Economic Warfare & Trade Policy

Tariffs, sanctions, export controls and supply-chain leverage are now central tools of statecraft. This section tracks how governments use economic power, what official data show, and what the evidence says about results.

Investigations · Data · Explainers

How governments use tariffs, sanctions, export controls, subsidies, energy supplies, critical minerals and market access to pursue strategic goals, and what the evidence says about whether it works.

Key numbers

-16.3%Change in U.S. goods imports from China, Jan. to Aug. 2026 vs. 2025Census Verified fact
$144.6BCustoms duties refunded in fiscal 2026, largely after the IEEPA rulingTreasury MTS Verified fact
$114.16Brent crude, monthly average, Sep. 2026EIA Verified fact
6,640OFAC SDN entries under Russia-related programsOFAC via CSL Verified fact
3,419Entries on the Commerce Entity ListBIS via CSL Verified fact

Data as of Oct. 22, 2026. Full definitions, units and sources are on the data dashboard.

Sections

Latest developments

Timeline: key measures since 2022

Major tariff, sanctions, export-control and critical-mineral measures, newest first. Use the buttons to filter by instrument.

  1. Scheduled

    U.S.-China arrangement on tariffs and export-control suspensions due to expire, as extended in September. Tariffs · Export controls (China Prospect)

  2. Scheduled

    EU ban on Russian LNG under long-term contracts scheduled to start. Sanctions · Energy (European Commission)

  3. Scheduled

    Suspension of China's U.S.-specific gallium, germanium and antimony ban due to end unless extended. Export controls · Critical minerals (China Prospect)

  4. Scheduled

    BIS Affiliates Rule (50% ownership rule) set to return unless BIS publishes a further suspension. Export controls (Federal Register)

  5. U.S. waives tariffs and most sanctions in the Graham Act on buyers of Russian oil. Sanctions · Energy (The Boston Report)

  6. EU adds about 1,569 listings tied to Russia's military industry. Sanctions (The Boston Report)

  7. OFAC General License 135 authorizes imports of Russian-origin diesel for 180 days. Sanctions · Energy (The Boston Report)

  8. Court of International Trade certifies a class of importers seeking IEEPA refunds. Tariffs (Troutman Pepper Locke)

  9. U.S. import bans on some Canadian alcohol, dairy and motorcycle products take effect. Tariffs (The Boston Report)

  10. China's commerce ministry says the U.S.-China arrangement is extended to Jan. 10, 2027. Tariffs · Export controls (China Prospect)

  11. Section 301 forced-labor tariffs of 10% or 12.5% start on goods from 60 economies as the Section 122 surcharge expires. Tariffs (USTR; Federal Register)

  12. EU 21st package freezes the Russian crude price cap at $44.10 until July 2027. Sanctions · Energy (European Commission)

  13. Court of International Trade rules the Section 122 surcharge unlawful; judgment later stayed on appeal. Tariffs (Troutman Pepper Locke)

  14. EU ban on Russian LNG under short-term contracts takes effect. Sanctions · Energy (CREA)

  15. 10% global Section 122 surcharge begins, for a maximum of 150 days. Tariffs (Troutman Pepper Locke)

  16. Supreme Court holds the IEEPA tariffs unlawful. Tariffs (Congressional Research Service; Troutman Pepper Locke)

  17. EU price cap on Russian crude falls to $44.10 a barrel. Sanctions · Energy (European Commission)

  18. EU ban on oil products refined from Russian crude takes effect. Sanctions · Energy (CREA)

  19. BIS moves Nvidia H200-class chip exports to China to case-by-case review, with conditions. Export controls (Federal Register)

  20. BIS suspends the Affiliates Rule for one year; China suspends its October 2025 export-control expansion. Export controls · Critical minerals (Federal Register; China Prospect)

  21. U.S. Treasury sanctions Rosneft and Lukoil, following the UK on Oct. 15. Sanctions · Energy (Brookings)

  22. China expands rare-earth controls to foreign-made goods and rare-earth technology. Export controls · Critical minerals (China Prospect)

  23. BIS publishes the Affiliates Rule extending Entity List limits to firms 50% owned by listed parties. Export controls (Federal Register)

  24. EU price cap on Russian crude drops from $60 to $47.60 under a new dynamic mechanism. Sanctions · Energy (European Commission)

  25. China requires licenses for seven medium and heavy rare earths. Export controls · Critical minerals (China Prospect)

  26. China adds tungsten, tellurium, bismuth, molybdenum and indium items to export licensing. Export controls · Critical minerals (China Prospect)

  27. IEEPA tariffs begin in February 2025, later extended to goods from nearly every country. Tariffs (Troutman Pepper Locke)

  28. China bans dual-use exports to U.S. military end users and sets a U.S.-specific ban on gallium, germanium and antimony. Export controls · Critical minerals (China Prospect; U.S. Geological Survey)

  29. U.S. license requirement for advanced computing items for entities headquartered in China or Macau takes effect. Export controls (BIS)

  30. G7 and EU price cap of $60 a barrel on seaborne Russian crude takes effect. Sanctions · Energy (European Commission)

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