ESTABLISHED 2024 A CIVIC RECORD — CONFIRMED ACTIONS, CONFIRMED FACTS May 17, 2026

Memorandum on China's Intellectual Property, Innovation, and Technology Practices

On August 14, 2017, President Trump signed Memorandum 2017-17528 directing the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate Chinese intellectual property practices, including trade secret theft, forced technology transfer, and discriminatory licensing. The memorandum instructed the USTR to determine if these practices violated U.S. trade law and to recommend potential actions, which led to Section 301 investigations and tariffs on Chinese goods beginning in 2018.