The latest on executive actions: What businesses need to know
Since January 20, the Office of the President and the broader executive branch have been swift in their efforts to remake the federal government and its bureaucratic infrastructure.
A significant number of executive actions are being met with legal challenges, and to ensure the Chamber members are up to date on current actions, we’re providing additional information on the items most likely to impact the business community.
The current actions taken by the Trump administration are broken into four categories:
- Executive Actions Impacting Business (excluding tariffs)
- Tariffs
- Federal Funding Freeze
- Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
Executive Actions impacting business
The Trump administration quickly signed a number of executive orders including a freeze on new federal rules; establishing the Department of Government Efficiency; a number of tariff-related orders; a directive to every department and agency to find cost savings for American families; a hiring freeze on all federal agencies except for the Departement of Defense (DoD), immigration and law enforcement; eliminating DEI practices in the Federal government and contractors; and energy deregulation.
The orders have faced varied resistance from impacted parties and many face legal challenges still progressing through the courts.
Find a detailed breakdown through February 5 of the most recent executive actions signed by President Trump.
Tariffs
In 2024, U.S. total goods traded with Canada were an estimated $762.1 billion, while goods traded with Mexico were an estimated $839.9 billion. Mexico and Canada are the two largest individual trading partners with the United States, supporting 13 million American jobs.
The enacted and proposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico alone represent a threat to more than 500,000 American jobs, and overall reduction in GDP by 0.4%.
In addition, the administration has enacted or proposed multiple product-specific tariffs impacting the following goods:
- Agricultural products
- Lumber
- Steel and aluminum
- Automobiles and auto parts
- Copper
- Semiconductors and pharmaceuticals
Federal funding freeze
President Trump issued and then rescinded a memo from the Office of Management and Budget ordering a freeze on thousands of federal programs. Since the rescission, the administration has continued to pursue the freeze of congressionally approved funds while the issue works through the courts. During the week of March 24, a federal judge declined to pause the existing stay on the freeze. The issue is likely to make it to the Supreme Court before businesses and nonprofits have certainty.
Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)
The President signed an executive order on February 11, creating the new Department of Government Efficiency, meant to address waste and fraud within the federal government bureaucracy.
Led by Elon Musk, this initiative has driven cuts across 22 departments and agencies. To date, DOGE claims to have made approximately $130 billion in cuts across the federal government including approximately $54 billion in grants and federal contracts.