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Zuckerberg's Unrelenting Paranoia Emerges in FTC Trial

Zuckerberg's Unrelenting Paranoia Emerges in FTC Trial

Bloomberg16-04-2025
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Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Sarah Frier looks at the events in the FTC's trial against Meta and what they may tell us about the globe's biggest social media company.
A run on warehouse space: A certain kind of duty-free warehouse, originally intended for 19th-century merchants, is having a modern-day resurgence thanks to US President Donald Trump's tariffs.
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Trump tariffs live updates: World adapts to China truce, US tariff revenue, inflation in check
Trump tariffs live updates: World adapts to China truce, US tariff revenue, inflation in check

Yahoo

time25 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump tariffs live updates: World adapts to China truce, US tariff revenue, inflation in check

US and Japanese stock indexes are at all-time highs as the world adapts to President Trump's trade policy, tariffs bring in billions in revenue while not yet causing renewed inflation, and markets price in a 92% chance that the Fed cuts rates by 25 basis points in September. On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order extending the tariff truce between the US and China for another 90 days, pushing trade negotiations out to the fall. Average US tariff rates on Chinese goods are currently at about 55%, according to Bloomberg. Last week, Trump unveiled "reciprocal" tariffs on dozens of US trade partners. The next negotiations to watch are Canada, Mexico, and China in the coming months. Read more: What Trump's tariffs mean for the economy and your wallet Here are the latest updates as the policy reverberates around the world. Swiss say tariffs could raise costs for US F-35A jets The original price of the 36 fighter jets Switzerland is buying from the United States could go up by more than $1 billion due to the impacts of tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more from Reuters here. AI boom could help manufacturers adapt to global tariff landscape Mark Bendeich of Reuters details how the confluence of supply chain disruption from Trump's tariff policy and the rise of AI software solutions is leading to increased innovation among manufacturers. Richard Howells, SAP vice president and supply chain specialist, emphasized that the uncertainty surrouding Trump's trade policy is driving the technology push. "That's how it was during the financial crisis, Brexit and COVID," Howells stated. "And it's what we're seeing now." Read more here. GE Appliances to invest over $3B in US, moving from China and Mexico GE Appliances will move production of its refrigerators, gas ranges and water heaters from China and Mexico, investing over $3 billion to expand plans in five US states. AP News reports: Read more here. Bessent dismisses China investing in US as part of a trade deal Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out Chinese investments as part of a US trade deal. When asked if China would offer a multi-billion dollar pleadges like Japan, South Korea and the EU, Bessent said no. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Tariffs bring in record $27.7 billion in July as Trump calls haul 'incredible for our country' Yahoo Finance's Brett LoGiurato and Ben Werschkul report: Xi takes aim at US 'protectionism' in phone call with Lula Leaders of the BRICS nations seem to be in talks. Brazilian President Lula spoke with China's leader Xi after meeting with India and Russia. This outreach comes after President Trump pulled Brazil into his trade war. During the call, China's Xi urged for coordinated efforts against US protectionism. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Soybean futures fall after Trump extends trade truce with China Soybean (ZS=F) prices fell back below $10 a bushel on Tuesday, after news of the US-China trade truce extension. Traders saw this truce as likely delaying major grain-purchasing deals between the two nations until later this year. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. European Union awaits US follow-up on trade deal promises BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union could not say when a joint statement on tariffs with the United States would be ready, nor when the White House would issue an executive order on European car import duties, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The EU and U.S. reached a framework trade agreement at the end of July but only the 15% baseline tariff on European exports had so far come into effect, as of last week. EU officials previously said a joint statement would follow the deal "very soon" along with executive orders from U.S. President Donald Trump on key carve-outs. "It is an agreement that we believe is strong and the best we could have ... Of course, we expect the U.S. to take further steps that are part of this agreement but I don't believe at this stage we can put a timeline on these engagements," the European Commission spokesperson said. Read more here. 'Climate of uncertainty' remains after China-US trade extension Zhou Mi, an expert at the Ministry of Commerce-backed Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told Bloomberg that there remains a "climate of uncertainty" despite the latest 90-day pause on additional tariffs enacted by the US on Monday. The Trump administration 'frequently sends out a range of signals, often through its negotiation tactics and public statements — some of which even contradict each other,' Zhou told Bloomberg. 'This creates a climate of uncertainty that makes businesses and markets increasingly concerned about the stability and outlook for economic and trade policies between China and the US, as well as the US and other countries." Average US tariffs on good imported from China currently sit at 55%. Read more here. Swiss precious metals group wants 'a formal and binding decision' on Trump gold tariff promise Not everyone is fully satisfied with President Donald Trump's social media statement on not putting tariffs on gold after uncertainty in the bullion market in recent days. "President Trump's statement is an encouraging signal for trade stability," Christoph Wild, president of the the the Swiss precious metals association ASFCMP, stated on Tuesday. "However, only a formal and binding decision will provide the certainty the gold sector and its partners require." Read more here. China urges firms not to use Nvidia H20 chips in new guidance China has told local companies to avoid using Nvidia (NVDA) H20 processors, especially for government work. This makes it harder for Nvidia to recover billions in lost sales in China and affects the US government's plan to benefit from those sales. This latest move by China appears to be in response to the deal Nvidia and AMD (AMD) made with the US government over the weekend to pay the US 15% of the revenue for AI-related chip sales to China, adding a monetization layer to the Trump administration's tariff policy that has reoriented global trade relationships. In recent weeks, Chinese officials warned several firms against using these less advanced chips. The strongest advice was to keep J20 processors out of government national security projects, both for state-owned and private companies. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Japan's Nikkei hits record high on tariff relief, tech rally The Nikkei 225 (^N225) hit a record high Tuesday as easing US tariff fears boosted optimism, led by tech stocks and tariff relief. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump reportedly signs order granting another 90-day extension on harshest China tariffs Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Trump says, 'Gold will not be Tariffed!' President Trump posted on social media that gold will not be subject to tariffs after a surprise US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ruling sparked confusion over whether the precious metal faced duties. "A Statement from Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America: Gold will not be Tariffed!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday afternoon. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that CBP classified Swiss one-kilogram and 100-ounce bars of gold as subject to 39% tariffs recently imposed on Switzerland by the Trump administration. Gold futures (GC=F) declined 2.5% early on Monday as investors awaited clarity from the White House over its trade position on the precious metal amid reports that imports of Swiss gold bars would not be exempt from tariffs. Small US firms paying Trump tariffs face $202B annual hit Small US businesses are struggling to comply with President Trump's new tariffs. These companies, which are the source of more than half of the country's job creation are also finding it hard to cope with the growing financial strain from higher import costs. Bloomberg News: Read more here. Trump on China extension: We'll see what happens President Trump said China has been "dealing quite nicely" with the US, a possible hint that his administration is preparing to extend the countries' trade truce past a deadline that expires Tuesday. "We'll see what happens," he said during a White House press conference, adding, "They've been dealing quite nicely." The countries have held multiple rounds of trade talks during the 90-day suspension of sky-high tariffs on each other. Both sides have hailed progress in those talks. An extension into the fall could potentially set up a Trump meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which Trump has suggested could happen before the end of the year. Swiss government to meet pharma firms to discuss US tariffs The Swiss government is due to meet this week with leaders from Swiss pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis, which have faced pressure from President Trump to lower their drug prices in the US. The meeting comes as Switzerland aims to negotiate for a lower tariff rate than the 39% rate the Trump administration imposed last week. And should Trump follow through on pharmaceutical tariffs as well, Roche and Novartis are considered to be more exposed, as they have comparatively fewer US manufacturing sites. From Reuters: Read more here. New gold tariffs are in effect. Will Costco gold bars be affected? Gold (GC=F) has been surging all year, and buying gold bars from Costco is just about the easiest way to get your hands on the precious metal — if you're lucky enough to find them in stock. However, the surprising announcement of additional tariffs on gold bars by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) left many wondering if the duties applied to Costco's gold bars as well. Yahoo Finance's Hal Bundrick reports: Read more here. US consumers to bear brunt of tariff hit: Goldman Goldman Sachs GS) says that President Trump's tariffs are only beginning to raise prices for shoppers, adding more uncertainty to the Treasury market where investors are unsure about how quickly interest rates will be cut. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia, AMD to pay 15% on China AI chip sales in US deal Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) have agreed to give 15% of their revenue from AI chip sales in China to the US government. This deal helps them get export licenses but is an unusual step that might worry both companies and Beijing. Nvidia will share 15% of earnings from its H20 AI accelerator in China, while AMD will do the same for its MI308 chip. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Swiss say tariffs could raise costs for US F-35A jets The original price of the 36 fighter jets Switzerland is buying from the United States could go up by more than $1 billion due to the impacts of tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more from Reuters here. The original price of the 36 fighter jets Switzerland is buying from the United States could go up by more than $1 billion due to the impacts of tariffs. Reuters reports: Read more from Reuters here. AI boom could help manufacturers adapt to global tariff landscape Mark Bendeich of Reuters details how the confluence of supply chain disruption from Trump's tariff policy and the rise of AI software solutions is leading to increased innovation among manufacturers. Richard Howells, SAP vice president and supply chain specialist, emphasized that the uncertainty surrouding Trump's trade policy is driving the technology push. "That's how it was during the financial crisis, Brexit and COVID," Howells stated. "And it's what we're seeing now." Read more here. Mark Bendeich of Reuters details how the confluence of supply chain disruption from Trump's tariff policy and the rise of AI software solutions is leading to increased innovation among manufacturers. Richard Howells, SAP vice president and supply chain specialist, emphasized that the uncertainty surrouding Trump's trade policy is driving the technology push. "That's how it was during the financial crisis, Brexit and COVID," Howells stated. "And it's what we're seeing now." Read more here. GE Appliances to invest over $3B in US, moving from China and Mexico GE Appliances will move production of its refrigerators, gas ranges and water heaters from China and Mexico, investing over $3 billion to expand plans in five US states. AP News reports: Read more here. GE Appliances will move production of its refrigerators, gas ranges and water heaters from China and Mexico, investing over $3 billion to expand plans in five US states. AP News reports: Read more here. Bessent dismisses China investing in US as part of a trade deal Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out Chinese investments as part of a US trade deal. When asked if China would offer a multi-billion dollar pleadges like Japan, South Korea and the EU, Bessent said no. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruled out Chinese investments as part of a US trade deal. When asked if China would offer a multi-billion dollar pleadges like Japan, South Korea and the EU, Bessent said no. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Tariffs bring in record $27.7 billion in July as Trump calls haul 'incredible for our country' Yahoo Finance's Brett LoGiurato and Ben Werschkul report: Yahoo Finance's Brett LoGiurato and Ben Werschkul report: Xi takes aim at US 'protectionism' in phone call with Lula Leaders of the BRICS nations seem to be in talks. Brazilian President Lula spoke with China's leader Xi after meeting with India and Russia. This outreach comes after President Trump pulled Brazil into his trade war. During the call, China's Xi urged for coordinated efforts against US protectionism. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Leaders of the BRICS nations seem to be in talks. Brazilian President Lula spoke with China's leader Xi after meeting with India and Russia. This outreach comes after President Trump pulled Brazil into his trade war. During the call, China's Xi urged for coordinated efforts against US protectionism. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Soybean futures fall after Trump extends trade truce with China Soybean (ZS=F) prices fell back below $10 a bushel on Tuesday, after news of the US-China trade truce extension. Traders saw this truce as likely delaying major grain-purchasing deals between the two nations until later this year. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Soybean (ZS=F) prices fell back below $10 a bushel on Tuesday, after news of the US-China trade truce extension. Traders saw this truce as likely delaying major grain-purchasing deals between the two nations until later this year. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. European Union awaits US follow-up on trade deal promises BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union could not say when a joint statement on tariffs with the United States would be ready, nor when the White House would issue an executive order on European car import duties, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The EU and U.S. reached a framework trade agreement at the end of July but only the 15% baseline tariff on European exports had so far come into effect, as of last week. EU officials previously said a joint statement would follow the deal "very soon" along with executive orders from U.S. President Donald Trump on key carve-outs. "It is an agreement that we believe is strong and the best we could have ... Of course, we expect the U.S. to take further steps that are part of this agreement but I don't believe at this stage we can put a timeline on these engagements," the European Commission spokesperson said. Read more here. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union could not say when a joint statement on tariffs with the United States would be ready, nor when the White House would issue an executive order on European car import duties, a spokesperson said on Tuesday. The EU and U.S. reached a framework trade agreement at the end of July but only the 15% baseline tariff on European exports had so far come into effect, as of last week. EU officials previously said a joint statement would follow the deal "very soon" along with executive orders from U.S. President Donald Trump on key carve-outs. "It is an agreement that we believe is strong and the best we could have ... Of course, we expect the U.S. to take further steps that are part of this agreement but I don't believe at this stage we can put a timeline on these engagements," the European Commission spokesperson said. Read more here. 'Climate of uncertainty' remains after China-US trade extension Zhou Mi, an expert at the Ministry of Commerce-backed Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told Bloomberg that there remains a "climate of uncertainty" despite the latest 90-day pause on additional tariffs enacted by the US on Monday. The Trump administration 'frequently sends out a range of signals, often through its negotiation tactics and public statements — some of which even contradict each other,' Zhou told Bloomberg. 'This creates a climate of uncertainty that makes businesses and markets increasingly concerned about the stability and outlook for economic and trade policies between China and the US, as well as the US and other countries." Average US tariffs on good imported from China currently sit at 55%. Read more here. Zhou Mi, an expert at the Ministry of Commerce-backed Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told Bloomberg that there remains a "climate of uncertainty" despite the latest 90-day pause on additional tariffs enacted by the US on Monday. The Trump administration 'frequently sends out a range of signals, often through its negotiation tactics and public statements — some of which even contradict each other,' Zhou told Bloomberg. 'This creates a climate of uncertainty that makes businesses and markets increasingly concerned about the stability and outlook for economic and trade policies between China and the US, as well as the US and other countries." Average US tariffs on good imported from China currently sit at 55%. Read more here. Swiss precious metals group wants 'a formal and binding decision' on Trump gold tariff promise Not everyone is fully satisfied with President Donald Trump's social media statement on not putting tariffs on gold after uncertainty in the bullion market in recent days. "President Trump's statement is an encouraging signal for trade stability," Christoph Wild, president of the the the Swiss precious metals association ASFCMP, stated on Tuesday. "However, only a formal and binding decision will provide the certainty the gold sector and its partners require." Read more here. Not everyone is fully satisfied with President Donald Trump's social media statement on not putting tariffs on gold after uncertainty in the bullion market in recent days. "President Trump's statement is an encouraging signal for trade stability," Christoph Wild, president of the the the Swiss precious metals association ASFCMP, stated on Tuesday. "However, only a formal and binding decision will provide the certainty the gold sector and its partners require." Read more here. China urges firms not to use Nvidia H20 chips in new guidance China has told local companies to avoid using Nvidia (NVDA) H20 processors, especially for government work. This makes it harder for Nvidia to recover billions in lost sales in China and affects the US government's plan to benefit from those sales. This latest move by China appears to be in response to the deal Nvidia and AMD (AMD) made with the US government over the weekend to pay the US 15% of the revenue for AI-related chip sales to China, adding a monetization layer to the Trump administration's tariff policy that has reoriented global trade relationships. In recent weeks, Chinese officials warned several firms against using these less advanced chips. The strongest advice was to keep J20 processors out of government national security projects, both for state-owned and private companies. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. China has told local companies to avoid using Nvidia (NVDA) H20 processors, especially for government work. This makes it harder for Nvidia to recover billions in lost sales in China and affects the US government's plan to benefit from those sales. This latest move by China appears to be in response to the deal Nvidia and AMD (AMD) made with the US government over the weekend to pay the US 15% of the revenue for AI-related chip sales to China, adding a monetization layer to the Trump administration's tariff policy that has reoriented global trade relationships. In recent weeks, Chinese officials warned several firms against using these less advanced chips. The strongest advice was to keep J20 processors out of government national security projects, both for state-owned and private companies. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Japan's Nikkei hits record high on tariff relief, tech rally The Nikkei 225 (^N225) hit a record high Tuesday as easing US tariff fears boosted optimism, led by tech stocks and tariff relief. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. The Nikkei 225 (^N225) hit a record high Tuesday as easing US tariff fears boosted optimism, led by tech stocks and tariff relief. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Trump reportedly signs order granting another 90-day extension on harshest China tariffs Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Yahoo Finance's Ben Werschkul reports: Read more here. Trump says, 'Gold will not be Tariffed!' President Trump posted on social media that gold will not be subject to tariffs after a surprise US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ruling sparked confusion over whether the precious metal faced duties. "A Statement from Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America: Gold will not be Tariffed!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday afternoon. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that CBP classified Swiss one-kilogram and 100-ounce bars of gold as subject to 39% tariffs recently imposed on Switzerland by the Trump administration. Gold futures (GC=F) declined 2.5% early on Monday as investors awaited clarity from the White House over its trade position on the precious metal amid reports that imports of Swiss gold bars would not be exempt from tariffs. President Trump posted on social media that gold will not be subject to tariffs after a surprise US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) ruling sparked confusion over whether the precious metal faced duties. "A Statement from Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America: Gold will not be Tariffed!" Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday afternoon. On Friday, the Financial Times reported that CBP classified Swiss one-kilogram and 100-ounce bars of gold as subject to 39% tariffs recently imposed on Switzerland by the Trump administration. Gold futures (GC=F) declined 2.5% early on Monday as investors awaited clarity from the White House over its trade position on the precious metal amid reports that imports of Swiss gold bars would not be exempt from tariffs. Small US firms paying Trump tariffs face $202B annual hit Small US businesses are struggling to comply with President Trump's new tariffs. These companies, which are the source of more than half of the country's job creation are also finding it hard to cope with the growing financial strain from higher import costs. Bloomberg News: Read more here. Small US businesses are struggling to comply with President Trump's new tariffs. These companies, which are the source of more than half of the country's job creation are also finding it hard to cope with the growing financial strain from higher import costs. Bloomberg News: Read more here. Trump on China extension: We'll see what happens President Trump said China has been "dealing quite nicely" with the US, a possible hint that his administration is preparing to extend the countries' trade truce past a deadline that expires Tuesday. "We'll see what happens," he said during a White House press conference, adding, "They've been dealing quite nicely." The countries have held multiple rounds of trade talks during the 90-day suspension of sky-high tariffs on each other. Both sides have hailed progress in those talks. An extension into the fall could potentially set up a Trump meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which Trump has suggested could happen before the end of the year. President Trump said China has been "dealing quite nicely" with the US, a possible hint that his administration is preparing to extend the countries' trade truce past a deadline that expires Tuesday. "We'll see what happens," he said during a White House press conference, adding, "They've been dealing quite nicely." The countries have held multiple rounds of trade talks during the 90-day suspension of sky-high tariffs on each other. Both sides have hailed progress in those talks. An extension into the fall could potentially set up a Trump meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which Trump has suggested could happen before the end of the year. Swiss government to meet pharma firms to discuss US tariffs The Swiss government is due to meet this week with leaders from Swiss pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis, which have faced pressure from President Trump to lower their drug prices in the US. The meeting comes as Switzerland aims to negotiate for a lower tariff rate than the 39% rate the Trump administration imposed last week. And should Trump follow through on pharmaceutical tariffs as well, Roche and Novartis are considered to be more exposed, as they have comparatively fewer US manufacturing sites. From Reuters: Read more here. The Swiss government is due to meet this week with leaders from Swiss pharmaceutical companies Roche and Novartis, which have faced pressure from President Trump to lower their drug prices in the US. The meeting comes as Switzerland aims to negotiate for a lower tariff rate than the 39% rate the Trump administration imposed last week. And should Trump follow through on pharmaceutical tariffs as well, Roche and Novartis are considered to be more exposed, as they have comparatively fewer US manufacturing sites. From Reuters: Read more here. New gold tariffs are in effect. Will Costco gold bars be affected? Gold (GC=F) has been surging all year, and buying gold bars from Costco is just about the easiest way to get your hands on the precious metal — if you're lucky enough to find them in stock. However, the surprising announcement of additional tariffs on gold bars by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) left many wondering if the duties applied to Costco's gold bars as well. Yahoo Finance's Hal Bundrick reports: Read more here. Gold (GC=F) has been surging all year, and buying gold bars from Costco is just about the easiest way to get your hands on the precious metal — if you're lucky enough to find them in stock. However, the surprising announcement of additional tariffs on gold bars by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) left many wondering if the duties applied to Costco's gold bars as well. Yahoo Finance's Hal Bundrick reports: Read more here. US consumers to bear brunt of tariff hit: Goldman Goldman Sachs GS) says that President Trump's tariffs are only beginning to raise prices for shoppers, adding more uncertainty to the Treasury market where investors are unsure about how quickly interest rates will be cut. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Goldman Sachs GS) says that President Trump's tariffs are only beginning to raise prices for shoppers, adding more uncertainty to the Treasury market where investors are unsure about how quickly interest rates will be cut. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia, AMD to pay 15% on China AI chip sales in US deal Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) have agreed to give 15% of their revenue from AI chip sales in China to the US government. This deal helps them get export licenses but is an unusual step that might worry both companies and Beijing. Nvidia will share 15% of earnings from its H20 AI accelerator in China, while AMD will do the same for its MI308 chip. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Nvidia (NVDA) and AMD (AMD) have agreed to give 15% of their revenue from AI chip sales in China to the US government. This deal helps them get export licenses but is an unusual step that might worry both companies and Beijing. Nvidia will share 15% of earnings from its H20 AI accelerator in China, while AMD will do the same for its MI308 chip. Bloomberg News reports: Read more here. Sign in to access your portfolio

Healthy Returns: FDA launches program to streamline creation of new U.S. drug manufacturing sites
Healthy Returns: FDA launches program to streamline creation of new U.S. drug manufacturing sites

CNBC

time26 minutes ago

  • CNBC

Healthy Returns: FDA launches program to streamline creation of new U.S. drug manufacturing sites

A new program from the Trump administration aims to make setting up manufacturing plants in the U.S. less of a headache for the pharmaceutical industry. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced a new "PreCheck" program, which will use a two-phase approach to help boost domestic drug manufacturing after it shrunk dramatically over the past two decades. The announcement is a direct response to President Donald Trump's executive order in May calling on the FDA to reduce regulatory hurdles for domestic drug production in the U.S.. That order asked the agency to cut the amount of time it takes to approve new plants by eliminating unnecessary requirements, while also increasing the fees for and inspections of manufacturing facilities abroad. It follows a flurry of plans for new U.S. manufacturing investments from several drugmakers, such as Johnson & Johnson, AbbVie and Eli Lilly, in a bid to build goodwill with Trump. Still, the president could impose tariffs on pharmaceuticals imported into the U.S. any day now — a move that the industry argues could harm innovation and patient access to certain treatments. So, why has Trump made reshoring drug production a key facet of his trade policy? More than half of pharmaceuticals distributed in the U.S. are manufactured overseas, according to a release from the FDA. Only 11% of companies that produce active pharmaceutical ingredients are based in the U.S., while a significant share are in China and India, the agency added. The White House also estimates that it can currently take five to 10 years to build new manufacturing capacity for pharmaceuticals, which it previously called "unacceptable from a national-security standpoint." "Our gradual overreliance on foreign drug manufacturing has created national security risks," FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in the release on Thursday. "The FDA PreCheck initiative is one of many steps FDA is taking that can help reverse America's reliance on foreign drug manufacturing and ensure that Americans have a resilient, strong, and domestic drug supply." Here's how the two phases of the program work: The FDA will host a public meeting on Sept. 30, where it will present on the program and discuss other proposals to "overcome current onshoring challenge," among other issues. Until then, concrete details on the program are sparse. It's unclear what requirements the FDA could eliminate, and how much less time it could take to approve new sites. We'll continue to watch as this program gets finalized and implemented, so stay tuned for our coverage! Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at Like it or not, more and more patients are turning to OpenAI's artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT to answer questions about their health care. And the company is paying attention. OpenAI launched its latest large-scale AI model called GPT-5 last week, and the startup said it's the "best model yet" for health-related queries. The product is designed to proactively flag health concerns, ask relevant questions and generate more precise and reliable responses, the company said in a blog post. "Health care is maybe the area where there's the strongest improvement of any (is this one extra?) of any category," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told CNBC's "Squawk Box" in an interview about GPT-5 on Friday. Altman said health-related questions make up a "huge fraction" of ChatGPT usage. In a post on X, he said he hopes GPT-5's health capabilities will "provide real service to people." OpenAI said GPT-5 scores "significantly higher" than previous models on its health-care AI benchmark called Health Bench. The company released Health Bench in May, and it's designed to measure how well AI models perform in realistic health scenarios. HealthBench was developed alongside 262 doctors from 60 countries. OpenAI said it's based on 5,000 conversations that simulate interactions between individual users or clinicians and AI models. OpenAI is also touting GPT-5 as a helpful tool for medical research. The company released a two-minute-long video with Dr. Derya Unutmaz, a professor and human immunologist, which demonstrates how he has been using the model. Unutmaz said GPT-5 is able to help him brainstorm, interpret data and save him time by predicting outcomes of potential experiments. "I think GPT-5 will help the patients to advocate for themselves, and I think that will empower the patients to feel more confident when they talk to their doctors," Unutmaz said in the video. Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at

US sanctions Congo militias, Hong Kong exporters over smuggled minerals
US sanctions Congo militias, Hong Kong exporters over smuggled minerals

Business Insider

time28 minutes ago

  • Business Insider

US sanctions Congo militias, Hong Kong exporters over smuggled minerals

The United States has sanctioned an armed group aligned with Congo's military, a Congolese mining company, and two Hong Kong-based exporters over alleged links to violence and illegal mining. The United States imposed sanctions on groups and companies linked to violence and illegal mining in Congo. These actions target the exploitation of conflict minerals in the region. Sanctioned entities include PARECO-FF, a Congolese miner, and Hong Kong-based exporters. The United States has sanctioned an armed group aligned with Congo's military, a Congolese mining company, and two Hong Kong-based exporters over alleged links to violence and illegal mining. Officials described the action as part of efforts to curb the exploitation of conflict minerals in the region. The measures are the latest by President Donald Trump's administration to push for peace in eastern Congo, where Rwanda-backed M23 rebels launched a rapid offensive earlier this year, triggering violence that has killed thousands. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced penalties against PARECO-FF, a successor to an armed faction accused of 'destabilising activities' in the DRC. According to the Treasury, the group has carried out forced labour and civilian executions in mining areas under its control. Sanctions entities The sanctions, which bar trade with U.S. entities and individuals, also target Congolese miner Cooperative des Artisanaux Miniers du Congo (CDMC). The U.S. Treasury said the company sold critical minerals smuggled from areas controlled by the PARECO-FF armed group. Hong Kong-based exporters East Rise Corporation Limited and Star Dragon Corporation Limited were also sanctioned for allegedly purchasing those minerals. The sanctions focus on activities in Rubaya, a mineral-rich area in eastern Congo that is one of the world's largest sources of tantalum ore, a critical material used in electronics.

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