United States: International Trade & Investment

The intersection of U.S. trade policy and international economic integration is a perennial source of complexity, especially in the context of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and the imposition of duties under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974

Bob Brewer, Braumiller Law Group is joined by Victoria Holmes from The Dispatch. Any and All Things Related to the Strait of Hormuz Hot Topics in International Trade​

The Trump administration has released a comprehensive report identifying over 40 countries allegedly involved in transshipment schemes to evade U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods, signaling a major shift in customs enforcement priorities. The report introduces a controversial framework that treats legitimate supply chain diversification as potential tariff evasion, while announcing plans for an AI-powered "Detective Border" system to scrutinize imports with any Chinese connections.

The U.S. sanctions landscape continues to evolve as the current Presidential Administration increasingly relies on sanctions and targeted licensing to advance its foreign policy objectives in Cuba and Venezuela. Although these policies pursue markedly different economic outcomes, both are implemented through the same sanctions framework. On one hand, the Administration has sought to expand economic opportunities in Venezuela by broadening authorizations for limited commercial activity through OFAC general licenses.

The GENIUS Act became Public Law 119-27 one year ago on July 18, 2025 (GENIUS Act — Public Law 119-27). Multiple federal regulators are preparing the regulatory framework to integrate digital money in the form of payment stablecoins into the existing conventional banking system. States are also exploring the use of stablecoins for payments and digital assets as a class of financial assets. All of this activity is building a new digital payments economy.

Ian Cameron, an analyst with Steptoe's Global Strategic Engagements Team, discusses critical developments in European geopolitics with fellow analyst Thomas Goldstein. Their conversation explores the evolving dynamics of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Franco-German efforts to forge a unified European approach to China, and the transformation of Europe's defense industrial base amid shifting transatlantic relations.

The GENIUS Act became Public Law 119-27 one year ago on July 18, 2025 (GENIUS Act — Public Law 119-27). Multiple federal regulators are preparing the regulatory framework to integrate digital money in the form of payment stablecoins into the existing conventional banking system. States are also exploring the use of stablecoins for payments and digital assets as a class of financial assets. All of this activity is building a new digital payments economy.

An announcement will take place next month at the 2026 New Delhi summit kicking off what some would consider the structural take off for BRICS and the beginning of the end for the U.S. dollar. What is that? BRICS Pay. First, let’s start with what BRICS Pay is not. Russian Senator Vladimir Dzhabarov says that this is not a single currency, but rather a payment system. The purpose behind the platform is to link national payment systems and potentially, and in the future, link digital currencies of the central banks.

Council members in my Rust Belt city do something that has bothered me ever since I started paying attention. At virtually every legislative session that I have observed, when voting to adopt a new measure, they declare a “state of emergency”. Occasionally a resident asks a council member why they do this. Their response is that the city’s charter normally requires them to read a measure twice before passing it, which delays its effective date – but if they declare an emergency, then the measure is effective immediately.