President Donald Trump on Aug. 15 extended the Commerce Department’s authority to control U.S. exports under the Export Administration Regulations through Aug. 17, 2018, the White House announced. The move extends a national emergency associated with the expiration of the Export Administration Act, which initially lapsed in 1994 and has since been renewed annually through executive action. Former President George W. Bush issued Executive Order 13222 to declare the national emergency, and the Aug. 15 Trump executive action affirms that the emergency still exists.
President Donald Trump on Aug. 2 sent to the Senate the nominations of Ted McKinney to be under secretary of agriculture for trade and foreign agricultural affairs and John Mitnick to be general counsel at the Department of Homeland Security, the White House announced. Trump tapped McKinney last month to serve in his nominated post (see 1707240034). McKinney has worked as Indiana Agriculture Department director since 2014.
President Donald Trump on Aug. 2 signed legislation that authorizes new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea, the White House announced. Specifically, the bill directs the president to assess military sanctions on Iran, provides for several economic and cyber-related sanctions against Russia, and provides for several economic sanctions against North Korea. The law also provides sanctions for North Korean cargo and shipping, goods produced through North Korean convict or forced labor, and foreign persons that employ North Korean forced laborers. The legislation requires the State Department to determine whether North Korea meets criteria for designation as a state sponsor of terrorism. In an Aug. 2 statement, Trump said he favors "tough measures" to "punish and deter aggressive and destabilizing behavior."
President Donald Trump is extending for another year the national emergency declared in the 2007 Executive Order 13441, which blocks all property and interests in property in the U.S., that come within the U.S. or within the possession or control of any U.S. person, including any overseas branch, of certain persons who undermine the sovereignty of Lebanon or its democratic processes or institutions, the White House announced.
President Donald Trump sent to the Senate the nominations of Ann Marie Buerkle to chair the Consumer Product Safety Commission; C.J. Mahoney to be deputy U.S. trade representative for investment, services, labor, environment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere; Daniel Kritenbrink to be U.S. ambassador to Vietnam; and Michele Sison to be U.S. ambassador to Haiti, the White House announced July 27.
President Donald Trump has nominated Consumer Product Safety Commission Acting Chairwoman Ann Marie Buerkle to chair the CPSC, and to start a seven-year term on Oct. 27, 2018, the White House announced (here). Buerkle, a Republican, previously represented New York’s 25th congressional district in the U.S. House, and worked as a New York assistant attorney general. During her time as a CPSC commissioner, Buerkle has voted against a safety standard for magnet sets (see 1703070015), spoken out against CPSC reporting requirements and civil penalties as subjective and difficult to understand (see 1606030029), and questioned the constitutionality of CPSC plans to collect user fees from importers to fund a new import screening system (see 1602260050).
President Donald Trump intends to nominate Indiana Agriculture Department Director Ted McKinney to be U.S. Agriculture Department under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, the White House announced (here). McKinney has worked in his current position since 2014, after working 19 years with Dow AgroSciences, the White House said. USDA created the position earlier this year (see 1705120030).
President Donald Trump tapped Williams & Connolly partner C.J. Mahoney to be deputy U.S. trade representative for Investment, Services, Labor, Environment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere, the White House announced (here).
President Donald Trump on July 19 issued a presidential memorandum (here) continuing for one year the national emergency with respect to transnational criminal organizations. The emergency was set to expire on July 24. Former President Barack Obama on July 24, 2011, declared a national emergency with respect to transnational criminal organizations pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (see 11072705).
Vice President Mike Pence emphasized the importance of U.S. trade with Canada and the need to “work together to address lingering trade disagreements,” during a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau July 14 in Providence, Rhode Island, the White House said (here). Pence and Trudeau expressed a shared commitment to update and modernize NAFTA through “constructive renegotiation,” the White House said.