REGULATORY RUNDOWN | April 14-28

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The Regulatory Rundown: April 14-28, 2025

CBP acts on elimination of tariff exemption. On April 24, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) posted a notice implementing President Trump’s executive action eliminating the tariff exemption for low-value Chinese imports. Trump signed an executive order eliminating duty-free de minimis treatment for low-value imports from China on April 2. 

SBA heightens lending criteria. On April 22, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the elimination of various Biden-era policies that the agency says “dramatically reduced underwriting standards within the 7(a) loan program.” As part of this elimination, SBA announced the new SOP 50.10.8, which rejects the “Do What You Do” underwriting standard adopted by the Biden administration and reverts lending criteria “to the heightened pre-Biden standards.” 

SBA highlights “major surge” in manufacturing loans. On April 17, SBA announced a surge in manufacturing loans during the first 90 days of the Trump administration, citing an increase of 74percent compared to the same period during the Biden administration. According to the agency, “SBA has approved over 1,120 7(a) loans for manufacturers with a total loan volume of $677 million” since Jan. 20. 

FTC launches public inquiry into anti-competitive regs. On April 14, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a public inquiry into the impact of federal regulations on competition, “with the goal of identifying and reducing anticompetitive barriers.” The inquiry, which “invites members of the public to comment on how federal regulations can harm competition in the American economy,” was launched in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Reducing Anticompetitive Regulatory Barriers.  

USPTO announces new group to mitigate threats to patents. On April 16, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) announced the creation of a new group “to expand the agency’s efforts to mitigate threats and protect the integrity of the U.S. patent system.” The working group will focus on actions including (but not limited to) addressing “erroneous micro entity and small entity fee certifications and assertions.” 

The EOs you need to know. Here’s an overview of recent executive actions you may have missed: 

• On April 23, President Trump signed an executive order directing the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Commerce “to review all federal workforce programs to modernize, integrate, and re-align programs to address critical workforce needs in emerging industries.” 

• On April 23, Trump also signed an executive order establishing a White House Task Force on AI Education, which will “establish public-private partnerships to provide resources for K-12 AI education.” 

• On April 15, Trump signed an executive order directing his administration “to simplify and streamline” the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) such that it will contain “only provisions required by statute or essential to efficient, secure, and cost-effective procurement.” NSBA is closely monitoring and engaging on this initiative to ensure that small business procurement programs are not only protected, but strengthened, as well.