Steptoe Policy Perspectives | Issue 6
Steptoe LLP
World-class legal advice at the intersection of business, regulation, policy, and the courts.
President Donald Trump's second term is building on the principles he championed during his initial tenure, including reducing federal regulations and effecting significant policy, tax, and trade changes. Shifts in the regulatory and business landscape are coming rapidly through executive orders, with the potential for considerable implications across all industries.
Through webinars, client alerts, and other thought leadership, Steptoe's bipartisan team of lawyers and government affairs advisors is providing informed and timely insights on policy developments impacting international relations, trade, tax, energy, congressional investigations, insurance, and more.
Following are the most recent insights from our team, including critical perspectives on current developments in the new administration.
Updates to Tariffs on Canada and Mexico
Authors: Katherine Shin Eric Emerson Zhu (Judy) Wang
The last six weeks have witnessed a roller-coaster of developments regarding the tariffs imposed on imports from Canada and Mexico. As of last week, this policy appears to have come to a rest, at least through April 2, 2025, with a large portion – though not all – products from Canada and Mexico exempt from the additional tariffs imposed by President Trump. In this post, we discuss the background of the tariffs and this exemption, what this means for importers, and a review of current retaliation measures being taken by Canada and Mexico.
Update: Court Expands Injunction Scope in Anti-DEI Executive Orders Case
On March 10, 2025, Judge Adam B. Abelson of the US District Court for the District of Maryland issued a clarified preliminary injunction to address the question of whether the previous injunction applied to entities beyond the defendants named in the lawsuit.?
Following the court’s original February 21, 2025, injunction, the plaintiffs sought clarification on whether the order enjoined only the named defendants (President Trump in his official capacity; the Office of Management and Budget; the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, Education, Labor, Interior, Commerce, Agriculture, Energy, and Transportation along with ?their respective heads in their official capacities; and the National Science Foundation), or if it also extended to other ?federal executive agencies, departments, and commissions (and their subdivisions, agents, and officers) not expressly named in the case.
Webinar | AI, Data & Digital Roundtable
Speakers: Tyler Evans Anne-Gabrielle HAIE Claire Rajan
Please join us on Wednesday, March 26, for the next installment of our AI, Data & Digital Roundtable series focused on recent developments, evolving issues, and trends in AI, data, and digital law and policy.?
In this installment, we will examine how government authorities are leveraging AI for investigations and enforcement, as well as other uses of AI in government functions. We will discuss the changes in recent US Executive Branch policies on AI and what these changes mean for corporate compliance programs seeking to manage AI risk. Finally, we will review recent developments in this space, including with respect to US Fourth Amendment issues and state law considerations, as well as EU AI Act.?