President Donald Trump took two separate executive actions Friday that seek to boost foreign investments in American manufacturing and shield American companies from overseas taxes.
The Washington Examiner reviewed draft fact sheets the White House plans to circulate after the president signs the actions, both of which appear to build on and expand his overarching tariff agenda.
NAVARRO: TRUMP GOING ‘BACK TO THE FUTURE’ WITH SWEEPING TARIFF PLAN
The first action, a national security presidential memorandum, will simultaneously stand up a “fast-track” process to approve foreign investments in domestic manufacturing, “with conditions that prevent investors from partnering with our foreign adversaries in corresponding areas.”
The White House says the fast track will include expediting environmental reviews for foreign investments over $1 billion.
The Friday evening action caps off a whirlwind first month of Trump’s second presidency where he signed more than 100 executive actions, memos, and proclamations. The offensive executive strategy had swept up everything from shrinking the federal government, banning transgender athletes in women’s sports, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and imposing new taxes on foreign imports.
The latest memorandum directs the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to restrict Chinese investments in security-related sectors, including “technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials,” and more. White House officials say the administration will also consider placing new restrictions on American investments in China across a range of “sensitive technologies.”
Peter Navarro, Trump’s senior White House counselor for trade and manufacturing, told the Washington Examiner earlier this week that the president’s new tariffs, including 25% levies on steel and aluminum imports and yet-to-be-announced reciprocal measures, will help drive new investments in American manufacturing.
“We had $15 billion of investment after the 2018 tariffs from domestic producers alone. You’ll see them, domestic and foreign producers, set up here on American soil and expand,” he predicted in an interview. “The beauty of the no exemptions policy is it forces them to come here or pay the tariffs. We like that too.”
TRUMP ANNOUNCES RECIPROCAL TARIFFS THAT WILL BE DETERMINED ON A ‘COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY’ BASIS
Trump will also sign a memorandum Friday ordering U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to craft new tariffs or other barrier fees for countries placing “digital service taxes, fines, practices,” and other policies on American companies operating overseas.
“Overall, these non-reciprocal taxes cost America’s firms over $2 billion per year. Reciprocal tariffs will bring back fairness and prosperity to the distorted international trade system and stop Americans from being taken advantage of,” the White House’s fact sheet reads.