Last week, the White House announced a 100% Section 232 tariff on large drones and critical components, citing their dual-use applications. The duties are set to take effect on September 3.
Beijing has issued unusually granular implementation guidelines for its AI+ manufacturing program. The plan, rolled out on January 9, defines deliverables, timelines, and an enforcement architecture that will mobilize provinces, state-owned enterprises, and industrial parks to implement AI solutions in China’s manufacturing sector.
China will unveil its 15th five-year plan covering 2026-2030 in March. The economic blueprint also serves as the final rally for the country to meet its pledge to cap carbon emissions by 2030.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued two statutorily required proclamations responding to the findings of Section 232 investigations into critical minerals and semiconductors, which concluded in October and December, respectively. The limited scope of follow-up actions is further evidence that the administration is prioritizing its detente with China ahead of a potential presidential visit to the country in April.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Monday appointed Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) to succeed Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) as the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the CCP. Earlier that day, Krishnamoorthi announced he would step down as ranking member, likely to focus on his upcoming Senate campaign. Both Krishnamoorthi and Khanna have served on the select committee since its inception in 2023.
USCBC interviews Tianlei Huang, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, on China’s prolonged property downturn, government efforts to stabilize the market, and remaining challenges.
With several high-stakes engagements slated for next year — an April visit to Beijing by Trump, APEC in Shenzhen in November, the G20 in Miami in December, and a potential reciprocal state visit by Xi — neither side will seek to intentionally rock the boat. But the absence of a formal agreement, combined with pressure from parts of the US government that are concerned China policy is heading in the wrong direction, means the truce is fragile.
This week, China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released economic performance data for November, showing factory output and retail sales growth slowing to their weakest levels in over a year. Stubbornly low demand, a slowdown in production, and deflationary pressure coincided with a record trade surplus, which was achieved largely by frontloading exports and expanding shipments to ASEAN and EU partners amid US tariffs.
To date, references to rare earth elements (REE) general licenses have appeared in the White House readout, while MOFCOM has not made any public commitment. As a result, information on general licenses is fragmented, informal, and unevenly distributed. This article synthesizes trends from recent member benchmarking to piece together how the mechanism functions and who is best positioned to benefit.
The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is nearing the finish line after the Senate passed the bill on Wednesday following House approval last week. The White House confirmed that President Donald Trump will sign it once it reaches his desk.
China has seen several high-level personnel changes at the central and provincial levels over the past few months, with more expected around the local and national Two Sessions conferences early next year.
