On March 11, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) initiated new investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 to examine whether the acts, policies, or practices of several major trading partners relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors burden or restrict U.S. commerce.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council published a proposed rule on Feb. 17, 2026, to implement Section 5949 of the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

On Mar. 6th, President Donald J. Trump issued, “effective immediately”, a directive ordering the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”) to act as a federal “sovereign backstop” for qualified private insurance companies providing Hull & Machinery and Cargo coverage to shipping companies operating in the Persian Gulf.