Maximum Pressure Sanctions on Illicit Traders of Iranian Oil and Petrochemical Products - U.S. Department of State

The Department of State, today (4/30/25), is sanctioning seven entities engaged in the trade of Iranian petroleum products and petrochemical products and is identifying two vessels as blocked property. The President is committed to driving Iran’s illicit oil and petrochemical exports — including exports to China — to zero under his maximum pressure campaign.

This action designates four sellers and one purchaser of Iranian petrochemicals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Additionally, the Department of State is sanctioning one marine management company that has played a key role in the Iranian crude energy supply chain that transports millions of barrels of Iranian petroleum products, and an Iran-based cargo inspection company.

Two vessels managed by this marine management company are also being identified as blocked property.

So long as Iran attempts to generate oil and petrochemical revenues to fund its destabilizing activities, and support its terrorist activities and proxies, the United States will take steps to hold both Iran and all its partners engaged in sanctions evasion accountable.

All targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13846, which authorizes and reimposes certain sanctions with respect to Iran, and in furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum 2. 
 

Federal Register Notices:

• Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products, Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews, and Intent To Revoke the Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, in Part
• Certain High Chrome Cast Iron Grinding Media From India: Final Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination
• Sales at Less Than Fair Value; Determinations, Investigations, etc.: Certain High Chrome Cast Iron Grinding Media From India: Final Affirmative Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Urine Splash Guards and Components Thereof; Notice of the Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial Determination Terminating a Respondent Based on Settlement and an Initial Determination Amending the Notice of Investigation and Terminating a Respondent Based on Settlement
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain Video Capable Electronic Devices, Including Computers, Streaming Devices, Televisions, and Components and Modules Thereof; Notice of a Commission Determination To Grant a Joint Motion To Terminate the Investigation in Its Entirety Based on Settlement; Termination of the Investigation
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Advance Notification of Sunset Review
• Certain Steel Nails From the People's Republic of China: Continuation of Antidumping Duty Order
• Fresh Tomatoes From Mexico: Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With the Final Determination of Antidumping Duty Investigation; Notice of Amended Final Determination
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Ceramic Tile From China; Institution of Five-Year Reviews
• Quartz Surface Products From India and Turkey; Institution of Five-Year Reviews
• Certain Passive Optical Network Equipment; Notice of the Commission's Final Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337; Termination of the Investigation
• Disposable Aluminum Containers, Pans, Trays, and Lids From China
• Silicon Metal From Russia; Institution of a Five-Year Review
• Carbon and Certain Alloy Steel Wire Rod From China; Institution of Five-Year Reviews
• Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews: Notice of Scope Ruling Applications Filed in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Proceedings
• Investigations; Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Large Diameter Welded Pipe From Canada, China, Greece, India, South Korea, and Turkey
• Certain Computing Devices Utilizing Indexed Search Systems and Components Thereof; Notice of Commission Determination To Review in Part and, on Review, Affirm a Final Initial Determination Finding No Violation of Section 337; Termination of Investigation
   

Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers - The White House

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Purpose.  America’s truck drivers are essential to the strength of our economy, the security of our Nation, and the livelihoods of the American people.  Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently.

Proficiency in English, which I designated as our official national language in Executive Order 14224 of March 1, 2025 (Designating English as the Official Language of the United States), should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers.  They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers.  Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English.  This is common sense.

That is why Federal law requires that, to operate a commercial vehicle, a driver must “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.”  Yet this requirement has not been enforced in years, and America’s roadways have become less safe.

My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in our national language, English.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers.  This order will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.

Sec. 3.  Upholding English Proficiency Requirements for Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators.  (a)  The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), shall, within 60 days of the date of this order, rescind the guidance document titled, “English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy MC-ECE-2016-006,” issued on June 15, 2016, and issue new guidance to FMCSA and enforcement personnel outlining revised inspection procedures necessary to ensure compliance with the requirements of 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2).

     (b)  In carrying out subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of Transportation, through the Administrator of the FMCSA, shall take all necessary and appropriate actions, consistent with applicable law, to ensure that the out-of-service criteria are revised such that a violation of the English language proficiency requirement results in the driver being placed out-of-service, including by working with the relevant entities responsible for establishing the out-of-service criteria.

Sec. 4. Strengthening Commercial Driver’s License Security for Safer Commercial Motor Vehicle Operations.  The Secretary of Transportation, through the Administrator of the FMCSA, shall:

(a)  review non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by relevant State agencies to identify any unusual patterns or numbers or other irregularities with respect to non-domiciled CDL issuance; and

(b)  evaluate and take appropriate actions to improve the effectiveness of current protocols for verifying the authenticity and validity of both domestic and international commercial driving credentials.

Sec. 5.  Supporting America’s Truck Drivers.  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Transportation shall identify and begin carrying out additional administrative, regulatory, or enforcement actions to improve the working conditions of America’s truck drivers.

Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.  

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  The Department of Transportation shall provide funding for this order’s publication in the Federal Register.

                              DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,

    April 28, 2025
 

USITC says Epoxy Resins from South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand Injure U.S. Industry, and Terminates Investigations of Epoxy Resins from China and India - U.S. International Trade Commission

The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission or USITC) today determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of imports of epoxy resins from South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the governments of South Korea and Taiwan. 

The Commission further found that the imports of these products from China and India that Commerce has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value and subsidized by the governments of China and India are negligible, and voted to terminate the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations concerning China and India.

Chair Amy Karpel and Commissioners David S. Johanson and Jason E. Kearns voted in the affirmative with respect to South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.  They made findings of negligibility with respect to the antidumping duty and countervailing duty investigations involving China and India.

As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations for South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, Commerce will issue antidumping duty orders on imports of this product from South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand, and countervailing duty orders on imports of this product from South Korea and Taiwan. As a result of the Commission’s findings of negligibility, the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations regarding imports of this product from China and India will be terminated.

The Commission’s public report of Epoxy Resins from China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-716-719 and 731-TA-1683-1687 (Final), USITC Publication 5619, May 2025) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the investigations.

The report will be available by June 9, 2025; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website.

Status of proceedings, links to relevant documents, and more information about these investigations can be found at the Commission’s Investigations Database System (IDS).
 

United States and Mexico Reach Agreement to Resume Eradication Efforts on New World Screwworm - U.S. Food & Drug Administration

(Washington, D.C., April 30, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced today that Mexico has committed to eliminate restrictions on USDA aircraft, and waive customs duties on eradication equipment aiding in the response to the spread of New World Screwworm (NWS). Due to this agreement the ports will remain open to livestock imports, however if at any time these terms are not upheld, port closure will be revisited. This agreement follows Secretary Rollins’ letter to Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Julio Antonio Berdegue Sacristan on Saturday pushing for a resolution of the restrictions.

“I am happy to share Mexico has continued to partner in emergency efforts to eradicate the New World Screwworm. This pest is a devastating threat to both of our economies, and I am pleased to work together with Mexico in good faith to protect the livelihoods of our ranchers and producers who would have been hurt by this pest,” said Secretary Rollins. “At USDA we are working every day to keep pests and disease from harming our agricultural industry. I thank our frontline USDA staff and their counterparts in Mexico for their work to ensure the screwworm does not harm our livestock industry.”

New World Screwworm (NWS) is a deadly parasitic fly that infests warm-blooded animals, causing severe wounds and complications that can lead to death.
 

HHS, FDA to Phase Out Petroleum-Based Synthetic Dyes in Nation’s Food Supply - U.S. Food & Drug Administration

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a series of new measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply—a significant milestone in the administration’s broader initiative to Make America Healthy Again.

The FDA is taking the following actions:

1. Establishing a national standard and timeline for the food industry to transition from petrochemical-based dyes to natural alternatives.
2. Initiating the process to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings—Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B—within the coming months.
3. Working with industry to eliminate six remaining synthetic dyes—FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2—from the food supply by the end of next year.
4. Authorizing four new natural color additives in the coming weeks, while also accelerating the review and approval of others.
5. Partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct comprehensive research on how food additives impact children’s health and development.
6. Requesting food companies to remove FD&C Red No. 3 sooner than the 2027-2028 deadline previously required.

“For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent,” said HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. “These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development. That era is coming to an end. We’re restoring gold-standard science, applying common sense, and beginning to earn back the public’s trust. And we’re doing it by working with industry to get these toxic dyes out of the foods our families eat every day.”

The FDA is fast-tracking the review of calcium phosphate, Galdieria extract blue, gardenia blue, butterfly pea flower extract, and other natural alternatives to synthetic food dyes. The agency is also taking steps to issue guidance and provide regulatory flexibilities to industries.

“Today, the FDA is asking food companies to substitute petrochemical dyes with natural ingredients for American children as they already do in Europe and Canada,” said FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH. “We have a new epidemic of childhood diabetes, obesity, depression, and ADHD. Given the growing concerns of doctors and parents about the potential role of petroleum-based food dyes, we should not be taking risks and do everything possible to safeguard the health of our children.”

In partnership with the NIH Nutrition Regulatory Science and Research Program, the FDA will enhance nutrition and food-related research to better inform regulatory decisions. This collaboration will strengthen the FDA’s ability to develop evidence-based food policies, support a healthier America, and advance the priorities of the Make America Healthy Again Commission.
 

Think that Text Message is from USPS? It Could be a Scam - Federal Trade Commission

Have you ever gotten a text message about a package coming via the United States Postal Service? Maybe it confirmed your order, said a package is out for delivery, or said there’s a problem like unpaid postage, a missed delivery, or you need to update your shipping preferences. That text message will say to click a link to learn more or fix the problem. But there’s a good chance that text message that says it’s from USPS (or FedEx…or DHL…) is really from a scammer.

Scammers want you to click the link in their message. What happens next is the scam: the click takes you to a look-alike of a real website where they’ll tell you to enter personal or financial information. If you pay, that money — along with your credit card number, name, address, and anything else you entered — will go straight to the scammer.

To avoid this scam:

• Verify delivery information independently. If you think a text is about a real delivery, don’t give information or click on any links in the message. Instead, go to the online retail site or account you ordered your item from to look up the shipping and tracking information for your package.
   
• Use filters. See what options your mobile phone has to filter and block texts from unknown senders.
   
• Report unwanted text messages and scams on the messaging app you use. See if your phone has an option to report junk or spam. If not, forward the message to 7726.

Check out these resources to help you weed out spam text messages, phishing emails, and unwanted calls. Spotted a scam? Tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.