy: “The president’s trade agenda can pave the way for stronger trade deals, fairer rules, and real results. I am excited to work with President Trump to make it happen. Louisiana’s workers and families deserve nothing less.”

    Sen. Roger Marshall: “President Donald Trump is fighting for long-term solutions to put America’s farmers and ranchers first.”

    Sen. Ashley Moody: “It’s liberation day in America! Today, @POTUS sent a message to the world that the era of America being taken advantage of is over.”

    Sen. Markwayne Mullin: “President Trump is going to charge foreign countries roughly half of what they *already* charge us to do business. Literally who can argue with this?”

    Sen. Pete Ricketts: “President Trump is delivering on his campaign promises to level the playing field and stand up for the American people. Reciprocal tariffs will ensure equal treatment for American businesses. @POTUS is working to reshore jobs lost overseas and secure our supply chains. He is working to open new markets for our nation’s agriculture products. He is demonstrating to foreign adversaries like China that we will no longer be taken advantage of.”

    Sen. Rick Scott: “The days of the U.S. being taken advantage of by other countries are OVER! Pres. Trump is making it clear that he will ALWAYS put American jobs, manufacturing and our economy first. As Americans, let’s stand with him and support one another by buying products MADE IN AMERICA.”

    Sen. Eric Schmitt: “President Trump is bringing America back. We won’t be ripped off by other countries anymore. We’re bringing back manufacturing, unleashing energy production, and paving the way for prosperity.”

    Sen. Tommy Tuberville: “For too long, other countries have ripped us off with bad trade deals – resulting in American jobs and manufacturing moving overseas. But change is coming. The Golden Age of America’s economy is here. Happy Liberation Day.”

    House Majority Leader Steve Scalise: “The United States and American workers will no longer be ripped off by other countries with unfair trade practices. Thank you President Trump for putting America’s workers and innovators first with reciprocal tariffs that level the playing field and make trade FAIR.”

    House Majority Whip Tom Emmer: “For too long, foreign countries have taken advantage of us at the expense of American workers. President @realDonaldTrump says NO MORE.”

    House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain: “Tariffs work! @POTUS has proven tariffs are an effective tool in achieving economic and strategic objectives. The President’s long-term strategy will pay off.”

    Rep. Elise Stefanik: “I strongly support President Trump’s America First economic policies to strengthen American manufacturing and create millions of American jobs. For too long, Americans have suffered under unfair trade practices putting America Last. We will not allow other countries to take advantage of us and we must put America and the American worker first.”

    Rep. Jason Smith: “America shouldn’t reward countries that discriminate against American workers and manufacturers. On Liberation Day, President Trump is correcting this and demanding fair treatment for American producers.”

    Rep. Mark Alford: “The days of the United States being taken advantage of are OVER. Republicans are putting American workers FIRST.”

    Rep. Jodey Arrington: “For too long, our leaders have allowed other nations to rip us off through numerous unfair trade practices resulting in suppressed wages, lost opportunities, and unrealized economic growth. Just as he did in his first term, President Trump is fighting to ensure an even playing field for our manufacturers, farmers, and workers so we can unleash American prosperity and Make America Great Again.”

    Rep. Brian Babin: “Trump’s tariffs aren’t starting a trade war—they’re ending one. For decades, other countries ripped off American workers with unfair tariffs and barriers. Now, we’re finally fighting back.”

    Rep. Andy Biggs: “Past administrations have allowed the United States to be ripped off by allies and adversaries alike. President Trump said “NO MORE!” The Art of the Deal.”

    Rep. Vern Buchanan: “For too long, unfair trade practices devastated America’s manufacturing base and stole millions of blue-collar jobs. It’s time to level the playing field and bring those jobs back. @POTUS is fighting for American workers.”

    Rep. Michael Cloud: “America-First means putting the American people first. We will no longer be taken advantage of as a nation and people.”

    Rep. Andrew Clyde: “For far too long, the U.S. has been ripped off by countries across the globe with unfair trade practices. Now, we’re finally leveling the playing field. THANK YOU, President Trump, for putting American workers and manufacturing FIRST.”

    Rep. Mike Collins: “This is fair. Whether it’s our military or economy, other countries have taken advantage of the U.S. for far too long. That time is over.”

    Rep. Chuck Edwards: “Many countries are taking advantage of the United States by imposing tariffs against us while we don’t have reciprocal tariffs against them. @POTUS has used tariffs to produce successful trade deals for us in his first term, and I support his plan to use them again to create a more level playing field and secure fairer trade deals for America. The quicker other countries agree to fairer trade deals, the quicker the tariffs can end.”

    Rep. Scott Franklin:“For years the US handcuffed itself and played nice while other countries imposed massive tariffs and took advantage of us. We’re done putting America last. @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ending trade imbalances and prioritizing American workers and manufacturing again!”

    Rep. Russell Fry: “HAPPY LIBERATION DAY. Thanks to @POTUS, America is DONE being taken advantage of. A new era has begun.”

    Rep. Lance Gooden: “For decades, Washington allowed Texans to be ripped off by foreign countries. Those days are now over. @POTUS is committed to making America wealthy again!”

    Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene: “If you want to do business in America, you need to play by our rules. For too long, American businesses, big and small, have been ripped off by bad trade deals and unfair competition. President Trump is putting a stop to it. He’s standing up for our workers, our companies, and our consumers.”

    Rep. Abe Hamadeh: “The America First Republican party is the party of the working class, the forgotten men and women. On this Liberation Day, we further our commitment to them, that we will reshore our manufacturing, restore fair trade, and rebuild the greatest economy in the world.”

    Rep. Pat Harrigan:“If you want access to the most powerful economy in the world, treat us fairly. If not, don’t expect a free ride. That’s real leadership and @POTUS is delivering it!”

    Rep. Andy Harris: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs will put the American worker first and bring fairness back to international trade. America is being respected again.”

    Rep. Diana Harshbarger: “President Trump is bringing back the American Dream. Our taxpayers have been ripped off by foreign countries for far too long, but those days are over. President Trump is right to impose these reciprocal tariffs.”

    Rep. Clay Higgins: “@POTUS’ trade agenda puts American industry and America first. I support the President’s action to protect our domestic producers.”

    Rep. Wesley Hunt: “Today, President Trump empowered the American middle class.  His policies on tariffs will bring automotive manufacturing back to America.”

    Rep. Nicole Malliotakis: “Since President Trump has been elected, we’ve attracted $5 trillion in private investment, foreign & domestic companies have announced Made in USA manufacturing, countries have reduced tariffs or changed foreign policies. President Trump is sticking up for American workers & farmers, repatriating our supply chain and protecting our national security.”

    Rep. Addison McDowell: “My district was hit hard over the years by unfair trade deals. Finally, we have a President who wants to put the American worker FIRST.”

    Rep. Mary Miller: “America will no longer be taken advantage of! This is how you put America First.”

    Rep. Riley Moore: “For decades, foreign countries have enjoyed free access to the greatest consumer marketplace on the face of the planet, all while still charging our domestic producers hefty duties or imposing significant barriers to access their markets. Today that ends. President Trump is the only president in my lifetime to acknowledge how unfair trade has gutted the heartland and shipped countless jobs overseas. By finally reciprocating in-kind, we’ll force foreign competitors to the negotiating table, lower trade barriers, and ultimately create real free and fair trade across the board. I’m confident this move will boost our domestic manufacturing industry and fuel demand for American products across the globe.”

    Rep. Tim Moore: “President Trump is leveling the playing field for American workers and bringing back MADE IN AMERICA!”

    Rep. Troy Nehls: “President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs make it clear that our country will not be ripped off anymore. We are bringing back American manufacturing and putting America First.”

    Rep. Ralph Norman: “Happy LIBERATION Day … ✅Protect the American worker ✅Strengthen manufacturing ✅Reduce unfair trade practices … Our economy will be competitive again!!”

    Rep. Andy Ogles: “He’s resetting the negotiating table. He’s resetting the deck here to say, ‘You know what? For too long, you’ve taken advantage of our free market and you’ve literally leached jobs away from the American people … Let’s have a serious conversation and let’s do something that’s fair and mutually beneficial for both sides.’”

    Rep. Guy Reschenthaler: “I fully support President Trump’s critical efforts to right this generational wrong, bring manufacturing jobs home, and rejuvenate American working families. Made in America is back.”

    Rep. John Rutherford: “Tariffs help bring American jobs back home, incentivize buying American, AND put pressure on Canada and Mexico to stop the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants from their countries into ours. Even the Biden Admin kept or increased tariffs that President Trump imposed during his first presidency. Under Trump, inflation stayed around 2% and our GDP grew to 3%. Smart tariffs are a long-term investment in the American economy that are worth the short-term cost.”

    Rep. Greg Steube: “What many fail to realize: Trump’s reciprocal tariffs are a long-overdue response to years of unfair trade policies against America. For decades, America has been ripped off by other countries who have repeatedly slapped tariffs on our goods, blocked our products, and flooded our markets with theirs. The numbers don’t lie–the rest of the world has profited at the expense of American workers and businesses. President Trump is finally putting America First by taking bold, necessary actions that past leaders wouldn’t take.”

    Rep. Marlin Stutzman: “If Australia doesn’t want our beef – WE DON’T WANT THEIRS! Thank you @POTUS for opening the door of fair treatment for America’s Cattlemen”

    Rep. Tom Tiffany: “Gone are the days of America being taken advantage of by foreign countries. The American worker comes FIRST.”

    Rep. William Timmons: “President Trump’s tariffs are a necessary move to protect American workers and rebuild our economy. We are finally breaking free from decades of unfair trade deals that gutted our industries. These tariffs will bring jobs back to our districts, strengthen manufacturing, and ensure our children inherit a country that is not just a consumer, but a producer. Thank you, @POTUS.”

    Rep. Beth Van Duyne: “For far too long, the United States has been taken advantage of by our foreign trade partners. The American people re-elected President Trump to bring back truly fair trade with other countries. Reciprocal tariffs are a first step to have a level playing field for American products and to start bringing back manufacturing to our country!”

    Rep. Daniel Webster: “President @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his mandate to restore America’s economic strength. For too long, unfair trade deals have hollowed out our factories and shipped American jobs overseas. By standing up to bad actors like China and Venezuela and enforcing fair trade, President Trump is defending American industries and putting American workers first.”

    Rep. Tony Wied: “President Trump has made it clear with these reciprocal tariffs that we will no longer allow other countries to take advantage of us. His goal is simple: to bring jobs and manufacturing back to our country and open up foreign markets to American products. If companies want to avoid these tariffs, they will do business in the United States. I applaud the President for taking a stand against years of unfair trade practices and making sure we put American workers and consumers first. It’s time our foreign trading partners finally live up to their end of the bargain.”

    Rep. Roger Williams: “For too long, America Last policies have put the U.S. auto industry at a disadvantage. As a car dealer and small business owner, I support @POTUS’ Executive Order to increase competition, boost revenue, and bring back American jobs.”

    U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Jamieson Greer: “Today, President Trump is taking urgent action to protect the national security and economy of the United States. The current lack of trade reciprocity, demonstrated by our chronic trade deficit, has weakened our economic and national security. After only 72 days in office, President Trump has prioritized swift action to bring reciprocity to our trade relations and reduce the trade deficit by leveling the playing field for American workers and manufacturers, reshoring American jobs, expanding our domestic manufacturing base, and ensuring our defense-industrial base is not dependent on foreign adversaries—all leading to stronger economic and national security.”

    Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick: “Today, the world starts taking us seriously. Our workforce will finally be treated fairly.”

    Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent: “President Trump signed the Declaration of Economic Independence for the American people. For decades, the trade status quo has allowed countries to leverage tariffs and unfair trade practices to get ahead at the expense of hardworking Americans. The President’s historic actions will level the playing field for American workers and usher in a new age of economic strength.”

    Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “FARMERS COME FIRST — @POTUS is leveling the playing field, ensuring American farmers and ranchers can compete globally again!”

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Thank you, @POTUS! ‘Made in America’ is not just a tagline — it’s an economic and national security priority.”

    Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem: “For too long, America has been targeted by unfair trade practices that made our supply chain dependent on foreign adversaries, eroded our industrial base, and hurt American workers. This has gravely impacted our national security. President Trump’s strong action will help make America safe again. @DHS, primarily through @CBP, is ready to collect these new tariffs and put an end to unfair trade practices. Thank you President @realDonaldTrump for putting America FIRST.”

    Secretary of Labor Lori Chavez-DeRemer: “Promises made, promises kept”

    Secretary of Energy Chris Wright: “President Trump is a businessman; he’s a negotiator. The result of that has been and will continue to be improvements for the American people. We are in the midst of a negotiation, and he is fighting every day to make the cost-of-living conditions better for Americans.”

    Secretary of Education Linda McMahon: “At the White House this afternoon, we celebrated Liberation Day — setting our economy on the path of future prosperity for our children. Business owners, workers, and taxpayers have been waiting for strong economic leadership. @POTUS’ actions today prove we are done being taken advantage of in international trade.”

    Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum: “President Trump’s Liberation Day reciprocity plan is commonsense. If you tariff us, we’ll tariff you. This will strengthen our economy and make America wealthy again!”

    Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy: “Today is the day we will liberate ourselves from unfair trade practices and outdated ways of thinking. Tariffs are an important tool in the President’s toolbox to stop foreign countries from ripping us off, protect America’s workers, and restore U.S. manufacturing. I stand with @POTUS as he finally levels the playing field. Happy Liberation Day!”

    Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Scott Turner: “For four years, Americans couldn’t afford groceries, let alone a house. This Liberation Day, @POTUS is bringing manufacturing and jobs back. President Trump is making the American Dream achievable again!”

    Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin: “Massive announcement by @POTUS today restoring U.S. dominance, cementing his America First vision, and Powering the Great American Comeback.”

    Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler: “Small businesses will no longer be crushed by foreign governments and unfair trade deals. Instead, we will put American industry, workers, and strength FIRST. Thank you @POTUS for bringing back Made in America!”

    National Security Advisor Mike Waltz: “Economic security is national security. Thank you President Trump for putting America first.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security

    Source: The White House

    PURSUING RECIPROCITY TO REBUILD THE ECONOMY AND RESTORE NATIONAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency, and his order imposes responsive tariffs to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers.

    • Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; resulted in a lack of incentive to increase advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.
    • President Trump is invoking his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to address the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit that is driven by the absence of reciprocity in our trade relationships and other harmful policies like currency manipulation and exorbitant value-added taxes (VAT) perpetuated by other countries.
    • Using his IEEPA authority, President Trump will impose a 10% tariff on all countries.
      • This will take effect April 5, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
    • President Trump will impose an individualized reciprocal higher tariff on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits. All other countries will continue to be subject to the original 10% tariff baseline.
      • This will take effect April 9, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
    • These tariffs will remain in effect until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated.
    • Today’s IEEPA Order also contains modification authority, allowing President Trump to increase the tariff if trading partners retaliate or decrease the tariffs if trading partners take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements and align with the United States on economic and national security matters.
    • Some goods will not be subject to the Reciprocal Tariff. These include: (1) articles subject to 50 USC 1702(b); (2) steel/aluminum articles and autos/auto parts already subject to Section 232 tariffs; (3) copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber articles; (4) all articles that may become subject to future Section 232 tariffs; (5) bullion; and (6) energy and other certain minerals that are not available in the United States.
    • For Canada and Mexico, the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders remain in effect, and are unaffected by this order. This means USMCA compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25% tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10% tariff. In the event the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders are terminated, USMCA compliant goods would continue to receive preferential treatment, while non-USMCA compliant goods would be subject to a 12% reciprocal tariff.

     
    TAKING BACK OUR ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY: President Trump refuses to let the United States be taken advantage of and believes that tariffs are necessary to ensure fair trade, protect American workers, and reduce the trade deficit—this is an emergency.

    • He is the first President in modern history to stand strong for hardworking Americans by asking other countries to follow the golden rule on trade: Treat us like we treat you.
    • Pernicious economic policies and practices of our trading partners undermine our ability to produce essential goods for the public and the military, threatening national security.
    • U.S. companies, according to internal estimates, pay over $200 billion per year in value-added taxes (VAT) to foreign governments—a “double-whammy” on U.S. companies who pay the tax at the European border, while European companies don’t pay tax to the United States on the income from their exports to the U.S.
    • The annual cost to the U.S. economy of counterfeit goods, pirated software, and theft of trade secrets is between $225 billion and $600 billion. Counterfeit products not only pose a significant risk to U.S. competitiveness, but also threaten the security, health, and safety of Americans, with the global trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals estimated at $4.4 billion and linked to the distribution of deadly fentanyl-laced drugs.
      • This imbalance has fueled a large and persistent trade deficit in both industrial and agricultural goods, led to offshoring of our manufacturing base, empowered non-market economies like China, and hurt America’s middle class and small towns. 
      • President Biden squandered the agricultural trade surplus inherited from President Trump’s first term, turning it into a projected all-time high deficit of $49 billion.
    • The current global trading order allows those using unfair trade practices to get ahead, while those playing by the rules get left behind.
    • In 2024, our trade deficit in goods exceeded $1.2 trillion—an unsustainable crisis ignored by prior leadership.
    • “Made in America” is not just a tagline—it’s an economic and national security priority of this Administration. The President’s reciprocal trade agenda means better-paying American jobs making beautiful American-made cars, appliances, and other goods.
    • These tariffs seek to address the injustices of global trade, re-shore manufacturing, and drive economic growth for the American people.
    • Reciprocal trade is America First trade because it increases our competitive edge, protects our sovereignty, and strengthens our national and economic security.
    • These tariffs adjust for the unfairness of ongoing international trade practices, balance our chronic goods trade deficit, provide an incentive for re-shoring production to the United States, and provide our foreign trading partners with an opportunity to rebalance their trade relationships with the United States.

     
    REPRIORITIZING U.S. MANUFACTURING: President Trump recognizes that increasing domestic manufacturing is critical to U.S. national security.

    • In 2023, U.S. manufacturing output as a share of global manufacturing output was 17.4%, down from 28.4% in 2001.
    • The decline in manufacturing output has reduced U.S. manufacturing capacity.
      • The need to maintain a resilient domestic manufacturing capacity is particularly acute in advanced sectors like autos, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, transport equipment, technology products, machine tools, and basic and fabricated metals, where loss of capacity could permanently weaken U.S. competitiveness.
    • U.S. stockpiles of military goods are too low to be compatible with U.S. national defense interests.
      • If the U.S. wishes to maintain an effective security umbrella to defend its citizens and homeland, as well as allies and partners, it needs to have a large upstream manufacturing and goods-producing ecosystem.
      • This includes developing new manufacturing technologies in critical sectors like bio-manufacturing, batteries, and microelectronics to support defense needs.
    • Increased reliance on foreign producers for goods has left the U.S. supply chain vulnerable to geopolitical disruption and supply shocks.
      • This vulnerability was exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later with Houthi attacks on Middle East shipping.
    • From 1997 to 2024, the U.S. lost around 5 million manufacturing jobs and experienced one of the largest drops in manufacturing employment in history.

     
    ADDRESSING TRADE IMBALANCES: President Trump is working to level the playing field for American businesses and workers by confronting the unfair tariff disparities and non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries.

    • For generations, countries have taken advantage of the United States, tariffing us at higher rates. For example:
      • The United States imposes a 2.5% tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10%) and India (70%) impose much higher duties on the same product. 
      • For networking switches and routers, the United States imposes a 0% tariff, but India (10-20%) levies higher rates.
      • Brazil (18%) and Indonesia (30%) impose a higher tariff on ethanol than does the United States (2.5%). 
      • For rice in the husk, the U.S. imposes a tariff of 2.7%, while India (80%), Malaysia (40%), and Turkey (31%) impose higher rates. 
      • Apples enter the United States duty-free, but not so in Turkey (60.3%) and India (50%).
    • The United States has one of the lowest simple average most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff rates in the world at 3.3%, while many of our key trading partners like Brazil (11.2%), China (7.5%), the European Union (5%), India (17%), and Vietnam (9.4%) have simple average MFN tariff rates that are significantly higher.
    • Similarly, non-tariff barriers—meant to limit the quantity of imports/exports and protect domestic industries—also deprive U.S. manufacturers of reciprocal access to markets around the world. For example:
      • China’s non-market policies and practices have given China global dominance in key manufacturing industries, decimating U.S. industry. Between 2001 and 2018, these practices contributed to the loss of 3.7 million U.S. jobs due to the growth of the U.S.-China trade deficit, displacing workers and undermining American competitiveness while threatening U.S. economic and national security by increasing our reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains for critical industries as well as everyday goods.
      • India imposes their own uniquely burdensome and/or duplicative testing and certification requirements in sectors such as chemicals, telecom products, and medical devices that make it difficult or costly for American companies to sell their products in India. If these barriers were removed, it is estimated that U.S. exports would increase by at least $5.3 billion annually.
      • Countries including China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea have pursued policies that suppress the domestic consumption power of their own citizens to artificially boost the competitiveness of their export products. Such policies include regressive tax systems, low or unenforced penalties for environmental degradation, and policies intended to suppress worker wages relative to productivity.
      • Certain countries, like Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Vietnam, restrict or prohibit the importation of remanufactured goods, restricting market access for U.S. exporters while also stifling efforts to promote sustainability by discouraging trade in like-new and resource-efficient products. If these barriers were removed, it is estimated that U.S. exports would increase by at least $18 billion annually.
      • The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict U.S. exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.
      • Indonesia maintains local content requirements across a broad range of sectors, complex import licensing regimes, and, starting this year, will require natural resource firms to onshore all export revenue for transactions worth $250,000 or more.
      • Argentina has banned imports of U.S. live cattle since 2002 due to unsubstantiated concerns regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy.  The United States has a $223 million trade deficit with Argentina in beef and beef products.
      • For decades, South Africa has imposed animal health restrictions that are not scientifically justified on U.S. pork products, permitting a very limited list of U.S. pork exports to enter South Africa. South Africa also heavily restricts U.S. poultry exports through high tariffs, anti-dumping duties, and unjustified animal health restrictions. These barriers have contributed to a 78% decline in U.S. poultry exports to South Africa, from $89 million in 2019 to $19 million 2024.
      • U.S. automakers face a variety of non-tariff barriers that impede access to the Japanese and Korean automotive markets, including non-acceptance of certain U.S. standards, duplicative testing and certification requirements, and transparency issues. Due to these non-reciprocal practices, the U.S. automotive industry loses out on an additional $13.5 billion in annual exports to Japan and access to a larger import market share in Korea—all while the U.S. trade deficit with Korea more than tripled from 2019 to 2024.
    • Monetary tariffs and non-monetary tariffs are two distinct types of trade barriers that governments use to regulate imports and exports. President Trump is countering both through reciprocal tariffs to protect American workers and industries from these unfair practices.

     
    THE GOLDEN RULE FOR OUR GOLDEN AGE: Today’s action simply asks other countries to treat us like we treat them. It’s the Golden Rule for Our Golden Age.

    • Access to the American market is a privilege, not a right.
    • The United States will no longer put itself last on matters of international trade in exchange for empty promises.
    • Reciprocal tariffs are a big part of why Americans voted for President Trump—it was a cornerstone of his campaign from the start.
      • Everyone knew he’d push for them once he got back in office; it’s exactly what he promised, and it’s a key reason he won the election.
    • These tariffs are central to President Trump’s plan to reverse the economic damage left by President Biden and put America on a path to a new golden age.
      • This builds on his broader economic agenda of energy competitiveness, tax cuts, no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security benefits, and deregulation to boost American prosperity.

     
    TARIFFS WORK: Studies have repeatedly shown that tariffs can be an effective tool for reducing or eliminating threats that impair U.S. national security and achieving economic and strategic objectives.

    • A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first term found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.
    • A 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission that analyzed the effects of Section 232 and 301 tariffs on more than $300 billion of U.S. imports found that the tariffs reduced imports from China and effectively stimulated more U.S. production of the tariffed goods, with very minor effects on prices.
    • According to the Economic Policy Institute, the tariffs implemented by President Trump during his first term “clearly show[ed] no correlation with inflation” and only had a temporary effect on overall price levels.
    • An analysis from the Atlantic Council found that “tariffs would create new incentives for US consumers to buy US-made products.”
    • Former Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen affirmed last year that tariffs do not raise prices: “I don’t believe that American consumers will see any meaningful increase in the prices that they face.”
    • A 2024 economic analysis found that a global tariff of 10% would grow the economy by $728 billion, create 2.8 million jobs, and increase real household incomes by 5.7%.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Regulating Imports with a Reciprocal Tariff to Rectify Trade Practices that Contribute to Large and Persistent Annual United States Goods Trade Deficits

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)(NEA), section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, 

    I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that underlying conditions, including a lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships, disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers, and U.S. trading partners’ economic policies that suppress domestic wages and consumption, as indicated by large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits, constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and economy of the United States.  That threat has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States in the domestic economic policies of key trading partners and structural imbalances in the global trading system.  I hereby declare a national emergency with respect to this threat.

    On January 20, 2025, I signed the America First Trade Policy Presidential Memorandum directing my Administration to investigate the causes of our country’s large and persistent annual trade deficits in goods, including the economic and national security implications and risks resulting from such deficits, and to undertake a review of, and identify, any unfair trade practices by other countries.  On February 13, 2025, I signed a Presidential Memorandum entitled “Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs,” that directed further review of our trading partners’ non-reciprocal trading practices, and noted the relationship between non-reciprocal practices and the trade deficit.  On April 1, 2025, I received the final results of those investigations, and I am taking action today based on those results.  

    Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; inhibited our ability to scale advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.  Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits are caused in substantial part by a lack of reciprocity in our bilateral trade relationships.  This situation is evidenced by disparate tariff rates and non-tariff barriers that make it harder for U.S. manufacturers to sell their products in foreign markets.  It is also evidenced by the economic policies of key U.S. trading partners insofar as they suppress domestic wages and consumption, and thereby demand for U.S. exports, while artificially increasing the competitiveness of their goods in global markets.  These conditions have given rise to the national emergency that this order is intended to abate and resolve.

    For decades starting in 1934, U.S. trade policy has been organized around the principle of reciprocity.  The Congress directed the President to secure reduced reciprocal tariff rates from key trading partners first through bilateral trade agreements and later under the auspices of the global trading system.  Between 1934 and 1945, the executive branch negotiated and signed 32 bilateral reciprocal trade agreements designed to lower tariff rates on a reciprocal basis.  After 1947 through 1994, participating countries engaged in eight rounds of negotiation, which resulted in the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and seven subsequent tariff reduction rounds. 

    However, despite a commitment to the principle of reciprocity, the trading relationship between the United States and its trading partners has become highly unbalanced, particularly in recent years.  The post-war international economic system was based upon three incorrect assumptions:  first, that if the United States led the world in liberalizing tariff and non-tariff barriers the rest of the world would follow; second, that such liberalization would ultimately result in more economic convergence and increased domestic consumption among U.S. trading partners converging towards the share in the United States; and third, that as a result, the United States would not accrue large and persistent goods trade deficits. 

    This framework set in motion events, agreements, and commitments that did not result in reciprocity or generally increase domestic consumption in foreign economies relative to domestic consumption in the United States.  Those events, in turn, created large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits as a feature of the global trading system. 

    Put simply, while World Trade Organization (WTO) Members agreed to bind their tariff rates on a most-favored-nation (MFN) basis, and thereby provide their best tariff rates to all WTO Members, they did not agree to bind their tariff rates at similarly low levels or to apply tariff rates on a reciprocal basis.  Consequently, according to the WTO, the United States has among the lowest simple average MFN tariff rates in the world at 3.3 percent, while many of our key trading partners like Brazil (11.2 percent), China (7.5 percent), the European Union (EU) (5 percent), India (17 percent), and Vietnam (9.4 percent) have simple average MFN tariff rates that are significantly higher.  

    Moreover, these average MFN tariff rates conceal much larger discrepancies across economies in tariff rates applied to particular products.  For example, the United States imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10 percent), India (70 percent), and China (15 percent) impose much higher duties on the same product.  For network switches and routers, the United States imposes a 0 percent tariff, but for similar products, India (10 percent) levies a higher rate.  Brazil (18 percent) and Indonesia (30 percent) impose a higher tariff on ethanol than does the United States (2.5 percent).  For rice in the husk, the U.S. MFN tariff is 2.7 percent (ad valorem equivalent), while India (80 percent), Malaysia (40 percent), and Turkey (an average of 31 percent) impose higher rates.  Apples enter the United States duty-free, but not so in Turkey (60.3 percent) and India (50 percent).

    Similarly, non-tariff barriers also deprive U.S. manufacturers of reciprocal access to markets around the world.  The 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) details a great number of non-tariff barriers to U.S. exports around the world on a trading-partner by trading-partner basis.  These barriers include import barriers and licensing restrictions; customs barriers and shortcomings in trade facilitation; technical barriers to trade (e.g., unnecessarily trade restrictive standards, conformity assessment procedures, or technical regulations); sanitary and phytosanitary measures that unnecessarily restrict trade without furthering safety objectives; inadequate patent, copyright, trade secret, and trademark regimes and inadequate enforcement of intellectual property rights; discriminatory licensing requirements or regulatory standards; barriers to cross-border data flows and discriminatory practices affecting trade in digital products; investment barriers; subsidies; anticompetitive practices; discrimination in favor of domestic state-owned enterprises, and failures by governments in protecting labor and environment standards; bribery; and corruption.

    Moreover, non-tariff barriers include the domestic economic policies and practices of our trading partners, including currency practices and value-added taxes, and their associated market distortions, that suppress domestic consumption and boost exports to the United States.  This lack of reciprocity is apparent in the fact that the share of consumption to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the United States is about 68 percent, but it is much lower in others like Ireland (27 percent), Singapore (31 percent), China (39 percent), South Korea (49 percent), and Germany (50 percent).

    At the same time, efforts by the United States to address these imbalances have stalled.  Trading partners have repeatedly blocked multilateral and plurilateral solutions, including in the context of new rounds of tariff negotiations and efforts to discipline non-tariff barriers.  At the same time, with the U.S. economy disproportionately open to imports, U.S. trading partners have had few incentives to provide reciprocal treatment to U.S. exports in the context of bilateral trade negotiations.

    These structural asymmetries have driven the large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficit.  Even for countries with which the United States may enjoy an occasional bilateral trade surplus, the accumulation of tariff and non-tariff barriers on U.S. exports may make that surplus smaller than it would have been without such barriers.  Permitting these asymmetries to continue is not sustainable in today’s economic and geopolitical environment because of the effect they have on U.S. domestic production.  A nation’s ability to produce domestically is the bedrock of its national and economic security.

    Both my first Administration in 2017, and the Biden Administration in 2022, recognized that increasing domestic manufacturing is critical to U.S. national security.  According to 2023 United Nations data, U.S. manufacturing output as a share of global manufacturing output was 17.4 percent, down from a peak in 2001 of 28.4 percent. 

    Over time, the persistent decline in U.S. manufacturing output has reduced U.S. manufacturing capacity.  The need to maintain robust and resilient domestic manufacturing capacity is particularly acute in certain advanced industrial sectors like automobiles, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, technology products, machine tools, and basic and fabricated metals, because once competitors gain sufficient global market share in these sectors, U.S. production could be permanently weakened.  It is also critical to scale manufacturing capacity in the defense-industrial sector so that we can manufacture the defense materiel and equipment necessary to protect American interests at home and abroad.  

    In fact, because the United States has supplied so much military equipment to other countries, U.S. stockpiles of military goods are too low to be compatible with U.S. national defense interests.  Furthermore, U.S. defense companies must develop new, advanced manufacturing technologies across a range of critical sectors including bio-manufacturing, batteries, and microelectronics.  If the United States wishes to maintain an effective security umbrella to defend its citizens and homeland, as well as for its allies and partners, it needs to have a large upstream manufacturing and goods-producing ecosystem to manufacture these products without undue reliance on imports for key inputs. 

    Increased reliance on foreign producers for goods also has compromised U.S. economic security by rendering U.S. supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical disruption and supply shocks.  In recent years, the vulnerability of the U.S. economy in this respect was exposed both during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Americans had difficulty accessing essential products, as well as when the Houthi rebels later began attacking cargo ships in the Middle East. 

    The decline of U.S. manufacturing capacity threatens the U.S. economy in other ways, including through the loss of manufacturing jobs.  From 1997 to 2024, the United States lost around 5 million manufacturing jobs and experienced one of the largest drops in manufacturing employment in history.  Furthermore, many manufacturing job losses were concentrated in specific geographical areas.  In these areas, the loss of manufacturing jobs contributed to the decline in rates of family formation and to the rise of other social trends, like the abuse of opioids, that have imposed profound costs on the U.S. economy.

    The future of American competitiveness depends on reversing these trends.  Today, manufacturing represents just 11 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, yet it accounts for 35 percent of American productivity growth and 60 percent of our exports.  Importantly, U.S. manufacturing is the main engine of innovation in the United States, responsible for 55 percent of all patents and 70 percent of all research and development (R&D) spending.  The fact that R&D expenditures by U.S. multinational enterprises in China grew at an average rate of 13.6 percent a year between 2003 and 2017, while their R&D expenditures in the United States grew by an average of just 5 percent per year during the same time period, is evidence of the strong link between manufacturing and innovation.  Furthermore, every manufacturing job spurs 7 to 12 new jobs in other related industries, helping to build and sustain our economy.

    Just as a nation that does not produce manufactured products cannot maintain the industrial base it needs for national security, neither can a nation long survive if it cannot produce its own food.  Presidential Policy Directive 21 of February 12, 2013 (Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience), designates food and agriculture as a “critical infrastructure sector” because it is one of the sectors considered “so vital to the United States that [its] incapacity or destruction . . . would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.”  Furthermore, when I left office, the United States had a trade surplus in agricultural products, but today, that surplus has vanished.  Eviscerated by a slew of new non-tariff barriers imposed by our trading partners, it has been replaced by a projected $49 billion annual agricultural trade deficit. For these reasons, I hereby declare and order:

    Section 1.  National Emergency.  As President of the United States, my highest duty is ensuring the national and economic security of the country and its citizens.  

    I have declared a national emergency arising from conditions reflected in large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits, which have grown by over 40 percent in the past 5 years alone, reaching $1.2 trillion in 2024.  This trade deficit reflects asymmetries in trade relationships that have contributed to the atrophy of domestic production capacity, especially that of the U.S. manufacturing and defense-industrial base.  These asymmetries also impact U.S. producers’ ability to export and, consequentially, their incentive to produce. 
    Specifically, such asymmetry includes not only non-reciprocal differences in tariff rates among foreign trading partners, but also extensive use of non-tariff barriers by foreign trading partners, which reduce the competitiveness of U.S. exports while artificially enhancing the competitiveness of their own goods.  These non-tariff barriers include technical barriers to trade; non-scientific sanitary and phytosanitary rules; inadequate intellectual property protections; suppressed domestic consumption (e.g., wage suppression); weak labor, environmental, and other regulatory standards and protections; and corruption.  These non-tariff barriers give rise to significant imbalances even when the United States and a trading partner have comparable tariff rates. 

    The cumulative effect of these imbalances has been the transfer of resources from domestic producers to foreign firms, reducing opportunities for domestic manufacturers to expand and, in turn, leading to lost manufacturing jobs, diminished manufacturing capacity, and an atrophied industrial base, including in the defense-industrial sector.  At the same time, foreign firms are better positioned to scale production, reinvest in innovation, and compete in the global economy, to the detriment of U.S. economic and national security.  
    The absence of sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity in certain critical and advanced industrial sectors — another outcome of the large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits — also compromises U.S. economic and national security by rendering the U.S. economy less resilient to supply chain disruption.  Finally, the large, persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits, and the concomitant loss of industrial capacity, have compromised military readiness; this vulnerability can only be redressed through swift corrective action to rebalance the flow of imports into the United States.  Such impact upon military readiness and our national security posture is especially acute with the recent rise in armed conflicts abroad.  I call upon the public and private sector to make the efforts necessary to strengthen the international economic position of the United States.  

    Sec. 2.  Reciprocal Tariff Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to rebalance global trade flows by imposing an additional ad valorem duty on all imports from all trading partners except as otherwise provided herein.  The additional ad valorem duty on all imports from all trading partners shall start at 10 percent and shortly thereafter, the additional ad valorem duty shall increase for trading partners enumerated in Annex I to this order at the rates set forth in Annex I to this order.  These additional ad valorem duties shall apply until such time as I determine that the underlying conditions described above are satisfied, resolved, or mitigated.   

    Sec. 3.  Implementation.  (a)  Except as otherwise provided in this order, all articles imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be, consistent with law, subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty of 10 percent.  Such rates of duty shall apply with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 5, 2025, except that goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 5, 2025, and entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 5, 2025, shall not be subject to such additional duty.  

    Furthermore, except as otherwise provided in this order, at 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 9, 2025, all articles from trading partners enumerated in Annex I to this order imported into the customs territory of the United States shall be, consistent with law, subject to the country-specific ad valorem rates of duty specified in Annex I to this order.  Such rates of duty shall apply with respect to goods entered for consumption, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 9, 2025, except that goods loaded onto a vessel at the port of loading and in transit on the final mode of transit before 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 9, 2025, and entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 9, 2025, shall not be subject to these country-specific ad valorem rates of duty set forth in Annex I to this order.  These country-specific ad valorem rates of duty shall apply to all articles imported pursuant to the terms of all existing U.S. trade agreements, except as provided below. 

    (b)  The following goods as set forth in Annex II to this order, consistent with law, shall not be subject to the ad valorem rates of duty under this order:  (i) all articles that are encompassed by 50 U.S.C. 1702(b); (ii) all articles and derivatives of steel and aluminum subject to the duties imposed pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and proclaimed in Proclamation 9704 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States), as amended, Proclamation 9705 of March 8, 2018 (Adjusting Imports of Steel Into the United States), as amended, and Proclamation 9980 of January 24, 2020 (Adjusting Imports of Derivative Aluminum Articles and Derivative Steel Articles Into the United States), as amended, Proclamation 10895 of February 10, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Aluminum Into the United States), and Proclamation 10896 of February 10, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States); (iii) all automobiles and automotive parts subject to the additional duties imposed pursuant to section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, and proclaimed in Proclamation 10908 of March 26, 2025 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States); (iv) other products enumerated in Annex II to this order, including copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, lumber articles, certain critical minerals, and energy and energy products; (v) all articles from a trading partner subject to the rates set forth in Column 2 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS); and (vi) all articles that may become subject to duties pursuant to future actions under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

    (c)  The rates of duty established by this order are in addition to any other duties, fees, taxes, exactions, or charges applicable to such imported articles, except as provided in subsections (d) and (e) of this section below. 

    (d)  With respect to articles from Canada, I have imposed additional duties on certain goods to address a national emergency resulting from the flow of illicit drugs across our northern border pursuant to Executive Order 14193 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties To Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border), as amended by Executive Order 14197 of February 3, 2025 (Progress on the Situation at Our Northern Border), and Executive Order 14231 of March 2, 2025 (Amendment to Duties To Address the Flow of Illicit Drugs Across Our Northern Border).  With respect to articles from Mexico, I have imposed additional duties on certain goods to address a national emergency resulting from the flow of illicit drugs and illegal migration across our southern border pursuant to Executive Order 14194 of February 1, 2025 (Imposing Duties To Address the Situation at Our Southern Border), as amended by Executive Order 14198 of February 3, 2025 (Progress on the Situation at Our Southern Border), and Executive Order 14227 of March 2, 2025 (Amendment to Duties To Address the Situation at Our Southern Border).  As a result of these border emergency tariff actions, all goods of Canada or Mexico under the terms of general note 11 to the HTSUS, including any treatment set forth in subchapter XXIII of chapter 98 and subchapter XXII of chapter 99 of the HTSUS, as related to the Agreement between the United States of America, United Mexican States, and Canada (USMCA), continue to be eligible to enter the U.S. market under these preferential terms.  However, all goods of Canada or Mexico that do not qualify as originating under USMCA are presently subject to additional ad valorem duties of 25 percent, with energy or energy resources and potash imported from Canada and not qualifying as originating under USMCA presently subject to the lower additional ad valorem duty of 10 percent.  

    (e)  Any ad valorem rate of duty on articles imported from Canada or Mexico under the terms of this order shall not apply in addition to the ad valorem rate of duty specified by the existing orders described in subsection (d) of this section.  If such orders identified in subsection (d) of this section are terminated or suspended, all items of Canada and Mexico that qualify as originating under USMCA shall not be subject to an additional ad valorem rate of duty, while articles not qualifying as originating under USMCA shall be subject to an ad valorem rate of duty of 12 percent.  However, these ad valorem rates of duty on articles imported from Canada and Mexico shall not apply to energy or energy resources, to potash, or to an article eligible for duty-free treatment under USMCA that is a part or component of an article substantially finished in the United States. 

    (f)  More generally, the ad valorem rates of duty set forth in this order shall apply only to the non-U.S. content of a subject article, provided at least 20 percent of the value of the subject article is U.S. originating.  For the purposes of this subsection, “U.S. content” refers to the value of an article attributable to the components produced entirely, or substantially transformed in, the United States.  U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), to the extent permitted by law, is authorized to require the collection of such information and documentation regarding an imported article, including with the entry filing, as is necessary to enable CBP to ascertain and verify the value of the U.S. content of the article, as well as to ascertain and verify whether an article is substantially finished in the United States. 

    (g)  Subject articles, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, which are subject to the duty specified in section 2 of this order and are admitted into a foreign trade zone on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 9, 2025, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41. 

    (h)  Duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(A)-(B) shall remain available for the articles described in subsection (a) of this section.  Duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall remain available for the articles described in subsection (a) of this section until notification by the Secretary of Commerce to the President that adequate systems are in place to fully and expeditiously process and collect duty revenue applicable pursuant to this subsection for articles otherwise eligible for de minimis treatment.  After such notification, duty-free de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321(a)(2)(C) shall not be available for the articles described in subsection (a) of this section.  

    (i)  The Executive Order of April 2, 2025 (Further Amendment to Duties Addressing the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China as Applied to Low-Value Imports), regarding low-value imports from China is not affected by this order, and all duties and fees with respect to covered articles shall be collected as required and detailed therein.

    (j)  To reduce the risk of transshipment and evasion, all ad valorem rates of duty imposed by this order or any successor orders with respect to articles of China shall apply equally to articles of both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macau Special Administrative Region.

    (k)  In order to establish the duty rates described in this order, the HTSUS is modified as set forth in the Annexes to this order.  These modifications shall enter into effect on the dates set forth in the Annexes to this order.

    (l)  Unless specifically noted herein, any prior Presidential Proclamation, Executive Order, or other Presidential directive or guidance related to trade with foreign trading partners that is inconsistent with the direction in this order is hereby terminated, suspended, or modified to the extent necessary to give full effect to this order.

    Sec. 4.  Modification Authority.  (a)  The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, shall recommend to me additional action, if necessary, if this action is not effective in resolving the emergency conditions described above, including the increase in the overall trade deficit or the recent expansion of non-reciprocal trade arrangements by U.S. trading partners in a manner that threatens the economic and national security interests of the United States. 

    (b)  Should any trading partner retaliate against the United States in response to this action through import duties on U.S. exports or other measures, I may further modify the HTSUS to increase or expand in scope the duties imposed under this order to ensure the efficacy of this action. 

    (c)  Should any trading partner take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements and align sufficiently with the United States on economic and national security matters, I may further modify the HTSUS to decrease or limit in scope the duties imposed under this order.

    (d)  Should U.S. manufacturing capacity and output continue to worsen, I may further modify the HTSUS to increase duties under this order.

    Sec. 5.  Implementation Authority.  The Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, and the Chair of the International Trade Commission are hereby authorized to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order.  Each executive department and agency shall take all appropriate measures within its authority to implement this order.

    Sec. 6.  Reporting Requirements.  The United States Trade Representative, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, the Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress on the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).

    Sec. 7.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

    DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        April 2, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Closes De Minimis Exemptions to Combat China’s Role in America’s Synthetic Opioid Crisis

    Source: The White House

    CLOSING LOOPHOLES IN THE TARIFF SYSTEM: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order eliminating duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China, a critical step in countering the ongoing health emergency posed by the illicit flow of synthetic opioids into the U.S.

    • Following the Secretary of Commerce’s notification that adequate systems are in place to collect tariff revenue, President Trump is ending duty-free de minimis treatment for covered goods from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong starting May 2, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
      • Imported goods sent through means other than the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption will be subject to all applicable duties, which shall be paid in accordance with applicable entry and payment procedures.
      • All relevant postal items containing goods that are sent through the international postal network that are valued at or under $800 and that would otherwise qualify for the de minimis exemption are subject to a duty rate of either 30% of their value or $25 per item (increasing to $50 per item after June 1, 2025). This is in lieu of any other duties, including those imposed by prior Orders.
    • Carriers transporting these postal items must report shipment details to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), maintain an international carrier bond to ensure duty payment, and remit duties to CBP on a set schedule.
    • CBP may require formal entry for any postal package instead of the specified duties.
    • The Secretary of Commerce will submit a report within 90 days assessing the Order’s impact and considering whether to extend these rules to packages from Macau.

     
    COMBATING CHINA’S ROLE IN THE OPIOID CRISIS: President Trump is targeting deceptive shipping practices by Chinese-based shippers, many of whom hide illicit substances, including synthetic opioids, in low-value packages to exploit the de minimis exemption.

    • On average, CBP processes over 4 million de minimis shipments into the U.S. each day.
    • The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which exerts ultimate control over the government and enterprises of the PRC, has subsidized and otherwise incentivized PRC chemical companies to export fentanyl and related precursor chemicals that are used to produce synthetic opioids sold illicitly in the United States.
    • Many PRC-based chemical companies hide illicit substances in the flow of legitimate commerce, including through false invoices, fraudulent postage, and deceptive packaging.
    • While the U.S. previously offered a generous de minimis exemption, China enforces strict import restrictions and tightly limits de minimis exemptions, showing no similar leniency toward U.S. shipments.
    • Last fiscal year, CBP apprehended more than 21,000 pounds of fentanyl at our borders, enough fentanyl to kill more than 4 billion people.
      • It is estimated that federal officials are only able to seize a fraction of the fentanyl smuggled across the southern border. 
    • These drugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, including 75,000 deaths per year attributed to fentanyl alone.
      • More Americans are dying from fentanyl overdoses each year than the number of American lives lost in the entirety of the Vietnam War.

     
    KEEPING HIS PROMISE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE: When voters overwhelmingly elected Donald J. Trump as President, they gave him a mandate to seal the border and stop the influx of deadly drugs. That is exactly what he is doing.

    • On the campaign trail, President Trump promised “We will not rest until we have ended the drug addiction crisis.”
    • Upon returning to office, President Trump immediately took action to seal the border and crack down on drug trafficking.
    • President Trump implemented 20% tariffs on China to address the threat of the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from China into the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: World Autism Awareness Day, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

    On World Autism Awareness Day, we recognize the millions of Americans living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Their proud perseverance in overcoming tremendous hurdles is emblematic of the strength and grit that makes America great.  The First Lady and I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the families, friends, and communities aiding Americans with ASD as we empower every citizen to take part in and shape our new golden age.

    Autism now affects 1 in 36 children in the United States, a staggering increase from the 1980s, when the disorder was found in only 1 to 4 out of every 10,000 individuals.  I created the Make America Healthy Again Commission to investigate and address the root causes of our escalating health crisis, with a focus on childhood disorders like autism.  As part of this effort, my Administration is prioritizing gold-standard research and increasing transparency to gain new insights to aid those with ASD.

    Under my leadership, our great Nation will be stronger than ever before, with opportunities for all Americans to thrive and prosper.  Despite challenges, Americans with ASD have made, and will continue to make outstanding contributions for our country and the world. 

    Early detection is crucial to improving the quality of life of those with ASD, as timely intervention can significantly improve long-term outcomes.  Identifying signs of autism at the onset allows parents and healthcare providers to implement therapies and support strategies which can enhance communication and social skills.  Loving parents want the best for their children in educational environments and so do we.  By supporting our children and their families, we can help them in overcoming challenges during childhood, the most crucial stage of development.

    Together, on World Autism Awareness Day, we declare our unending support and wholehearted respect for Americans living with autism.  My Administration will empower them to reach their full potential and realize their American Dream.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 2, 2025, as World Autism Awareness Day.  I call upon all Americans to learn more about the signs of autism to improve early diagnosis, understand the challenges faced by individuals with autism, and find ways to support those with autism and their families.

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
    first day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Combating Unfair Practices in the Live Entertainment Market

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  (a)  America’s live concert and entertainment industry is the envy of the world.  But it has become blighted by unscrupulous middlemen who sit at the intersection between artists and fans and impose egregious fees while providing minimal value.  Ticket scalpers use bots and other unfair means to acquire large quantities of face-value tickets and then re-sell them at an enormous markup on the secondary market, price-gouging consumers and depriving fans of the opportunity to see their favorite artists without incurring extraordinary expenses.  By some reports, fans have paid as much as 70 times face value to obtain a ticket.  When this occurs, the artists do not receive any profit.  All profits go solely to the scalper and the ticketing agency. 
    (b)  My Administration is committed to making as accessible as possible the arts and entertainment that enrich Americans’ lives.  The rent-seeking behaviors surrounding the ticketing industry are contrary to this goal.  They are detrimental to consumers and capitalize on market distortions that must not be allowed to persist.

     Sec. 2.  Implementation.  My Administration shall use all lawful authority to address the conduct described in section 1 of this order.  Accordingly, I direct that:
    (a)  the Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ensure that competition laws are appropriately enforced in the concert and entertainment industry, including where venues, ticketing agents, or combinations thereof operate to the detriment of artists and fans;
    (b)  the FTC rigorously enforce the Better Online Tickets Sales Act, 15 U.S.C. 45c, and collaborate with State Attorneys General or other State consumer protection officers on enforcement of the Better Online Ticket Sales Act, including by providing such State officials with information or evidence obtained by the FTC when consistent with applicable law;
    (c)  the FTC take appropriate action, including proposing regulations if necessary, to ensure price transparency at all stages of the ticket-purchase process, including the secondary ticketing market;
    (d)  the FTC evaluate and, if appropriate, take enforcement action to prevent unfair, deceptive, and anti-competitive conduct in the secondary ticketing market; and
    (e)  the Secretary of the Treasury and Attorney General ensure, as appropriate, that ticket scalpers are operating in full compliance with the Internal Revenue Code and other applicable law.

    Sec. 3.  Report.  Within 180 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Treasury, Attorney General, and Chairman of the FTC shall jointly submit a report to the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and the Director of the Office and Management and Budget describing the actions they have taken to implement this order.  The report shall also identify any recommendations for regulations or legislation necessary to protect consumers with respect to the live concert and entertainment industry.

    Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     
     
     
                             DONALD J. TRUMP
     

     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 31, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Establishes the United States Investment Accelerator

    Source: The White House

    ACCELERATING INVESTMENT INTO AMERICA’S ECONOMY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order establishing the United States Investment Accelerator.

    • The Order establishes an office within the Department of Commerce named the United States Investment Accelerator, meant to facilitate and accelerate investments above $1 billion in the United States.
    • The Investment Accelerator will encourage companies to make large investments in the United States by: (1) reducing regulatory burdens; (2) speeding up permitting; (3) coordinating responses to investor issues across multiple Federal agencies; (4) increasing access to national resources; (5) facilitating collaboration with national laboratories; and (6) working with all 50 state governments and their economic development organizations, in each case according to applicable law.
    • The Investment Accelerator will be responsible for administering the CHIPS Program Office, where it will deliver the benefit of the bargain for taxpayers, negotiating much better CHIPS Act deals than the previous Administration.

    UNLEASHING ECONOMIC PROSPERITY: President Trump believes it is in America’s interest that the Federal Government dramatically expand its assistance to companies seeking to invest and build in the United States.

    • The United States is the most powerful economy in the world, but slow, complex, and burdensome regulations make domestic and foreign investment harder than necessary.
    • An Investment Accelerator is needed to cut through red tape and ensure that businesses can quickly deploy capital and create jobs without navigating a maze of bureaucratic hurdles.
    • By streamlining processes, the Accelerator will attract both foreign and domestic investment, reinforcing America’s position as the premier destination for large-scale investment.

    SECURING AMERICA’S ECONOMIC FUTURE: President Trump is driving massive private investment and strengthening the United States economy through bold ideas that streamline government processes and put America first.

    • Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, the United States has already secured more than $3 trillion in private investments during his second term.
    • Last month, President Trump signed a memorandum aimed at promoting foreign investment while protecting America’s national security interests.
    • With the Investment Accelerator in place, President Trump is supercharging the flow of capital into the United States, boosting prosperity across the nation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Establishing the United States Investment Accelerator

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  The United States is the most powerful economy in the world, but slow, complex, and burdensome American regulatory processes at every stage of a company’s development and operation make significant domestic and foreign investment harder than necessary.  Regulations hamper investment, permitting, and site selection, and numerous overlapping Federal, State, and local legal regimes with complex and often duplicative requirements significantly delay construction.  It is in the interest of the American people that the Federal Government dramatically expand its assistance to companies seeking to invest and build in the United States.

    Sec2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to modernize its processes to attract substantial domestic and foreign investment in the United States and to actively assist those building here for the benefit of our Nation’s economic prosperity to unleash investment from our small businesses to the largest companies.

    Sec3.  The United States Investment Accelerator.  (a)  Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretary of the Treasury and the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, shall establish within the Department of Commerce an office named the United States Investment Accelerator (Investment Accelerator).  The Investment Accelerator shall facilitate and accelerate investments above $1 billion in the United States by assisting investors as they navigate United States Government regulatory processes efficiently, reduce regulatory burdens where consistent with applicable law, increase access to and use of our national resources where appropriate and consistent with applicable law, facilitate research collaborations with our national labs, and work with State governments in all 50 States to reduce regulatory barriers to, and increase, domestic and foreign investment in the United States. 
    (b)  The Investment Accelerator shall be headed by an Executive Director and staffed with legal, transactional, operational, and support staff as directed by the Secretary of Commerce.  The Investment Accelerator shall be responsible for the CHIPS Program Office within the Department of Commerce, which shall focus on delivering the benefit of the bargain for taxpayers by negotiating much better deals than those of the previous administration.
    (c)  The Investment Accelerator shall identify any existing mechanisms, exceptions, and opportunities in Federal law that can be used to assist foreign and domestic investors, consistent with the protection of national security. 

    Sec4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

                                   DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 31, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ONDCP Recognizes Law Enforcement’s Work to Stop Drug Traffickers

    Source: The White House

    class=”wp-block-heading has-text-align-center”>National High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Awards Ceremony Recognizes Excellence Across 14 Key Categories

    Washington, D.C.—Last night, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) recognized individuals and initiatives of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Program at the 2025 National HIDTA Awards Ceremony for their critical work to combat the national security threat posed by drug traffickers, including those who traffic deadly illicit fentanyl in the United States, killing tens of thousands of Americans each year.  

    The Trump Administration is taking the fight to the cartels and drug traffickers in order to save American lives. The HIDTA Program plays a key role in disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations and provides assistance to federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies operating in areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions across all 50 states. Last year, the 33 HIDTAs seized 4.1 million pounds of fentanyl and other drugs and denied drug traffickers $17.7 billion in illicit profits. For every dollar invested in the HIDTA Program, the American people get $68.07 in benefits, making HIDTA an effective and efficient use of taxpayers’ money, and an important tool in the nation’s effort to stop drug traffickers and save American lives.  

    The following awards were presented March 27 to individuals and initiatives of the HIDTA Program for their efforts to reduce the supply and trafficking of dangerous drugs in communities across the country: 

    INVESTIGATIVE COLLABORATION

    Chicago HIDTA, Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force

    Created to identify, disrupt, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), the Chicago HIDTA Counternarcotics and Cryptocurrency Task Force (CNCTF) targeted one of the largest, fastest-growing dark net markets in the world – Nemesis Market. This marketplace facilitated drug trafficking, fraud, hacking, and other illicit activities responsible for more than $20 million in illicit transactions to more than 150,000 registered users around the world. Led by DEA and comprising an array of federal and local partners, CNCTF undertook Operation Keyboard Warrior, which received designation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). In March 2024, CNCTF, working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the German Bundescriminalamt, disrupted Nemesis Market by executing simultaneous, multinational search and seizure warrants on critical technological infrastructure. The warrants resulted in nearly $1 million in frozen and seized cryptocurrency-related assets, twelve computer servers, various electronic devices, and terabytes of data containing financial records and personal information of more than 1,000 vendors trafficking in drugs and engaging in fraud, hacking, and forgeries on the marketplace. CNCTF leveraged this information to effect arrests and warrants in eight U.S. federal districts, and provided investigative leads to foreign law enforcement counterparts in multiple countries using international treaty-based disclosure agreements that were novel to cyber cases.

    PROSECUTION

    South Florida HIDTA, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin

    With the support of the South Florida HIDTA and assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) Kevin Gerarde and Sean McLaughlin secured a jury verdict against the Premier of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) for drug trafficking. Andrew Fahie, who was elected as the Premier in 2019, was accused of assisting the Sinaloa Cartel in transporting loads of cocaine weighing three metric tons from the coast of Colombia through the BVI en route to the United States for distribution. In exchange for his assistance, Fahie allegedly received a 12 percent cut of the proceeds when the cocaine was sold in the United States. After an extensive undercover operation conducted with the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force, DEA arrested Fahie. In prosecuting Fahie, AUSAs Gerarde and McLaughlin overcame a variety of evidentiary challenges, including United Kingdom and BVI foreign law determinations regarding the applicability of U.S. money laundering statutes. On February 8, 2024, the jury returned a verdict finding Fahie guilty on all counts, and he was subsequently sentenced to 135 months imprisonment.

    PUBLIC HEALTH/PUBLIC SAFETY COLLABORATION

    Texoma HIDTA, Caprock Drug Initiative

    The Texoma HIDTA’s Caprock Initiative launched a program at the behest of local officials to address alarming increases in fentanyl overdoses in and around Lubbock, Texas. Since its inception, the program has reached nearly 26 thousand individuals from all walks of life. Undertaken with substantial support from the United States Attorney’s Office, the Texas Anti-Gang Center, and the Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office, the program has become the most requested fentanyl awareness presentation in the South Plains region. It has been presented to numerous local schools, including to the Texas Tech football team. The program provides candid, factual information from people in recovery, overdose survivors, and families of overdose victims. It is credited with raising public awareness and contributing to a reduction in overdoses in the region.

    HIDTA SUPPORT

    Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA, Lydia Sheffield

    Lydia Sheffield has served the Atlanta Carolinas HIDTA for two decades, providing continuity with her outstanding support to three executive directors. In addition to her myriad duties as the Executive Assistant, Ms. Sheffield is the primary Performance Management Process (PMP) Coordinator for the HIDTA, and has established herself as an expert user of PMP. In that role, she has generously provided training to PMP users from multiple other regional HIDTAs at the behest of the National HIDTA Assistance Center and to National HIDTA Program staff. Ms. Sheffield has drawn upon her own background and experience as a skilled trainer to develop curriculum materials to support trainings to both peer PMP coordinators and initiative commanders across the United States.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING INNOVATIVE APPROACHES

    Gulf Coast HIDTA, Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team

    In 2023, the Mobile Baldwin Major Investigations Team (MBMIT) began investigating a deactivated DEA confidential source who was coordinating large shipments of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine from Texas and Georgia into the Mobile, Alabama area. Because the former source was familiar with law enforcement communication and investigative techniques and was still being used by local law enforcement agencies, the source was emboldened to conduct illicit drug-related transactions via an end-to-end encrypted phone app. MBMIT agents successfully executed a search warrant to clone the source’s phone and initiated real-time Title III intercepts of the encrypted app. This was the first time an end-to-end encryption application was successfully intercepted in the New Orleans Division and only the third time this type of intercept had been conducted worldwide within DEA. The success of this investigative technique enabled 120 electronic and voice Title III intercepts resulting in 24 state and federal arrests, the seizure of 19 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of methamphetamine, and the seizure of over $500,000 in cash, jewelry, and vehicles. Additionally, these intercepts lead to the identification and follow-on investigation of regional drug traffickers in the United States with links to multiple Mexican TCOs.

    INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SHARING

    Nevada HIDTA, Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone

    In early 2024, the Nevada Highway Patrol received a tip regarding a suspicious trucking company suspected of transporting illicit drugs from northern Nevada across the county, and subsequently passed the tip to Investigative Research Assistant Phillip Scichilone. Mr. Scichilone provided Northern Nevada Interdiction Task Force members with key intelligence related to the travel patterns of the vehicle involved, suspicious financial activity of the trucking company, and identification of the suspected owner and driver of the vehicle. The task force used this information to interdict the vehicle involved, resulting in the seizure of approximately $1 million and the identification of the driver and passenger, who were suspected of being linked to a known terrorist organization. After conducting follow-up analysis linking the suspects to out-of-state DEA and FBI investigations, Mr. Scichilone connected representatives of both agencies to deconflict and share information and then worked with both agencies to pass on key intelligence information.

    INTERDICTION

    New England HIDTA, Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force

    The Greater Boston HIDTA Task Force, co-led by the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), initiated an investigation targeting a California-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) involved in large-scale illicit drug smuggling, distribution, and transportation from the Southwest Border to destinations throughout the United States and Canada. The initial phase of this ongoing investigation resulted in the disruption of a large-scale criminal enterprise with two arrests and the interdiction of 32 kilograms of methamphetamine and 490 kilograms of cocaine from a tractor trailer that traveled cross country to meet with undercover law enforcement agents in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts State Police have claimed this to be the largest seizure of narcotics from a tractor trailer in New England history, and the ongoing investigation has wide-ranging impact on DTO operations in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

    INVESTIGATION INVOLVING A VIOLENT ORGANIZATION

    Texoma HIDTA, ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative

    The ATF Oklahoma City Violent Crime Initiative led interagency Operation Sonic Boom that used information from the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to overlay maps of Oklahoma City with shooting incidents to identify critical, high gun violence areas to deploy additional resources. In a 60-day operation, ATF Confidential Sources and Undercover Agents conducted 117 undercover firearm purchases that led to the indictment of 64 defendants and the seizure of 110 firearms, 83 machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), 53 kilograms of methamphetamine, 5 kilograms of cocaine, and more than 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl tablets. Highlighting the critical links between the undercover operations in this case and the ongoing violent crime investigations in Oklahoma City, twelve of the firearms purchased by undercover agents had confirmed links in NIBIN to open shooting and homicide cases by violent criminal gangs in the greater Oklahoma City area. From a HIDTA perspective, the case was also a statistical success, with investigators identifying eight separate Drug Trafficking or Money Laundering Organizations and disrupting six of them during the course of the operation. 

    COMMUNITY IMPACT INVESTIGATION

    Northwest HIDTA, DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force

    Over the past year, the DEA Bellingham Regional HIDTA Task Force (BRHTF) initiated an investigation that resulted in a substantial impact concerning public safety and health on the greater Lummi Nation Tribal Lands. Over a one-year period, BRHTF, along with partner agencies, seized over 850,000 fentanyl pills, seven kilograms of fentanyl powder, seven kilograms of cocaine, 29 illicit firearms, over $120,000 in U.S. currency, and disrupted a centralized DTO responsible for trafficking and distributing fentanyl and other drugs in the Lummi Nation within Whatcom County, WA. This investigation resulted in a notable decrease in both fentanyl availability and overdose deaths on Lummi Tribal Lands.

    OVERDOSE REDUCTION

    South Texas HIDTA, Laredo DEA HIDTA Task Force

    In 2023, the DEA Laredo District Office created a HIDTA Overdose Task Force initiative to address the dramatic rise in overdose deaths in Laredo, Texas, and its surrounding communities. The City of Laredo experienced 21 overdose deaths in 2021, rose to 41 overdose deaths in 2022, and was on pace to experience nearly 100 overdose deaths in 2023, when the task force was launched. Formed with multiple local and federal agencies and comprising six task force officers, the task force proved to be effective, with Laredo reporting 73 deaths in 2023, well short of the expected numbers. Throughout 2024, Laredo and its surrounding communities experienced 40 overdose deaths, and preliminary data indicate the city is on pace for a remarkable 45 percent decrease.

    INVESTIGATION

    Arizona HIDTA, Metro Intelligence Support and Technical Investigative Center (MISTIC)

    Throughout 2024, the Phoenix Police Department (PPD) Drug Enforcement Bureau’s (DEB) Conspiracy Squad and the DEA Phoenix Field Division’s Financial Investigations Group (FIG) conducted a long-term, complex investigation that targeted a TCO responsible for the trafficking and distribution of bulk quantities of illicit drugs, as well as for money laundering. Investigators conducted 2,000 hours of surveillance, utilized 225 court orders and search warrants, and initiated 35 wire intercepts targeting TCO members. Through the course of this investigation, detectives identified, disrupted, and dismantled the international drug trafficking activities of both foreign and United States-based sources of supply, load coordinators, couriers, stash house operators, and distribution coordinators, while also dismantling metropolitan Phoenix-based DTO operations.

    TASK FORCE OF THE YEAR

    Appalachia HIDTA, Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Task Force

    In response to an influx of counterfeit pharmaceuticals flooding southeastern Kentucky that were contributing to a rise in drug poisoning deaths, investigators with the Appalachia HIDTA Diversion Drug Task Force initiated an investigation into a dark net market distributor operating under the name GreenBeansUSA. This investigation was conducted jointly with the Appalachia HIDTA DEA London Task Force in coordination with the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service under the OCDETF Operation “Loyal Business.” Investigators identified GreenBeansUSA as a global supplier responsible for the sale and distribution of over 16 million counterfeit pharmaceutical pills, and the receipt of over $11 million in drug proceeds in the form of illicit cryptocurrency. In the course of the operation, investigators issued more than 200 grand jury subpoenas, 47 pen registers, 8 ping orders, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests, IP analysis, blockchain and cluster analysis, 2703(d) orders, undercover purchases, undercover money laundering operations, pole cameras, and electronic search warrants to multiple telecommunications and technological entities. Their efforts resulted in federal indictments of six key members of the organization, the seizure of 11 kilograms of controlled pharmaceuticals (nitazene, benzodiazepine, and ketamine), six pill press machines, and approximately $1.2 million in assets.

    HIDTA AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

    Ohio HIDTA, Sergeant Breck Williamson, Ohio State Highway Patrol

    Sergeant Breck Williamson has distinguished himself as both a prolific and successful interdictor of illicit drugs transiting the nation’s highways, and as an expert instructor and mentor to other officers conducting highway interdictions. Since October 2023, Sergeant Williamson has personally seized over 405 pounds of methamphetamines, 11 pounds of fentanyl, 141 pounds of cocaine, 3,203 pounds of marijuana, and $135,000 in U.S. currency. He also serves as an instructor for both the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) and the Drug Interdiction Awareness Program (DIAP), sharing his expertise with hundreds of students throughout the past year. In addition to his day-to-day supervisory and highway interdiction duties, Sergeant Williamson is a DEA task force officer and is regularly called upon by DEA offices nationwide to advise on interdiction tactics and techniques.

    HIDTA OF THE YEAR

    SOUTH FLORIDA HIDTA

    The South Florida HIDTA has demonstrated an exemplary capacity for multidimensional vision and leadership. Through its Executive Director and Executive Board, it has targeted emerging threats, such as synthetic drugs, while remaining steadfastly committed to the interdiction of metric tons of cocaine destined for the United States from South America. It has inspired national efforts, like the launch of Crime Gun Intelligence Centers in HIDTA regions across the United States, without losing focus of the core HIDTA mission to disrupt and dismantle DTOs and while maintaining deep and sustaining partnerships at the local level. It has launched enterprising collaborations with law enforcement partners, such as partnering with the Federal Aviation Administration to access radar interdiction operability and records of straw registration of aircraft, while embracing public health initiatives focused on overdose reduction and drug use prevention.

    Among its many accomplishments, in 2023 South Florida HIDTA initiatives dismantled or disrupted 54 DTOs, of which 19 were international in scope and nearly 20 percent were OCDETF-designated or linked to consolidated or regional priority organization targets. Task forces seized illicit drugs with a total estimated value of $748 million, including 23 metric tons of cocaine, 248 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 224 kilograms of fentanyl. South Florida HIDTA initiatives also seized more than $105 million in cash and other assets, delivering a return on investment of $56.22 for every dollar financed by the National HIDTA Program. Finally, in pursuit of one of its most vital functions – ensuring officer safety – the South Florida HIDTA provided deconfliction services to all its partners, preventing more than 400 “blue on blue” incidents.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: WEEK TEN WINS: President Trump Fuels America’s Golden Age

    Source: The White House

    Ten weeks into his second term, President Donald J. Trump keeps delivering transformative wins for the American people — empowering our workers, securing our nation, and cementing our leadership as the envy of the world.

    Here is a non-comprehensive list of wins in week ten:

    • President Trump’s effort to secure the homeland continued in force.
      • The Trump Administration directed the successful apprehension of a key MS-13 gang leader — an illegal immigrant living in Virginia and operating as one of the top three MS-13 leaders in the U.S.
      • ICE arrested 370+ illegal immigrants as part of a major operation in Massachusetts — many of whom have serious criminal convictions and charges, including murder, child rape, fentanyl trafficking, and armed robbery.
    • President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports of foreign automobiles and certain auto parts to end unfair trade practices and protect national security.
      • United Auto Workers: “We applaud the Trump administration for stepping up to end the free trade disaster that has devastated working class communities for decades. Ending the race to the bottom in the auto industry starts with fixing our broken trade deals, and the Trump administration has made history with today’s actions.”
    • President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all goods from countries that import Venezuelan oil to sever the financial lifelines of the corrupt Maduro regime.
    • President Trump’s unrelenting pursuit of American manufacturing dominance continued to deliver results.
      • Hyundai announced a $20 billion investment in the U.S., which will create 14,000 new jobs. The investment includes $5.8 billion for a new steel plant in Louisiana, which will create nearly 1,500 jobs.
      • Schneider Electric announced it will invest $700 million over the next four years in U.S. energy infrastructure.
      • Rolls-Royce is expected to shift production to the U.S. and expand its domestic workforce.
      • Vietnam announced it will cut duties on U.S. imports, including liquefied natural gas and automobiles.
    • President Trump continued to pursue peace through strength around the world.
      • U.S. airstrikes eliminated dozens of ISIS jihadis hiding within a cave complex in Somalia.
      • Following U.S.-led negotiations, Russia and Ukraine agreed to a Black Sea ceasefire.
    • President Trump’s economic agenda delivered more relief for Americans.
      • Large egg prices have dropped nearly 60% since last month amid the Trump Administration’s efforts to combat the avian bird flu and repopulate the chicken supply.
      • New data showed new home sales rose 5.1% over last year — with median home prices down 1.5% over last year and 3% over January.
    • The President signed several key executive orders to improve our nation.
      • President Trump signed an executive order aimed at making Washington, D.C., safe, beautiful, and the greatest capital city in the world.
      • President Trump signed an executive order on election integrity, including requiring proof of citizenship in voter registration, setting standards for voting equipment, identifying election fraud, and banning foreign interference in elections.
      • President Trump signed executive orders to protect America’s bank account against waste, fraud, and abuse and modernize payments.
      • President Trump signed an executive order exempting agencies with national security missions from federal collective bargaining requirements in order to bolster border, national, and energy security.
      • President Trump signed an executive order to remove anti-American propaganda from federal museums and national parks.
      • President Trump ordered the immediate declassification of all FBI files related to the sham Crossfire Hurricane investigation.
    • The Department of the Interior disbursed $350 million in energy revenues from the Gulf of America to oil-and-gas-producing states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
    • The Department of the Interior announced nearly $40 million in total receipts from its first oil and gas lease sales of the year.
    • The Department of Commerce blacklisted more than 50 Chinese companies in a bid to reduce the Chinese Communist Party’s intellectual property theft.
    • The Department of Housing and Urban Development canceled taxpayer-backed mortgages for illegal immigrants.
    • The Department of Energy slashed unnecessary bureaucratic red tape that accounted for 60% of costs when building and purchasing new laboratories.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services axed $300 million in grants to California related to radical gender ideology and DEI.
    • The Department of Health and Human Services formally warned California for allowing graphic sex education, including about sex toys and “role-plays,” to be taught to children as young as ten years old.
    • The Department of Education revoked waivers that allowed certain colleges to divert federal funds intended for low-income students and students with disabilities to illegal immigrants.
    • The Department of Education launched an investigation into the California Department of Education for withholding information from parents about their child’s gender identity.
    • The Department of Education launched an investigation into Portland Public Schools and the Oregon School Activities Association for allowing a male student athlete to compete in a girls’ track and field competition.
    • The Department of Agriculture reinstated critical reports canceled by the Biden Administration, including the July Cattle Report and the County Estimates for Crops and Livestock — giving farmers the data needed to make important decisions for their operations.
    • The Department of Agriculture announced an investigation into California for possible noncompliance with President Trump’s executive order on radical transgender ideology.
    • The Department of the Treasury announced sanctions against additional Iranian intelligence officers involved in the probable death and cover-up of FBI Special Agent Bob Levinson.
    • The Department of Labor canceled nearly $600 million in “America Last” grants, including millions for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace” and “assisting foreign migrant workers” in Malaysia.
    • The Department of Justice seized hundreds of thousands of dollars of cryptocurrency intended to support Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency terminated a $2 billion Biden-era grant to a non-governmental organization linked to partisan politics.
    • The Environmental Protection Agency announced it “successfully completed its mission assignment in Western North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.”
    • The Office of Management and Budget cut a wasteful $3 billion Biden-era slush fund.
    • The Small Business Administration announced actions to reverse Biden-era mismanagement of its Core 7(a) loan program.
    • The U.S. Coast Guard awarded a $1 billion contract for dozens of heavy icebreaker ships — which play a critical role in the defense of American interests.
    • The University of Michigan announced it will end its “diversity, equity, and inclusion”-related programming following President Trump’s executive order earlier this year.
    • President Trump’s nominees continue to be confirmed at a rapid pace, with the Senate confirming Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, and Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Dan Bishop.
    • President Trump pardoned Devon Archer, a former business partner of Hunter Biden whose key testimony in the Biden corruption scandal made him a target for prosecution by the Biden Administration.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts into the United States

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

    A PROCLAMATION

    1.  On February 17, 2019, the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) transmitted to me a report on his investigation into the effects of imports of passenger vehicles (sedans, sport utility vehicles, crossover utility vehicles, minivans, and cargo vans) and light trucks (collectively, automobiles) and certain automobile parts (engines and engine parts, transmissions and powertrain parts, and electrical components) (collectively, automobile parts) on the national security of the United States under section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended (19 U.S.C. 1862) (section 232).  Based on the facts considered in that investigation, the Secretary found and advised me of his opinion that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States. 

    2.  In Proclamation 9888 of May 17, 2019 (Adjusting Imports of Automobiles and Automobile Parts Into the United States), I concurred with the Secretary’s finding in the February 17, 2019, report that automobiles and certain automobile parts are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.  I also directed the United States Trade Representative (Trade Representative), in consultation with other executive branch officials, to pursue negotiation of agreements to address the threatened impairment of the national security of the United States with respect to imported automobiles and certain automobile parts from the European Union, Japan, and any other country the Trade Representative deems appropriate.

    3.  The Trade Representative’s negotiations did not lead to any agreements of the type contemplated by section 232.

    4.  In Proclamation 9888, I also directed the Secretary to monitor imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts and inform me of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action under section 232 with respect to such imports.

    5. The Secretary has informed me that, since the February 17, 2019, report, the national security concerns remain and have escalated.  The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical vulnerabilities and choke points in global supply chains, undermining our ability to maintain a resilient domestic industrial base.  In recent years, American-owned automotive manufacturers have experienced numerous supply chain challenges, including material and parts input shortages, labor shortages and strikes, and electrical-component shortages.  Meanwhile, foreign automotive industries, propelled by unfair subsidies and aggressive industrial policies, have grown substantially.  Today, only about half of the vehicles sold in the United States are manufactured domestically, a decline that jeopardizes our domestic industrial base and national security, and the United States’ share of worldwide automobile production has remained stagnant since the February 17, 2019, report.  The number of employees in the domestic automotive industry has also not improved since the February 17, 2019, report. 

    6.  I am also advised that agreements entered into before the issuance of Proclamation 9888, such as the revisions to the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), have not yielded sufficient positive outcomes.  The threat to national security posed by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts remains and has increased.  Investments resulting from other efforts, such as legislation, have also not yielded sufficient positive outcomes to eliminate the threat to national security from such imports.

    7.  After considering the current information newly provided by the Secretary, among other things, I find that imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts continue to threaten to impair the national security of the United States and deem it necessary and appropriate to impose tariffs, as defined below, to adjust imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.

    8.  To ensure that the imposition of tariffs on automobiles and certain automobile parts in this proclamation are not circumvented and that the purpose of this action to eliminate the threat to the national security of the United States by imports of automobiles and certain automobile parts is not undermined, I also deem it necessary and appropriate to establish processes to identify and impose tariffs on additional automobile parts, as further described below.

    9.  Section 232 provides that, in this situation, the President shall take such other actions as the President deems necessary to adjust the imports of the relevant article so that such imports will not threaten to impair national security.  

    10.  Section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2483), authorizes the President to embody in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS) the substance of statutes affecting import treatment, and actions thereunder, including the removal, modification, continuance, or imposition of any rate of duty or other import restriction.

    NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 301 of title 3, United States Code; section 604 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended; and section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended, do hereby proclaim as follows:
    (1)  Except as otherwise provided in this proclamation, all imports of articles specified in Annex I to this proclamation or in any subsequent annex to this proclamation, as set out in a subsequent notice in the Federal Register, shall be subject to a 25 percent tariff with respect to goods entered for consumption or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time on April 3, 2025, for automobiles, and on the date specified in the Federal Register for automobile parts, but no later than May 3, 2025, and shall continue in effect, unless such actions are expressly reduced, modified, or terminated.  The above ad valorem tariff is in addition to any other duties, fees, exactions, and charges applicable to such imported automobiles and certain automobile parts articles.
    (2)  For automobiles that qualify for preferential tariff treatment under the USMCA, importers of such automobiles may submit documentation to the Secretary identifying the amount of U.S. content in each model imported into the United States.  “U.S. content” refers to the value of the automobile attributable to parts wholly obtained, produced entirely, or substantially transformed in the United States.  Thereafter, the Secretary may approve imports of such automobiles to be eligible to apply the ad valorem tariff of 25 percent in clause (1) of this proclamation exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of the automobile.  The non-U.S. content of the automobile shall be calculated by subtracting the value of the U.S. content in an automobile from the total value of the automobile.
    (3)  If U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determines that the declared value of non-U.S. content of an automobile, as described in clause (2) of this proclamation, is inaccurate due to an overstatement of U.S. content, the 25 percent tariff shall apply to the full value of the automobile, regardless of the actual U.S. content of the automobile.  In addition, the 25 percent tariff shall be applied retroactively (from April 3, 2025, to the date of the inaccurate overstatement) and prospectively (from the date of the inaccurate overstatement to the date the importer corrects the overstatement, as verified by CBP) to the full value of all automobiles of the same model imported by the same importer.  This clause does not apply to or otherwise affect any other applicable fees or penalties.
    (4)  The ad valorem tariff of 25 percent described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall not apply to automobile parts that qualify for preferential treatment under the USMCA until such time that the Secretary, in consultation with CBP, establishes a process to apply the tariff exclusively to the value of the non-U.S. content of such automobile parts and publishes notice in the Federal Register.
    (5)  For avoidance of doubt, clause (4) of this proclamation does not apply to automobile knock-down kits or parts compilations.  Clause (4) of this proclamation applies only to individual automobile parts as defined by Annex I to this proclamation that otherwise meet the requirements of clause (4) of this proclamation.
    (6)  The Secretary, in consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall determine the modifications necessary to the HTSUS to effectuate this proclamation and shall make such modifications to the HTSUS through notice in the Federal Register.  
    (7)  Within 90 days of the date of this proclamation, the Secretary shall establish a process for including additional automobile parts articles within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation. In addition to inclusions made by the Secretary, this process shall provide for including additional automobile parts articles at the request of a domestic producer of an automobile or automobile parts article, or an industry association representing one or more such producers, where the request establishes that imports of additional automobile parts articles have increased in a manner that threatens to impair the national security or otherwise undermines the objectives set forth in any proclamation issued on the basis of the Secretary’s February 17, 2019, report or any additional information submitted to the President under clause (3) of Proclamation 9888 or clause (9) of this proclamation. When the Secretary receives such a request from a domestic producer or industry association, the Secretary, after consultation with the United States International Trade Commission and CBP, shall issue a determination regarding whether to include the articles within 60 days of receiving the request.  Any additional automobile parts articles that the Secretary has determined to be included within the scope of the tariffs described in clause (1) of this proclamation shall be so included on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern daylight time the day after a notice in the Federal Register describing the determination of the Secretary.  The notice in the Federal Register shall be made as soon as practicable but no later than 14 days after the Secretary’s determination.
    (8) Any automobile or automobile part, except those eligible for admission under “domestic status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.43, that is subject to the duty imposed by this proclamation and that is admitted into a United States foreign trade zone on or after the effective date of this proclamation, in accordance with clause (1) of this proclamation, must be admitted as “privileged foreign status” as defined in 19 CFR 146.41, and will be subject upon entry for consumption to any ad valorem rates of duty related to the classification under the applicable HTSUS subheading.
    (9)  The Secretary shall continue to monitor imports of automobiles and automobile parts.  The Secretary also shall, from time to time, in consultation with any senior executive branch officials the Secretary deems appropriate, review the status of such imports with respect to national security.  The Secretary shall inform the President of any circumstances that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate the need for further action by the President under section 232.  The Secretary shall also inform the President of any circumstance that, in the Secretary’s opinion, might indicate that the increase in duty rate provided for in this proclamation is no longer necessary.
    (10)  No drawback shall be available with respect to the duties imposed pursuant to this proclamation.
    (11)  The Secretary may issue regulations and guidance consistent with this proclamation, including to address operational necessity.
    (12)  CBP may take any necessary or appropriate measures to administer the tariffs imposed by this proclamation.
    (13)  Any provision of previous proclamations and Executive Orders that is inconsistent with the actions taken in this proclamation is superseded to the extent of such inconsistency.
    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-sixth day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: ICYMI: DOGE’s Mission to Make Government Work Again

    Source: The White House

    Last night, members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team joined Bret Baier on Special Report — a compelling segment on their efforts to fulfill President Donald J. Trump’s mission of making government work for the people again.

    Here’s what you missed:

    • Tom Krause on restoring fiscal responsibility: “We’re changing the culture … There’s $500 billion of fraud every year, there’s hundreds of billions of dollars of improper payments, and we can’t pass an audit … If I was a public company CFO, I would effectively be removed.”
    • Aram Moghaddassi on improving Social Security benefits: “The two improvements that we’re trying to make to Social Security are helping people that legitimately get benefits protect them from fraud that they experience every day on a routine basis, and also make the experience better … At Social Security, one of the first things we learned is that they get phone calls every day of people trying to change direct deposit information … We learned 40% of the phone calls that they get are from fraudsters … Almost half.”
    • Elon Musk on cracking down on fraudulent payments: “There were over $300M of Small Business Administration loans that have been given out to people under the age of 11 … $300 million to over the age of 120 … The youngest recipient of a Small Business Administration loan is a nine-month-old.”
    • Brad Smith on enhancing health care: “There’s 700 different IT systems today at NIH … They can’t speak to each other. They have 27 different CIOs. And so when you think about making great medical discoveries, you have to connect the data.”
    • Joe Gebbia on making government retirement more efficient: “The process takes many months — and we’re going to make it just many days.”
    • Elon Musk on waste, fraud, and abuse: “The sheer amount of waste and fraud in the government, it is astonishing — it’s mind blowing. We routinely encounter wastes of $1 billion or more — casually.”
    • Elon Musk on DOGE’s core mission: “At the end of the day, America is going to be in much better shape. America will be solvent. The critical programs that people depend upon will work and it’s going to be a fantastic future.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by Vice President Vance at American Dynamism Summit

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-center”>Waldorf Astoria

    Washington, D.C.

    9:16 A.M. EDT
     
         THE VICE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  How we doing?  (Applause.)
     
    It’s — it’s great to be here.  Thanks to — to everybody for having me today — in particular, Ben and Marc.  And I just got to say hello to Ben and Katherine backstage.  But I know — I know, apparently, Marc has the flu right now.  So, Marc, wherever you are — I think I had the same flu, like, a few weeks ago.  It sucks.  But I’m sure — I’m sure you’ll get through it.
     
    And it’s great to — to be with you all, and it’s great to talk about the importance of American dynamism and what our administration is going to do to support so many of the country’s most groundbreaking and compelling companies.
     
    I know that you guys are working hard every single day.  And I think it’s pretty good news — right? — that, as of a couple of months ago, you have an administration that’s working with you and facilitating your hard work instead of making it harder to innovate, which is, I think, what the last administration did — though, in defense of Joe Biden, he was asleep most of the time.  I don’t think he totally realized what he was doing, but it certainly didn’t make it easier — his administration did not — for our innovators.
     
    Now, as some of you may have seen — and I talked about this with Ben backstage — I spoke at a conference in Paris last month, where my message to a group of CEOs and foreign leaders was that we should embrace the future head-on.  We shouldn’t be afraid of artificial intelligence and that, particularly for those of us lucky enough to be Americans, we shouldn’t be fearful of productive new technologies.  In fact, we should seek to dominate them.  And that’s certainly what this administration wants to accomplish.
     
    I suspect that most of you in this room are of like mind, and if you’re not, I don’t know why the hell you’re at the American dynamism conference.  (Laughter.)  But I — I received some pushback from people who are worried about the disruptive effects of AI. 
     
    You know, one journalist suggested the speech highlighted the tension between the, quote, “techno-optimists” and the “populist right” of President Trump’s coalition. 
     
    And today, I’d like to speak to these tensions as a proud member of both tribes.  And let me put it simply: While this is a well-intentioned concern, I think it’s based on a faulty premise.  This idea that tech-forward people and the populists are somehow inevitably going to come to a loggerheads is wrong.
     
    I think the reality is that, in any dynamic society, technology is going to advance, of course. 
     
    And speaking as a Catholic, I think back to Pope John Paul II’s opening lines of his encyclic- — e- — (coughs) — excuse me — encyclical “Laborem exercens.”  Quote, “Through work, man must earn his daily bread and contribute to the continual advance of science and technology and, above all, to elevating unceasingly the cultural and moral level of the society within which he lives,” end quote.
     
    Now, I quote the Holy Father not only because I’m a fan of his but also because he rightly understood that in a healthy economy, technology should be something that enhances, rather than supplants, the value of labor.
     
    And I think there’s too much fear that AI will simply replace jobs rather than augmenting so many of the things that we do.
     
    Now, in the 1970s, if you go back a little ways, many feared that the automated teller machine — what we call the “ATM” — would replace bank tellers.  In reality, the advent of the ATM made bank tellers more productive, and you have more people today working in customer service in the financial sector than you had when the ATM was created.  Now, they’re doing slightly different jobs, of course, yes.  They’re doing more interesting tasks also, and, importantly, they’re making more money than they were in the 1970s.
     
    Now, when we innovate, we do sometimes cause labor market disruptions.  That has — that happens.  But the history of American innovation is that we tend to make people more productive, and then we increase their wages in the process.  And I think all of us believe that’s a good thing.
     
    Now, after all, who would claim that man was made less productive by the invention of the transistor or the metal lathe or the steam engine?
     
    Real innovation makes us more productive, but it also, I think, dignifies our workers.  It boosts our standard of living.  It strengthens our workforce and the relative value of its labor.
     
    And, as Americans, all of us should be particularly proud of our extraordinary heritage — I think it is American heritage — of inventing things and of our nation’s status to this day as the world’s foremost driver of research and development.
     
    But all of this, the role that technology plays in a labor market, and whether we greet innovative breakthroughs with excitement or with trepidation depends on the purpose of our economic system in the first place.  And I think this is where the populists have an important point.
     
    It should be no surprise that when we send so much of our industrial base to other countries, we stop making interesting new things right here at home.
     
    Look, for example, at shipbuilding.  Now, if you go back to World War II, America constructed thousands of so-called Liberty ships to carry troops, cargo, and other things, building them at a pace of three ships every two days — three ships every two days.
     
    Now we build about five commercial ships across an entire year in the United States of America.  And as a result, the United States today accounts for 0.1 percent — one tenth of one percent — of global shipbuilding. 
     
    China, on the other hand, now makes more commercial ships than the rest of the world combined.  In fact, one of Beijing’s state-owned firms built more commercial ships just last year than all of America has produced since the end of World War II.
     
    So, while we remain the leader in technology and innovation, I think there are troubling signs on the horizon.  And I raise all this to ask: Does this sound like a regime — I’m speaking of China — that will pass up on the opportunity to use AI, or any other technology, to advance their own interests and further undermine the interests of their rivals?  I think the answer is obvious, and that’s why, America, we’ve got to be tech-forward.
     
    Yes, there are concerns.  Yes, there are risks.  But we have to be leaning into the AI future with optimism and hope, because I think real technological innovation is going to make our country stronger.
     
    So, deindus- — deindustrialization poses risks both to our national security and our workforce.  It’s important because it affects both.  And the net result is dispossession, for many in this country, of any part of the productive process.  And when our factories disappear and the jobs in those factories go overseas, American workers are faced not only with financial insecurity, they’re also faced with a profound loss of personal and communal identity.
     
    And so, to come full circle on this tension — alleged tension between the populists and the techno-optimists, I can understand a reaction of skepticism when we talk about the revolutionary potential of new invention and artificial intelligence and all the other incredible technologies that you guys are working, but I think that that tension is a little overstated. 
     
    And so, I’m going to come back to what’s sort of dividing some of the tech optimists and the populists on our side. 
     
    I think the populists, when they look at the future, and when they compare it to what’s happened in the past, I think a lot of them see alienation of workers from their jobs, from their communities, from their sense of solidarity.  You see the alienation of people from their sense of purpose.  And importantly, they see a leadership class that believes welfare can replace a job and an application on a phone can replace a sense of purpose. 
     
    Now, I remember a Silicon Valley dinner in particular, back when I was in — in my tech days, where my wife and I were sitting around talking to some of the leaders of — of the important technology firms of the United States.  And this was probably in 2016 or 2017.  And I was talking about my real worry that we were heading in a direction where America could no longer support middle-class families working on middle-class wages.  And importantly, that even if you had enough economic dynamism to provide the wealth to ensure those people could, you know, afford to buy a house and afford their food and so forth, that even if you replace the financial element of their jobs, you would destroy something that was dignified and purposeful about work itself.
     
    And I remember one of the tech CEOs who was there that — you know, CEO — you would know his name if I mentioned it.  He was the CEO of a — of a multibillion-dollar company.  He said, “Well, I’m actually not worried about the loss of purpose when people lose their jobs.”  And I said, “Okay, well, what do you think is going to replace that sense of purpose?”  And he said, “Digital, fully immersive gaming.”  (Laughter.)
     
    And then my — my wife texted me underneath the table and said, “We have to get the hell out of here.  These people are effing crazy.”  (Laughter.)
     
    Now, I don’t think that, of course, that CEO’s views are representative of — of most people in this room, but when I think about the — the — a lot of the workers, based on what they’ve seen in the past, are very worried about the future, because, frankly, their leadership has failed to serve them.
     
    And then I think about this from the perspective of a lot of the tech optimists.  I think a lot of the tech optimists, they see overregulation.  They see stifling innovation.  I mean, you guys are builders.  They are builders.  And while they may sympathize with those who lost a job, they’re much more frustrated that the government won’t allow them to build the jobs of the future.
     
    And they know that as hard as it is to build a business in digital media, it’s still harder to build one in robotics or life sciences or energy, in what we call the world of atoms.  They see a government that makes their lives harder, and they mistrust anyone who looks to that government for aid.
     
    And what I’d propose is that each group — our workers, the populace on the one hand, the tech optimists on the other — have been failed by this government — not just the government of the last administration but the government, in some ways, of the last 40 years, because there were two conceits that our leadership class had when it came to globalization. 
     
    The first is assuming that we can separate the making of things from the design of things.  The idea of globalization was that rich countries would move further up the value chain, while the poor countries made the simpler things.
     
    You would open an iPhone box, and it would say “designed in Cupertino, California.”  Now, the implication, of course, is that it would be manufactured in Shenzhen or somewhere else.  And, yeah, some people might lose their jobs in manufacturing, but they could learn to design or, to use a very popular phrase, learn to code.
     
    But I think we got it wrong.  It turns out that the geographies that do the manufacturing get awfully good at the designing of things.  There are network effects, as you all well understand.  The firms that design products work with firms that manufacture.  They share intellectual property.  They share best practices.  And they even sometimes share critical employees.
     
    Now, we assumed that other nations would always trail us in the value chain, but it turns out that as they got better at the low end of the value chain, they also started catching up on the higher end.  We were squeezed from both ends.  Now, that was the first conceit of globalization.
     
    I think the second is that cheap labor is fundamentally a crutch, and it’s a crutch that inhibits innovation.  I might even say that it’s a drug that too many American firms got addicted to.  Now, if you can make a product more cheaply, it’s far too easy to do that rather than to innovate.
     
    And whether we were offshoring factories to cheap labor economies or importing cheap labor through our immigration shyste- — system, cheap labor became the drug of Western economies. 

         And I’d say that if you look in nearly every country, from Canada to the UK, that imported large amounts of cheap labor, you’ve seen productivity stagnate.  I don’t think that’s — that’s not a total happenstance.  I think that the connection is very direct.
     
    Now, one of the debates you hear on the minimum wage, for instance, is that increases in the minimum wage force firms to automate.  So, a higher wage at McDonald’s means more kiosks.  And whatever your views on the wisdom of the minimum wage — I’m not going to comment on that here — companies innovating in the absence of cheap labor is a good thing. 

         I think most of you are not worried about getting cheaper and cheaper labor.  You’re worried about innovating, about building new things, about — the old formulation of technology is doing more with less.  You guys are all trying to do more with less every single day.
     
    And so, I — I’d ask my friends, both on the — the tech optimist side and on the populist side, not to see the failure of the logic of globalization as a failure of innovation.  Indeed, I’d say that globalization’s hunger for cheap labor is — is a problem precisely because it’s been bad for innovation. 
     
          Both our working people — our populists — and our innovators gathered here today have the same enemy.  And the solution, I believe, is American innovation, because, in the long run, it’s technology that increases the value of labor. 

    Innovations like the American system and the interchangeable parts revolution it sparked, or Ford’s moving assembly line that skyrocketed the productivity of our workers — that’s how American industry became the envy of the world.
     
    And that’s what I really want to talk about today: why innovation is key to winning the worldwide manufacturing compe- — competition, to giving our workers a fair deal, and to reclaiming our heritage via America’s great industrial comeback. And I believe that’s what we’re on the cusp of, a great American industrial comeback.
     
    Because innovation is what increases wages.  It’s what protects our homelands, and I know we have a lot of defense technology companies here.  It’s what saves troops’ lives on the battlefield.
     
    And I know everyone here today largely agrees.  It’s why we have some of the greatest inno- — inventors and thinkers in energy; precision machining; countless critical, high-value industries just in this room. 
     
    And I think the other thing that unites all of you is that you’re all builders.  And I — and I use that word deliberately.
     
    I was very moved by Marc’s manifesto from a few years ago about America.  We are a nation of builders.  We make things.  We create things.
     
    Each of you came to this summit not because you developed some flash-in-the-pan application, but because you’re building something very real.  You’re raising new factories.  You’re turning profits back into R & D.  And you’re creating new, good-paying jobs for your fellow Americans. 
     
    And this is why I’m such huge fans of yours — of Ben’s and Marc’s and of the entire endeavor — and that we recognize now in our administration is the time to align our work interests with those of all of you.  It’s time to align the interests of our technology firms with the interests of the United States of America writ large.
     
    Now, all of you, in your own ways, have answered that call.  After all, there’s nothing forcing anyone to be in the room today.  Each one of you could have set up headquarters in Southeast Asia or China, I’m sure, and you would’ve done quite well for yourselves financially.
     
    But you’re here, I hope, because you love your country.  You love its people and the opportunities that it’s given you, and you recognize that building things, our capacity to create new innovations in the economy cannot be a race to the bottom.
     
    Now, America is not going to win the future by ditching child labor laws or paying our workers less than Chinese or Vietnamese laborers.  We don’t want that, and it’s not on the table.
     
    We can only win by doing what we always did: protecting our workers and supporting our innovators, and doing both of those things at the same time.
     
    And so, I want to talk a little specifics here.  The Trump Administration’s great plan for staging the great American manufacturing comeback is simple.  You’re making interesting new things here in America?  Great.  Then we’re going to cut your taxes.  We’re going to slash regulations.  We’re going to reduce the cost of energy so that you can build, build, build.
     
    Our goal is to incentivize investment in our own borders — in our own businesses, our own workers, and our own innovation.  We don’t want people seeking cheap labor.  We want them investing and building right here in the United States of America.
     
    And so, if you’ll allow it, I’d like to talk about a few ways that the Trump Administration is already pursuing a pro-innovation economy that allows our workers to thrive and our companies to outcompete their foreign peers — in short, an economy that is vibrantly America first, that serves Americans from all walks of life and of every kind.
     
    Now, first, President Trump is starting with and is dead serious about rearranging our trade and tariff regime internationally. 
     
    We believe that tariffs are a necessary tool to protect our jobs and our industries from other countries, as well as the labor value of our workers in a globalized market.  In fact, combined with the right technology, they allow us to bring jobs back to the United States of America and create the jobs of the fucur- — future. 
     
    Just look in the past few months at the auto industry as an important example.  When you erect a tariff wall around a critical industry like auto manufacturing and you combine that with advanced robotics and lower energy costs and other tools that increase the productivity of U.S. labor, you give American workers a multiplying effect.  Now that, in turn, allows firms to make things here at a price-competitive basis.
     
    Our president gets that, which is why last month we posted 9,000 new auto jobs after many, many years of stagnation or even decline in the auto sector.  It’s why, just weeks in, we already have new plant or production announcements from Honda, from Hyundai, and Stellantis worth billions of dollars and thousands of additional jobs on top of the ones that were already created.
     
    Now, this takes work.  It took, in the president’s first term, the president ripping up NAFTA and creating a new U.S. deal for American manufacturers in North America.  But there’s important work, and we’re going to do it.
     
    Now, second — second, all of this is why the president is approaching the issue of illegal immigration as aggressively as he has, because he knows that cheap labor cannot be used as a substitute for the productivity gains that come with economic innovation. 
     
    And so, we’ve cracked down on illegal immigration at the border, where the results speak for themselves.  Last month, migrant crossings were down 94 percent to their lowest number all time, and that happened just in two months of serious border enforcement.
     
    Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, last month, for the first time in over a year, the majority of job gains went to American citizens born on U.S. soil, and that’s important.  For the first time in over a year, the majority of job creation actually went to American citizens.
     
    Third, this administration is focused on reducing our input costs for our manufacturers and for everybody else.  Achieving energy an- — abundance — and I know Doug Burgum was here earlier; will be here later — is top of mind.  Because when we look at some of the most exciting applications of new technologies, we realize it’s going to take a lot of power to keep them running. 
     
    And we’re — we’re thrilled to have our friends from the United Arab Emirates, a number of the business leaders and government leaders, in town this week for meetings with our government.  And one of the things they consistently hammer upon — it’s something that unfortunately too few of our European allies tend to get — is that if you want to lead in artificial intelligence, you have got to be leading in energy production.
     
    So, we are going to set the pace there, and we are going to lead from the front.
     
    Now, we are already seeing, the good news is, signs of progress, even just a couple of months in.  Gas and diesel prices are dropping.  The cost of a barrel of U.S. crude is way down.  And last Wednesday, the administration took major steps to make energy even cheaper and liberate our companies from stifling environmental regulations. 
     
    Now, that is great, but, of course, there’s a lot more work we have to do over the next four years.  Getting the tax bill right is especially critical for all of you and for all of your workers.  We know how important it is to restore 100 percent bonus depreciation for capital investments, as well as full expensing for R & D.  Again, we want people to invest in America, and we’re going to make sure the tax code reflects that.
     
    In order to build on the success of the original tax law, meaning the tax law from the president’s first administration, our administration is working to broaden some provisions that are critical to the industrial base, like expanding full expensing to cover factory construction.  For business owners, including manufacturers, making the 2017 tax cuts permanent will provide further co- — confidence and predictability to invest in new technology and equipment, hire more American workers, and grow all of your businesses. 
     
    And we have a lot more to do, but the country is already starting to see the payoff of this administration’s bold economic agenda.  For producers and consumers alike, inflation is finally starting to come down.  Core CPI last week dropped to its lowest number since April of 2021.  And when it comes to the labor market, last month’s jobs report showed a massive reversal: 10,000 new manufacturing jobs created, where the previous year we had lost over 100,000 manufacturing jobs. 
     
    As you may have heard the president say, in less than two months since he’s took office, he’s already secured more than $1.7 trillion in new investments across the United States.  That’s hundreds of thousands of new jobs in manufacturing, AI, other hard tech sectors, and more. 
     
    So, we think there’s a lot to be excited about.  There’s a lot that we’re excited about, and we certainly hope that you guys are excited too. 
     
    But the fundamental premise, the fundamental goal of President Trump’s economic policy is, I think, to undo 40 years of failed economic policy in this country.  For far too long, we got addicted to cheap labor — both overseas and by importing it into our own country — and we got lazy. 
     
    We overregulated our industries instead of supporting them.  We overtaxed our innovators, instead of making easier for them to build their great companies, and we made it way too hard to build things and invest things in the United States of America. 

         That stopped two months ago, and it will continue to stop, and we’ll continue to fight for American workers and the American businesses that hire them and that support them. 
     
    So, I want to thank you all for two things.  Number one, I want to thank you all for doing what you do.  Again, you could have chosen the easy path.  Every single person in this room — as the president would say, “You’re all very high IQ” — you’re some of the most talented people in the United States of America.  You chose to build a business right here in the United States of America, and for that, I’m grateful. 
     
    But the second thing I want to say is that I think you’re not just building your own business.  I think that you are part of a great American industrial renaissance.  Whether it’s the war of the future, the jobs of the future, the economic prosperity of the future, we believe that we must build it right here in the United States of America. 
     
    So, thank you all for building.  Thank you all for building in America.  And thank you all for building the kind of society that I want to raise my children in. 
     
    God bless you all.  Thanks for having me.  (Applause.) 
     
                             END                    9:40 A.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose.  As the Federal capital city, Washington, D.C., is the only city that belongs to all Americans and that all Americans can claim as theirs.  As the capital city of the greatest Nation in the history of the world, it should showcase beautiful, clean, and safe public spaces. 
    America’s capital must be a place in which residents, commuters, and tourists feel safe at all hours, including on public transit.  Its highways, boulevards, and parks should be clean, well-kept, and pleasant.  Its monuments, museums, and buildings should reflect and inspire awe and appreciation for our Nation’s strength, greatness, and heritage.  Our citizens deserve nothing less.

    Sec2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to make the District of Columbia safe, beautiful, and prosperous by preventing crime, punishing criminals, preserving order, protecting our revered American monuments, and promoting beautification and the preservation of our history and heritage. 

    Sec3.  Making the District of Columbia Safe by Fighting Crime.  (a)  My Administration shall work closely with local officials to share information, develop joint priorities, and maximize resources to make the District of Columbia safe.  Such coordination shall occur through the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force (Task Force), which is hereby established by this order.  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor or his designee, and shall otherwise include representatives from the following departments, agencies, or components, selected as such department, agency, or component determines:
     (i)     the Department of the Interior;
    (ii)    the Department of Transportation;
    (iii)   the Department of Homeland Security;
    (iv)    the Federal Bureau of Investigation;
    (v)     the United States Marshals Service;
    (vi)    the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives;
    (vii)   the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia;
    (viii)  the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland; and
    (ix)    the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
    The Chairman of the Task Force may also select other departments, agencies, or components to participate as he deems necessary.  Representatives of such other departments, agencies, or components shall be selected as such department, agency, or component determines.
    (b)  The Task Force may, to the extent permitted by law, request operational assistance from and coordinate with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD), Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, United States Park Police, Amtrak Police, and other Federal and local officials as appropriate. 
    (c)  The Task Force shall coordinate to ensure effective Federal participation in the following tasks:
    (i)     directing maximum enforcement of Federal immigration law and redirecting available Federal, State, or local law enforcement resources to apprehend and deport illegal aliens in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area;
    (ii)    monitoring the District of Columbia’s sanctuary-city status and compliance with the enforcement of Federal immigration law;
    (iii)   providing assistance to facilitate the prompt and complete accreditation of the District of Columbia’s forensic crime laboratory;
    (iv)    in collaboration with its leadership and union, providing MPD with assistance to facilitate the recruitment, retention, and capabilities of its police officers and to facilitate work with Federal personnel, resources, and expertise to reduce crime; 
    (v)     collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to increase the speed and lower the cost of processing concealed carry license requests in the District of Columbia;
    (vi)    reviewing and, as appropriate, revising Federal prosecutorial policies on seeking pretrial detention of criminal defendants to ensure that individuals who pose a genuine threat to public safety are detained to the maximum extent permitted by law;
    (vii)   collaborating with appropriate local government entities to provide assistance to end fare evasion and other crime within the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system; and
    (viii)  deploying a more robust Federal law enforcement presence and coordinating with local law enforcement to facilitate the deployment of a more robust local law enforcement presence as appropriate in areas in or about the District of Columbia, including in such areas as the National Mall and Memorial Parks, museums, monuments, Lafayette Park, Union Station, Rock Creek Park, Anacostia Park, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Suitland Parkway, and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, and ensuring that all applicable quality of life, nuisance, and public-safety laws are strictly enforced, such as those prohibiting assault, battery, larceny, graffiti and other vandalism, unpermitted disturbances and demonstrations, noise, trespassing, public intoxication, drug possession, sale, and use, and traffic violations, including as prescribed by Executive Order 13933 of June 26, 2020 (Protecting American Monuments, Memorials, and Statues and Combating Recent Criminal Violence), which was reinstated by Executive Order 14189 of January 29, 2025 (Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday).
    (d) The Task Force shall report to me as necessary through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor regarding safety in the District of Columbia, and the tasks set forth in subsection (c) of this section.  As part of this reporting, the Attorney General, in consultation with the Task Force, shall assess whether public-safety circumstances in the District of Columbia require additional executive action. 

    Sec4.  Making the District of Columbia Beautiful.  (a)  The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Attorney General, the Secretary of Transportation, the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia, the Administrator of General Services, the National Capital Planning Commission, and the heads of such other executive departments or agencies and local officials as the Secretary of the Interior deems appropriate, shall develop and implement a program to beautify and make safe and prosperous the District of Columbia.
    (b)  The program under subsection (a) of this section shall include, at a minimum, the following elements as appropriate and consistent with applicable law:
    (i)    a coordinated beautification plan for Federal and local facilities, monuments, land, parks, and roadways in and around the District of Columbia;
    (ii)   restoration of Federal public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been damaged or defaced, or inappropriately removed or changed, in recent years;
    (iii)  removal of graffiti from commonly visited areas, with local assistance;
    (iv)   proposals to ensure Federal buildings or lands adequately uplift and beautify public spaces and generate in the citizenry pride in and respect for our Nation;
    (v)    a coordinated Federal and local approach to ensure the cleanliness of public spaces, sidewalks, parks, highways, roads, and transit systems in and around the District of Columbia; and
    (vi)   the encouragement of private-sector participation in coordinated beautification and clean-up efforts in the District of Columbia. 
    c)  The Secretary of the Interior shall immediately issue a directive to the National Park Service requiring prompt removal and cleanup of all homeless or vagrant encampments and graffiti on Federal land within the District of Columbia subject to the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, to the maximum extent permitted by law.

    Sec5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
     

      
                                   DONALD J. TRUMP
     
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        March 27, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Addresses Risks from WilmerHale

    Source: The White House

    SUSPENDING SECURITY CLEARANCES TO PROTECT THE NATIONAL INTEREST: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to suspend security clearances held by individuals at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP (WilmerHale) pending a review of whether such clearances are consistent with the national interest.

    • Security clearances held by WilmerHale employees will be immediately suspended, pending a review of whether their access to sensitive information is consistent with the national interest.
      • The Federal Government will halt all material and services, including sensitive compartmented information facility (SCIF) access provided to WilmerHale and restrict its employees’ access to government buildings.
      • Federal Agencies will also refrain from hiring WilmerHale employees unless specifically authorized.
    • To ensure taxpayer dollars no longer go to contractors whose earnings subsidize activities not aligned with American interests, the Federal Government will terminate contracts that involve WilmerHale.
    • The practices of WilmerHale will be reviewed under Title VII to ensure compliance with civil rights laws against racial bias.

    ADDRESSING ROGUE LAW FIRMS: President Trump believes that lawyers and law firms that engage in conduct detrimental to critical American interests should not be subsidized by American taxpayers or have access to our Nation’s secrets.

    • WilmerHale has abandoned the legal profession’s highest ideals and abused its pro bono practice to engage in activities that undermine justice and the interests of the United States.
    • WilmerHale pursues partisan goals, supports efforts to discriminate on the basis of race, and backs the obstruction of efforts to prevent illegal aliens from committing horrific crimes and trafficking deadly drugs within our borders.
    • WilmerHale has furthered the degradation of the quality of American elections by supporting efforts designed to enable noncitizens to vote.
    • WilmerHale has been accused of discriminating against its own employees on the basis of race and other categories prohibited by civil rights laws, including through the use of race-based “targets.”
    • WilmerHale rewarded Robert Mueller and two of his colleagues by welcoming them to the firm after they wielded the power of the Federal government to lead a partisan “investigation” against the President and others.   Mueller’s investigation epitomizes the weaponization of government.

    A RETURN TO ACCOUNTABILITY: President Trump is delivering on his promise to end the weaponization of government and protect the nation from partisan and bad faith actors who exploit their influence. 

    • In addition to WilmerHale, President Trump has also taken action to hold other major law firms accountable.
    • This Executive Order aligns with President Trump’s priority on refocusing government operations to serve the citizens of the United States.
    • It builds on President Trump’s previous actions, such as signing an Executive Order on his first day in office to end the weaponization of the Federal government and ensure accountability for past misconduct.
    • It follows his revocation of security clearances held by intelligence officials who falsely claimed Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation during the 2020 election.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Works to Make Our Nation’s Capital Safe and Beautiful

    Source: The White House

    MAKING WASHINGTON THE GREATEST CAPITAL CITY IN THE WORLD: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to make Washington, D.C. what it should be—the pride of every American to whom it belongs.  

    • The Executive Order establishes a task force, officially known as the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, that will be comprised of members of key government agencies.
    • The task force is directed to:
      • Surge law enforcement officers in public areas and strictly enforce quality-of-life laws in public areas like drug use, unpermitted demonstrations, vandalism, and public intoxication.
      • Maximize immigration enforcement to apprehend and deport dangerous illegal aliens, including monitoring D.C.’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
      • Help D.C.’s forensic crime laboratory get accreditation.
      • Provide assistance to the D.C. Police Department in recruiting and retaining officers and boosting capabilities.
      • Keep dangerous criminals off the streets by strengthening pre-trial detention policies.
      • Expedite concealed carry licenses for law-abiding citizens.
      • Crack down on fare evasion and other crimes on the D.C. Metro system.
    • The Executive Order will also create a program to beautify Washington, D.C.:
      • This includes restoring and beautifying Federal buildings, monuments, statues, memorials, parks, and roadways, removing graffiti from commonly visited areas, and ensuring the cleanliness of public spaces and parks.
      • The National Park Service will rapidly clear all homeless encampments and graffiti on federal lands.

    AMERICANS DESERVE A BETTER CAPITAL THAN TODAY’S WASHINGTON: Our nation’s capital, the only city that belongs to all of us, must be a symbol of pride for the American people and a safe location for public servants to do the people’s work. Today, because of failed policies, it’s not.

    • Crime is near historic highs, yet D.C. police force numbers recently reached a half-century low.
      • The left is touting modest decreases in D.C. crime in 2024, but they still represent a massive increase from earlier rates. In 2023, violent crime rose by 39 percent. Property crime rose by 24 percent.
      • This mirrors the spin they tried to put on “decreases” in the rate of inflation in recent years. Inflation is still up—and so is crime. And Americans are smart enough to notice.
      • For example, 2023 saw the highest number of homicides in the District since 1997.
      • The D.C. Metro Police Department needs at least 4,000 officers, yet has fewer than 3,500.
    • D.C.’s failed policies opened the door to disorder—and criminals noticed. Washington, DC:
      • Abandoned traditional pre-trial detention and effectively replaced it with ‘catch-and-release.’
      • Decriminalized marijuana.
      • Lets rioters run loose even if they vandalize property and assault police.
    • In 2022, the Biden U.S. Attorney for D.C. declined to prosecute 67% of arrested people who would have been tried in D.C. Superior Court. 
    • The vacuum in law enforcement has created an environment that facilitates crime and blight, encourages homeless and vagrancy encampments, and jeopardizes public safety.
    • The D.C. crime lab remains partially unaccredited, creating a bottleneck for investigations. Federal authorities will assist with capacity so forensic work can resume and accreditation can be regained.

    PRESIDENT TRUMP KEEPS HIS PROMISES: President Trump is following through on his promise to restore Washington, D.C. to glory by making the nation’s capital safe and beautiful once again.

    • On President Trump’s first return to Washington since leaving office in 2021, he lamented “the filth and the decay” that marred the nation’s capital in his absence.
    • President Trump later promised that his Administration would “take over the horribly run capital of our nation, Washington, D.C., and clean it up, renovate it, and rebuild our capital city so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime, but rather it will become the most beautiful capital anywhere in the world.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Restores Truth and Sanity to American History

    Source: The White House

    RESTORING TRUTH IN AMERICAN HISTORY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order restoring truth and sanity to American history by revitalizing key cultural institutions and reversing the spread of divisive ideology.

    • President Trump aims to ensure that the Smithsonian is an institution that sparks children’s imagination, celebrates American history and ingenuity, serves as a symbol to the world of American greatness, and makes America proud.
      • The Order directs the Vice President, who is a member of the Smithsonian Board of Regents, to work to eliminate improper, divisive, or anti-American ideology from the Smithsonian and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo.
      • The Order directs the Administration to work with Congress to ensure that future Smithsonian appropriations: (1) prohibit funding for exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans by race, or promote ideologies inconsistent with Federal law; and (2) celebrate women’s achievements in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women.
      • The Vice President will work with congressional leaders to appoint members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents who are committed to advancing the celebration of America’s extraordinary heritage and progress.
    • The Order also directs the Secretary of the Interior restore Federal parks, monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties that have been improperly removed or changed in the last five years to perpetuate a false revision of history or improperly minimize or disparage certain historical figures or events.
    • In preparation for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 2026, the Order directs the Secretary of the Interior to complete restorations and improvements to Independence Hall by that date.

    COMBATING CORROSIVE IDEOLOGY: In the last decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted effort to rewrite American history and force our nation to adopt a factually baseless ideology aimed at diminishing American achievement. President Trump is fighting back by reestablishing truth in the historical narrative and restoring Federal sites dedicated to American heritage.

    • The prior administration pushed a divisive ideology that reconstrued America’s promotion of liberty as fundamentally flawed, infecting revered institutions like the Smithsonian and national parks with false narratives.
    • At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, the Biden Administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates for dismantling “Western foundations” and that taught Park Rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they present history to visitors.
    • The Smithsonian Institution—once revered throughout the world as a symbol of American excellence—has recently promoted divisive ideology that American and Western values are harmful.
      • The American Art Museum currently features an exhibit that purports to address how “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and claims that the United States has “used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”
      • The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”
      • The American Women’s History Museum plans to celebrate male athletes participating in women’s sports.

    CELEBRATING AMERICAN GREATNESS: President Trump is committed to honoring America’s extraordinary heritage and building a sense of national pride.

    • President Trump signed an Executive Order on his first day in office to establish a task force to prepare for America’s 250th birthday.
      • This Order also protects America’s monuments from vandalism and calls for construction of the National Garden of American Heroes.
    • President Trump signed a memorandum ensuring Federal buildings reflect the timeless grandeur of traditional, classical architecture.
    • By signing this Executive Order, President Trump is ensuring that American history is celebrated accurately, fairly, and with pride—honoring the remarkable progress, liberty, and ingenuity that define our great nation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

    Section 1.  Purpose and Policy.  Over the past decade, Americans have witnessed a concerted and widespread effort to rewrite our Nation’s history, replacing objective facts with a distorted narrative driven by ideology rather than truth.  This revisionist movement seeks to undermine the remarkable achievements of the United States by casting its founding principles and historical milestones in a negative light.  Under this historical revision, our Nation’s unparalleled legacy of advancing liberty, individual rights, and human happiness is reconstructed as inherently racist, sexist, oppressive, or otherwise irredeemably flawed.  Rather than fostering unity and a deeper understanding of our shared past, the widespread effort to rewrite history deepens societal divides and fosters a sense of national shame, disregarding the progress America has made and the ideals that continue to inspire millions around the globe.

    The prior administration advanced this corrosive ideology.  At Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — where our Nation declared that all men are created equal — the prior administration sponsored training by an organization that advocates dismantling “Western foundations” and “interrogating institutional racism” and pressured National Historical Park rangers that their racial identity should dictate how they convey history to visiting Americans because America is purportedly racist. 

    Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology.  This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.  For example, the Smithsonian American Art Museum today features “The Shape of Power:  Stories of Race and American Sculpture,” an exhibit representing that “[s]ocieties including the United States have used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.”  The exhibit further claims that “sculpture has been a powerful tool in promoting scientific racism” and promotes the view that race is not a biological reality but a social construct, stating “Race is a human invention.”

    The National Museum of African American History and Culture has proclaimed that “hard work,” “individualism,” and “the nuclear family” are aspects of “White culture.”  The forthcoming Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum plans on celebrating the exploits of male athletes participating in women’s sports.  These are just a few examples.

    It is the policy of my Administration to restore Federal sites dedicated to history, including parks and museums, to solemn and uplifting public monuments that remind Americans of our extraordinary heritage, consistent progress toward becoming a more perfect Union, and unmatched record of advancing liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing.  Museums in our Nation’s capital should be places where individuals go to learn — not to be subjected to ideological indoctrination or divisive narratives that distort our shared history.

    To advance this policy, we will restore the Smithsonian Institution to its rightful place as a symbol of inspiration and American greatness –- igniting the imagination of young minds, honoring the richness of American history and innovation, and instilling pride in the hearts of all Americans.

    Sec. 2.  Saving Our Smithsonian.  (a)  The Vice President, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, Lindsey Halligan, Esq., shall work to effectuate the policies of this order through his role on the Smithsonian Board of Regents with respect to the Smithsonian Institution and its museums, education and research centers, and the National Zoo, including by seeking to remove improper ideology from such properties, and shall recommend to the President any additional actions necessary to fully effectuate such policies.

    (b)  The Vice President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall work with the Congress to ensure that future appropriations to the Smithsonian Institution:

    (i)   prohibit expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race, or promote programs or ideologies inconsistent with Federal law and policy; and

    (ii)  celebrate the achievements of women in the American Women’s History Museum and do not recognize men as women in any respect in the Museum.

    (c)  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget and the Secretary of the Interior shall take any other measures within their authority to promote the policy of this order.

    (d)  As appropriate, the Vice President shall, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Associate Staff Secretary, Lindsey Halligan, Esq., work with the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate Majority Leader, to seek the appointment of citizen members to the Smithsonian Board of Regents committed to advancing the policy of this order.

    Sec. 3.  Restoring Independence Hall.  The Secretary of the Interior shall provide sufficient funding, as available, to improve the infrastructure of Independence National Historical Park, which shall be complete by July 4, 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

    Sec. 4.  Restoring Truth in American History.

    (a)  The Secretary of the Interior shall:

    (i)    determine whether, since January 1, 2020, public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior’s jurisdiction have been removed or changed to perpetuate a false reconstruction of American history, inappropriately minimize the value of certain historical events or figures, or include any other improper partisan ideology;

    (ii)   take action to reinstate the pre-existing monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties, as appropriate and consistent with 43 U.S.C. 1451 et seq., 54 U.S.C. 100101 et seq.,and other applicable law; and

    (iii)  take action, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to ensure that all public monuments, memorials, statues, markers, or similar properties within the Department of the Interior’s jurisdiction do not contain descriptions, depictions, or other content that inappropriately disparage Americans past or living (including persons living in colonial times), and instead focus on the greatness of the achievements and progress of the American people or, with respect to natural features, the beauty, abundance, and grandeur of the American landscape.

    Sec. 5.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 

                                  DONALD J. TRUMP

    THE WHITE HOUSE,

        March 27, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News