U.S. and China agree coal purchases, tariff relief.
Today's events
China state visit.
The two sides reached consensus on more favorable tariff treatment for $30 billion of goods in each direction, and China will import at least 10 million metric tons of U.S. coal in 2027 and 2028.1Sep 25 · WHSyria sanctions.
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control amended the Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations to carry out the August rescission of Syria's state-sponsor-of-terrorism designation, removing a Syria-specific general license that is no longer needed.2Sep 25 · TreasuryMexico labor case.
The U.S. Trade Representative invoked the North American trade pact's rapid-response labor mechanism over alleged union retaliation at a Yokohama tire plant in Coahuila, and suspended liquidation of all entries from the facility.3Sep 25 · USTRStablecoin rules.
The Federal Reserve proposed requiring supervised stablecoin issuers to fully back their coins with short-term Treasury bills and other liquid assets, set capital standards, and apply through a new process. Comments close in 60 days.4Sep 24 · FedMilwaukee trade summit.
Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will host the Group of 20 trade ministers in Milwaukee from September 29, with an agenda covering forced labor in supply chains, updating the most-favored-nation principle, and industrial overcapacity.5Wk of Sep 29 · USTRExploited software flaws.
The cyber agency added actively exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft SharePoint and MikroTik RouterOS to its catalog, triggering a federal directive that requires agencies to patch publicly exposed systems quickly.6Sep 25 · CISACurrent-account deficit.
The U.S. current-account deficit widened by $33.4 billion, or 15.7 percent, to $246.0 billion in the second quarter — 3.0 percent of output. The net international investment position fell to −$22.42 trillion.7Sep 24 · BEATrade over aid.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau opened a deals showcase at the U.N. General Assembly in New York, casting commercial diplomacy rather than aid programs as the core of U.S. foreign policy.8Sep 25 · StateDesegregation cases.
The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division dismissed more than 50 school-desegregation cases — from Waterbury, Connecticut to Flagler County, Florida — that had sat on federal dockets for over half a century.9Sep 24 · DOJ
This week
Permanent bases in Greenland.
Trump signed an agreement with Denmark and Greenland on September 22 granting the United States permanent basing rights on the island and barring any U.S. adversary from a base, military presence, or sensitive investment there without American approval. Rubio had met the foreign ministers of eight Arctic governments in New York the day before, who agreed the region needs sovereign military capability and resilient critical infrastructure (Sept. 23 brief).2Sep 22 · WHShield of the Americas.
The United States and 14 Western Hemisphere governments announced asset freezes, visa restrictions and criminal liability for supporters of 24 narco-terrorist organizations on September 22, and will ask the Organization of American States to convene the Rio Treaty. Trump told the U.N. General Assembly the same day that strikes on cartel boats had destroyed 97 percent of drugs arriving by sea, and pledged military force in the hemisphere.3Sep 22 · StateAndes-Atlantic Corridor.
The State Department and Argentina launched the corridor on September 23, steering U.S. financing into rail, ports, pipelines and power that carry Vaca Muerta oil and gas and critical minerals to Atlantic markets. The same week the U.S. signed a critical-minerals memorandum with Italy and adopted a plan with Japan and South Korea for exporting small modular reactors; the industry consortium formed around that plan projects more than $150 billion in European reactor investment.4Sep 23 · StateSkilled-worker visas.
A proclamation dated September 19 extended the $100,000 fee on certain skilled-worker petitions another 12 months, to September 21, 2027; more than 700 petitions have paid it since 2025. Three days later the administration filed an executive order tightening interagency oversight of the program and a second proclamation restricting the entry of certain nonimmigrant workers (Sept. 20 brief).6Sep 19 · WHFirst U.S. filing at the E.U. court.
The Justice Department asked the European Union's General Court on September 24 to intervene in support of X Corp. and Elon Musk, who are seeking to annul a €120 million Digital Services Act fine. It is the first time the United States has sought to intervene there. The same week the trade representative held a public hearing in its case against Germany's drug pricing.7Sep 24 · DOJ
Allied Governments
Ukraine drone data.
The UK Ministry of Defence opened Ukraine's Avengers AI Labs battlefield database — sensor data from over 6 million object detections — to up to 12 British firms building autonomous drone swarms.aSep 25 · UK MoDAtlantic command.
General Nick Perry became the first British officer to command NATO's Joint Force Command Norfolk, succeeding a U.S. admiral as the alliance shifts more of its command structure to European leadership.bSep 24 · NATOYemen aid.
The UK Foreign Office pledged £10 million through the UN emergency appeal after renewed Houthi fighting displaced more than 130,000 Yemenis in two weeks.cSep 25 · UK FCDO
Voices
“They agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and that no country or institution can be allowed to impose tolls on international waterways.”
White House fact sheet on the China state visit · Sep 251
“[T]he Government of Syria is no longer a Terrorism List Government for purposes of the Regulations.”
Office of Foreign Assets Control, final rule · Sep 252
“Aid programs can, again, keep things afloat. But ultimately, as you all know, they come with strings.”
Deputy Sec. of State Christopher Landau, New York · Sep 258
“The first proposal would require that Board-supervised payment stablecoin issuers fully back their stablecoins with certain permissible reserve assets, such as short-term Treasury bills…”
Federal Reserve Board · Sep 244
“These types of vulnerabilities are a frequent attack vector for malicious cyber actors and pose significant risks to the federal enterprise.”
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency · Sep 256
“In this administration, we are ending prolonged federal oversight of these school districts because the effort does not reflect the reality of those classrooms today.”
AAG Harmeet K. Dhillon, DOJ Civil Rights · Sep 249
Sources
- White House, “Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Advances a Fair and Reciprocal Relationship with China While Hosting Historic State Visit,” September 25, 2026. whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2026/09/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-advances-a-fair-and-reciprocal-…
- U.S. Dept. of the Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, “Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations” (final rule), September 25, 2026. federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/25/2026-19657/terrorism-list-governments-sanctions-regulations
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “United States Seeks Mexico's Review of Alleged Denial of Workers' Rights at Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mexico, S.A. de C.V.,” September 25, 2026. ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/september/united-states-seeks-mexicos-review-…
- Federal Reserve Board, “Federal Reserve Board requests public comment on two proposals related to establishing a regulatory framework for Board-supervised payment stablecoin issuers under the GENIUS Act,” September 24, 2026. federalreserve.gov/newsevents/pressreleases/bcreg20260924a.htm
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, “Ambassador Greer to Travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Host the G20 Trade Ministerial,” September 25, 2026. ustr.gov/about/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2026/september/ambassador-greer-travel-milwaukee-…
- CISA, “CISA Adds Two Known Exploited Vulnerabilities to Catalog” (CVE-2026-65660, Microsoft SharePoint; CVE-2026-67279, MikroTik RouterOS), September 25, 2026. cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/09/25/cisa-adds-two-known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, “U.S. International Transactions and Investment Position, 2nd Quarter 2026,” September 24, 2026. bea.gov/news/2026/us-international-transactions-and-investment-position-2nd-quarter-2026
- U.S. Dept. of State, “Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau at a Trade Over Aid Deals Showcase,” September 25, 2026. state.gov/releases/office-of-the-spokesman/2026/09/deputy-secretary-of-state-christopher-landau-at-a-…
- U.S. Dept. of Justice, “Justice Department Ends Over 50 Half-Century-Old Desegregation Cases Throughout the United States,” September 24, 2026. justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-ends-over-50-half-century-old-desegregation-cases-throughout-united
- UK Ministry of Defence, “British companies to access prized Ukraine data to develop AI drone swarms,” September 25, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/british-companies-to-access-prized-ukraine-data-to-develop-ai-drone-swarms
- NATO News, “UK general takes command of NATO's Joint Force Command in the US,” September 25, 2026. nato.int/en/news-and-events/articles/news/2026/09/25/uk-general-takes-command-of-natos-joint-force-…
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, “UK steps up humanitarian support for vulnerable civilians in Yemen following Houthi escalation,” September 25, 2026. gov.uk/government/news/uk-steps-up-humanitarian-support-for-vulnerable-civilians-in-yemen-following-…