Global Trade

On September 16, 2026, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum (the “Memorandum”) titled “Restoring Reciprocity in Government Procurement,” which aims to remove Canadian origin items from the U.S. government procurement system.  The Memorandum provides few details on how this policy goal should be effectuated, but directs the following actions:

  • The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”) Director and U.S. Trade Representative, in coordination with the FAR Council, and in consultation with other senior officials as appropriate, shall “to the extent appropriate and consistent with law, identify and take all steps permitted by applicable law with respect to Canadian origin items in the Federal civil procurement system that can, where warranted, be removed or made non-available for purchase.”
  • The OMB Director, in consultation with other senior officials as appropriate, shall also “notify” relevant executive departments and agencies of domestic alternatives to Canadian origin items, “to the extent permitted by law.”
Continue Reading Presidential Memorandum Tasks Agencies with Removing Canadian Origin Items from Federal Procurement System

For decades, the United States and India circled each other as potential defense partners—aligned by democratic values and shared strategic concerns, yet separated by Cold War legacies and divergent procurement cultures.  Now, a proposed Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement (“RDPA”) promises to open each country’s military marketplace to the other’s defense…

Continue Reading The U.S.-India Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement:  A New Chapter in a Complex Relationship

On February 20, 2026, the Supreme Court struck down an extensive series of tariffs imposed last year by President Trump, holding that they were not authorized under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”).  And on March 4, 2026, the United States Court of International Trade began the process of refunding certain of “the millions of entries that were subject to IEEPA,” through a process known in the international trade context as liquidating. 

These recent decisions by the Supreme Court and Court of International Trade may prompt federal contractors to consider seeking refunds of tariffs paid to import goods required to perform under their government contracts.  As we covered in a previous post, government contracts may contain clauses allowing for price increases following the imposition of a new federal tax.  These clauses can also work the other way and require a price decrease (or a credit to the Government under a cost-reimbursement contract) in the event of an after-relieved tax.  

Continue Reading Tariff Takedown:  Implications of Tariff Refunds for Government Contractors

On July 23, the White House released its AI Action Plan, outlining the key priorities of the Trump Administration’s AI policy agenda.  In parallel, President Trump signed three AI executive orders directing the Executive Branch to implement the AI Action Plan’s policies on “Preventing Woke AI in…

Continue Reading Trump Administration Issues AI Action Plan and Series of AI Executive Orders