President Donald Trump and Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc expressed a mutual desire to enhance trade ties, the White House said after a May 31 meeting there (here). The leaders also expressed an interest in resolving priority trade issues, including intellectual property rights issues, information-security products, white offal, distiller's dried grains, siluriformes, shrimp and mangoes, according to the statement. Some $8 billion in commercial deals were finalized on May 31, the Commerce Department said (here). “Today’s deals will expand our cooperation in multiple sectors, supporting U.S. exports and creating economic growth in both countries,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. “They will also help the U.S. reduce our trade deficit with Vietnam.”

Leaders of the Group of 7 nations agreed to “keep our markets open and to fight protectionism,” while “standing firm” against unfair trade practices, according to language in a joint communique (here) published after the officials met May 26-27 in Taormina, Italy. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin blocked the adoption of a multilateral commitment to oppose protectionism in the Group of 20 international finance ministers’ joint communique following a March meeting in Germany (see 1703200010). The G7 language did state that trade “has not always worked to the benefit of everyone,” and leaders committed to “adopting appropriate policies” to help firms and individuals capitalize on global economic opportunities.

President Donald Trump sent the nomination of Richard Ashooh to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for export administration to the Senate, the White House announced May 25 (here). Ashooh is director of economic partnerships for the University System of New Hampshire.

President Donald Trump sent the nomination of Acting CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to serve as CBP commissioner to the Senate, the White House said in a May 22 news release (here). McAleenan became acting deputy commissioner in 2013 and ascended to commissioner on an acting basis after Gil Kerlikowske stepped down with the change of administration in January (see 1611090035). Several industry groups as well as former Department of Homeland Security top officials praised the White House's March announcement that Trump intended to nominate McAleenan for the permanent leadership position (see 1703310040, 1704280031, 1704250016, 1704170014, and 1704100034).

The Trump administration released its proposed fiscal year 2018 budget (here). The request includes increased funding for CBP (here), with a portion of that going toward financing border infrastructure, including a “physical wall along the southern border.” The dedicated funding line for ACE would be drawn down to $3 million, from $22 million infiscal year 2017 and $133 million in fiscal year 2016. Automation modernization would instead be funded in a basket category for procurement. The budget proposal would also extend user fee programs authorized by 19 USC 58c, including the Merchandise Processing Fee, through the end of 2027. The fees are currently set to expire on Sept. 30, 2025.

President Donald Trump and Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on May 20 signed a Joint Strategic Vision Declaration (here) and a series of agreements that define the bilateral trade framework, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said May 20 at a press conference (here). “This is unprecedented,” al-Jubeir said. “We have not had an agreement, I believe, signed by a king of Saudi Arabia and a president to codify the strategic relationship and where we want to take it moving forward, so this was a great accomplishment.” The U.S. and Saudi Arabia are charting a new path toward a peaceful Middle East where economic development and trade are among the “hallmarks of the regional and global engagement,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said during the press conference. Al-Jubeir also said the two nations want to “intensify” cooperation in consultations on technology transfer.

President Donald Trump intends to nominate Richard Ashooh to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for export administration, the White House announced May 19 (here). Ashooh is director of economic partnerships for the University System of New Hampshire. Ashooh also worked at Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, the White House said.

Unfair trade practices will be among the topics that President Donald Trump discusses at the upcoming G7 summit in Taormina, Italy, which will go on May 26-27, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said during a May 12 press conference (here). “He will promote American economic leadership and also address unfair trade practices,” Spicer said.

Changes in the structure of manufacturing make it difficult to tie products to a single country of origin and design government policies that support U.S. manufacturing, according to a recent Congressional Research Service report (here). The report, which also outlines various agencies' interpretations of "Made in the U.S.A.," mentions President Donald Trump’s April 18 executive order instructing agencies to ensure federal grants and procurement maximize the use of manufactured goods produced in the U.S. (see 1704180021). Physical transformation of goods is increasingly performed by workers not classified as manufacturing workers, and a growing proportion of workers whose jobs are related to manufacturing work in sectors not directly involved in physical transformation, such as business services, software development and after-sales service, the report says.

President Donald Trump on May 5 signed fiscal year 2017 omnibus legislation that will fund the federal government through Sept. 30 and avoid a shutdown, the White House said. The Senate and House this week both passed the compromise bill, which will also require CBP to brief Congress on ACE development efforts within 90 days of enactment (see 1705010037).