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Trump’s first presidential orders: WHO, Cuba, TikTok, and more

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US President Donald Trump entered his first day in office with an unprecedented show of executive power.

From ending birthright citizenship to forcing federal employees to return to the office, granting TikTok a reprieve, and reinstating Cuba on the list of “state sponsors of terrorism,” the new president signed several executive orders.

Trump once again signed an order withdrawing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement and pardoned or commuted the sentences of more than 1,500 individuals involved in the 6 January 2021 Congressional raid, including those convicted of assault on law enforcement officers and seditious conspiracy.

He spent 45 minutes in the Oval Office answering reporters’ questions while signing an order overhauling the federal government’s treatment of immigrants and a series of orders withdrawing the country from the World Health Organization (WHO).

Reflecting on his return to the Oval Office, Trump said, “What a great feeling. It is one of the best feelings I have ever experienced.”

Combating immigration and border security take center stage

Trump signed several executive orders on immigration, a cornerstone of his agenda. He moved to end birthright citizenship, a policy that would exclude children of undocumented immigrants from citizenship under the 14th Amendment.

Immigration groups and civil rights organizations concluded their legal challenge on Monday night, setting the stage for one of Trump’s first major judicial battles.

Trump also expanded immigration enforcement, declared a national emergency on the southern border, ended “catch and release” policies that allow immigrants to be paroled while awaiting court hearings, resumed construction of the border wall, and revived the “Remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for their cases to be processed.

Additionally, the president issued an order to “clarify the role of the military in protecting the territorial integrity of the United States.”

Trump directed relevant agencies to recommend suspending entry from countries deemed unsafe and halted refugee resettlement for at least four months. He further restricted asylum rights, designated several drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, and instructed the attorney general to seek the death penalty for murders of law enforcement officers and capital crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.

The war against DEI and transgender programs

Another executive order targeted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs in hiring practices and community initiatives across the government.

Trump also signed a broad order rolling back programs recognizing transgender and non-binary individuals. The administration sought to lift restrictions on “conversion therapy,” a controversial practice aimed at persuading young transgender people to reject their identity.

‘Maximum pressure’ on Latin America and Cuba begins

The Trump administration quickly reinstated Cuba on the US government’s list of “state sponsors of terrorism,” reversing President Joe Biden’s decision to delay the move at the end of his term.

Trump had promised to cancel the Biden administration’s olive branch to Cuba, which was part of an agreement to release political prisoners on the island. This move signals a continuation of his first-term hostility toward Cuba.

New Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed during his hearing that the administration planned to reverse Cuba’s removal from the terrorism list and reinstate other restrictions.

The White House also renewed the list of “restricted entities” created during Trump’s first term. These Cuban entities, many affiliated with the government, are barred from certain financial transactions under US law.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel responded on Facebook, calling the moves “arrogance and disregard for reality.” Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla added, “It will hurt, but it will not suppress the firm determination of our people.”

Notably, the Trump administration did not reverse Biden’s decision to suspend Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, which allows Cuban exiles to sue Havana for confiscated property but has been used primarily by multinational corporations.

When asked about relations with Latin America and Brazil, Trump replied, “They should be great.” He added, “They need us much more than we need them. We don’t need them. They need us. Everyone needs us.”

Symbolic ‘American nationalism’ orders

Many of Trump’s actions appeared aimed at appealing to his base, including two announced on social media by his press secretary: renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” and restoring the name Mount McKinley to Alaska’s highest peak, which former President Barack Obama had renamed Denali in 2015 to honor Alaska’s indigenous groups.

It remains unclear which of Trump’s sweeping executive orders will have immediate impact, which are purely symbolic, and whether they will limit the influence of Congress or the courts.

As of 9:00 PM US time, Trump had signed dozens of executive orders. However, some fell short of the “thunderous days” promised by his allies ahead of Inauguration Day.

So far, ‘the mountain gave birth to a mouse’ on tariffs

Despite recent promises to impose tariffs of up to 100% on imports, Trump issued an order that did not impose new tariffs but directed federal agencies to investigate trade deficits and unfair trade practices.

The order includes China, Canada, and Mexico but does not impose blanket tariffs or target specific trading partners, as many had feared. This contradicts Trump’s November promise to impose 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada to curb illegal immigration and fentanyl trafficking.

The decision may disappoint supporters of Trump’s “hawkish” tariff policy, which included a 10-20% tariff on all imports, a 60% or higher tariff on Chinese goods, and replacing income tax with tariffs.

Earlier on Monday, Trump pledged in the Capitol Rotunda to “defeat record inflation and rapidly reduce costs and prices” but did not elaborate on how, beyond rolling back environmental regulations and increasing fossil fuel extraction.

Trump also promised to “take back” the Panama Canal, which the Panamanian government says is impossible under international law.

AMERICA

Trump’s tariffs drive Nvidia to invest heavily in US manufacturing

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Nvidia’s CEO said that the company, which is trying to withdraw its supply chain from Asia in the face of tariff threats from US President Donald Trump, will spend hundreds of billions of dollars for chips and other electronic products manufactured in the US in the next four years.

The massive spending forecast of the world’s most valuable semiconductor group follows billions of dollars of US investment plans announced by other technology companies, including Apple, as the impact of Trump’s “America First” trade policies ripple through the global economy.

Nvidia’s CEO and co-founder Jensen Huang told the Financial Times (FT), “Overall, we will likely supply a total of half a trillion dollars worth of electronic products over the next four years, and I think we can easily see ourselves producing a few hundred billion of that here in the US.”

Huang said that the leading artificial intelligence chip manufacturer can now produce its latest systems in the US through suppliers such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and Foxconn, and that it sees an increasing threat of competition from Huawei in China.

At Nvidia’s annual developers conference this week, Huang introduced the new generation of artificial intelligence chip, Vera Rubin, and outlined plans to create clusters of millions of interconnected chips that will require a large power supply in huge data centers.

Huang said he believes the Trump administration can accelerate the development of the US artificial intelligence industry. The CEO said, “Having the support of an administration that cares about the success of this industry and does not allow energy to be an obstacle is an extraordinary result for artificial intelligence in the US.”

This month, TSMC announced that it would invest $100 billion in its chip production facilities in Arizona, in addition to the $65 billion investment decided under the Biden administration.

Huang said that Nvidia’s latest Blackwell systems are now manufactured in the US, adding, “TSMC’s investment in the US allows us to take an important step in our supply chain flexibility.”

In recent years, America’s largest technology companies, including Nvidia and Apple, have become heavily dependent on TSMC’s state-of-the-art chip manufacturing facilities in Taiwan.

Huang said, “The most important thing is to be prepared. At this point, we know that we can manufacture in the US, we have a sufficiently diversified supply chain.”

The Nvidia executive argued that if any disaster threatens production in Taiwan, it would be “uncomfortable but not a problem.”

While Nvidia still generates billions of dollars in revenue from China, it faces renewed competition from Huawei, whose Ascend AI chips have recently made progress.

Huang said, “Huawei is the most challenging technology company in China. They have conquered every market they have entered.” According to Huang, US efforts to restrict the Chinese technology company “ended badly,” given Huawei’s continued success.

Saying that Huawei’s presence in the field of artificial intelligence is increasing every year, Huang said, “We cannot assume that they will not be a factor.”

Intel, the only US company that can theoretically produce pioneering chips similar to Nvidia’s, has faced serious difficulties in the casting business. The leadership gap at Intel was filled last week with the appointment of Lip-Bu Tan as CEO.

Huang denied reports that Nvidia was in talks to form a consortium with companies such as TSMC to invest in Intel, and avoided committing to using US chip manufacturing services as part of this ‘onshoring’.

“We regularly evaluate casting technologies and continue to do so,” said Nvidia’s CEO, adding that they are also reviewing Intel’s chip packaging services.

Referring to Intel’s ability to be competitive in advanced chip technologies, Huang said, “I am confident that Intel has the ability to do this.”

Huang also added that “Intel’s success and prosperity” is important, and “But it takes some time to convince yourself and each other that a new supply chain needs to be established.”

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US tariffs on steel and aluminum set to impact $150 billion market

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The 25% tariff on steel and aluminum products imposed by US President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday is expected to create upward pressure on prices for approximately $150 billion worth of imports, negatively impacting the profits of American automakers and other companies.

The US imports about one-fifth of the steel it consumes. More than 20% of this import by weight comes from Canada, followed by Brazil at 16%, and the European Union at 7%, with Japan ranking seventh at 4%. Canada is also the largest supplier of aluminum to the US.

Because the direct cost of tariffs falls on importers, this will mean higher costs, especially for manufacturers in the US auto industry.

US-based Wolfe Research anticipates the 25% tariff will drive the price of steel products up by as much as 16% above the 2024 average. Aluminum prices, which are already trending upward, are expected to nearly double.

Nomura Securities research analyst Anindya Das estimates the impact on automakers’ fiscal 2025 operating profits from a 10% increase in steel and aluminum prices compared to the 2024 average. According to this analysis, American players Ford Motor and General Motors will face a hit of approximately 3% to 4% if they cannot pass on their costs through higher prices.

Toyota Motor will experience a smaller decline of 0.5%, while the impact on Subaru, which conducts a large portion of its production in North America, will be around 2%.

Some parts manufacturers affiliated with Toyota bring steel from Japan for use in their US production facilities, and there have been calls for the company to cover the higher costs resulting from the tariffs.

A Toyota executive stated, “Tariffs are a factor outside their control, so we will respond appropriately.”

Japan has pushed to be exempted from the tariffs. “Steel and aluminum products from Japan do not harm the national security of the US,” Cabinet Chief Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters on Wednesday. “On the contrary, high-quality Japanese products are difficult to substitute and are necessary to make the US manufacturing sector more competitive, and greatly contribute to US industry and employment,” he added.

According to EU-based Global Trade Alert, the tariffs announced by the Trump administration last month cover a total of 289 categories, excluding overlaps between the steel and aluminum lists. These items, which also include kitchen and sporting goods, accounted for approximately 4.5% of the US total last year, with $151 billion in imports.

China was the largest importer at $35 billion, followed by Mexico at $30.6 billion, the EU at $20.3 billion, and Canada at $17.1 billion. Japan ranked seventh at $7 billion. When EU members were counted as separate countries instead of a single bloc, 27 economies had exposures exceeding $500 million.

To avoid tariffs, steel and aluminum exports previously destined for the US may be sold in other markets instead. Jakob Stausholm, CEO of Anglo-Australian iron ore miner Rio Tinto, said last month that selling aluminum in other markets such as Europe was an option.

Tadashi Imai, chairman of the Japan Iron and Steel Federation and president of Nippon Steel, recently stated that the biggest concern is that the tariffs “contribute to the market collapse caused by China’s excessive exports.”

With China’s economy declining, steelmakers are selling products at low prices elsewhere that cannot be absorbed by the domestic market. If they face higher barriers in the US, these goods could flow to other countries.

The US is also the world’s largest exporter of scrap iron and steel, and rising scrap prices leaving the country are likely to reverberate in the global market.

A representative from Japanese aluminum manufacturer UACJ said, “The short-term impact will be small, but it could be larger in the long term.”

Although the company generally produces products for the US domestically, it imports some products with special requirements from Japan in small quantities. According to UACJ, starting alternative production in the US could take three to four years.

Other companies are turning to completely different materials. Coca-Cola stated last month that it would switch some packaging from aluminum to plastic if the tariffs came into effect.

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Trump signs order for ‘strategic crypto reserve’

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US President Donald Trump, in a move aimed at revitalizing the digital assets sector, has signed an executive order authorizing the federal government to stockpile cryptocurrency assets seized through law enforcement agencies.

According to a post on X by David Sacks, the White House’s crypto and artificial intelligence czar, under the executive order, the federal government will retain bitcoin assets seized by federal law enforcement, which will enter a “strategic bitcoin reserve.”

Sacks added that the reserve “will not cost taxpayers a single penny,” further authorizing the Treasury and Commerce departments to “develop budget-neutral strategies to acquire additional bitcoin, provided these strategies do not incur any additional costs on American taxpayers.”

Sacks wrote about bitcoin, “The reserve is like a digital Fort Knox. The early sale of Bitcoin has already cost US taxpayers over $17 billion in lost value. Now, the federal government will have a strategy to maximize the value of its holdings.”

The order also established a separate “US Digital Asset Stockpile” to include other cryptocurrencies seized by the government. Earlier this week, Trump hinted at the possibility of including tokens such as Ripple’s XRP, Solana, and Cardano, alongside bitcoin and ether, in what he termed the “Crypto Strategic Reserve,” causing the prices of these tokens to rise with investors’ hopes that the US government would enter the market as a major buyer of digital assets.

However, crypto prices fell immediately after Sacks’s post and recovered shortly thereafter. According to CoinGecko data, as of 4:45 PM (presumably local time, though unspecified), bitcoin was trading at approximately $88,000, down 2.8% from the previous 24 hours.

The creation of the reserve and stockpile is part of a broad shift in Washington towards policies aimed at benefiting the crypto industry. It comes ahead of a crypto summit to be held at the White House on Friday, which will be attended by leading figures in the digital assets world.

For supporters, the bitcoin reserve is a chance for the US to participate in the growth of the original cryptocurrency, and many in the market believe that the market is poised to climb higher as Trump pursues a crypto-friendly regulatory agenda.

Yet, there are still many questions about how the reserve and stockpile will operate. For example, some critics doubt that the federal government can cash in its bitcoin holdings without spooking other investors and triggering a sell-off.

Trump first promised to create a crypto reserve during a speech at a major bitcoin conference in July.

Sacks said, “I want to thank the President for his leadership and vision in supporting this cutting-edge technology and for his swift action in supporting the digital asset industry. His administration is truly moving at ‘technology speed’.”

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