The White House's preferred economic tools are hitting snags
The Trump administration's use of export controls and tariffs to protect economic security is facing significant implementation hurdles. American businesses report that bureaucratic delays at the Bureau of Industry and Security are causing billions in lost sales to international competitors.
Why it matters
Highlights the friction between national security trade policies and the operational realities of American corporations.
Making America's economy stronger has been a top priority for President Trump in his second term. But two of the major tools his administration uses to protect economic security have run into snags.
The Trump administration has leaned heavily on export controls on potentially sensitive technology products and tariffs as part of their global economic strategy.
However, neither tool has been working as planned.
The U.S. has an advanced export control regime that screens and sometimes blocks foreign countries from buying American products with a potential military use or which contain technology the U.S. is competing with other countries on.
Sean Stein, head of the US China Business Council, is quick to praise those tools in concept.
" Export controls are really important," he said in an interview. "Export controls are a national security measure that are sort of a check on what we trade."
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