Trump Announces ‘America First’ Investment Policies

Trump Announces ‘America First’ Investment Policies 

The Trump Administration recently signed an ‘America First Investment Policy’ intended to maintain the strong, open investment environment that benefits the U.S. economy while enhancing the U.S. abilities to protect from new and evolving threats that can accompany foreign investment. The new policy will allow for increased foreign investment subject to appropriate security provisions, including requirements that the specified foreign investors avoid partnering with United States foreign adversaries.   

The policy calls for working with Congress to strengthen Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) authorities to protect from malign foreign interests, including restricting People’s Republic of China (PRC) and PRC-affiliated persons from investing in United States technology, critical infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, raw materials, or other strategic sectors.  The new executive order also creates expedited environmental reviews for foreign investments over $1 billion.   

The order also calls for a review of “restrictions on United States outbound investment in the PRC in sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, quantum, biotechnology, hypersonics, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, directed energy, and other areas implicated by the PRC’s national Military-Civil Fusion strategy.”   

Covered sectors will be reviewed and updated regularly, including by the Office of Science and Technology Policy.  As part of the review, the Administration notes it intends to consider applying restrictions on investment types including private equity, venture capital, greenfield investments, corporate expansions, and investments in publicly traded securities, from sources including pension funds, university endowments, and other limited-partner investors.  

To read the full Executive Order, visit:  https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/america-first-investment-policy/