US ECONOMICS

CHINA

EUA. CHINA. REUTERS. 1 DE MAIO DE 2020. Wall Street cai com nova ameaça tarifária alimentando incertezas
Por Stephen Culp

NOVA YORK, 1 Maio (Reuters) - Wall Street sofreu queda acentuada nesta sexta-feira após o presidente Donald Trump reviver uma ameaça de novastarifas contra a China em resposta à pandemia do Covid-19que freou as economias globais. 

Os três principais índices de ações dos EUA fecharam com queda bem acima de 2% e, na semana, todos perderam terreno.    O mês de maio costuma ser marcado por vendas e este foi o caso no primeiro dia do mês, com o nervosismo aumentando à medida que alguns Estados dos EUA começam a diminuir desligamentos por coronavírus. 

“Os mercados tiveram um mês de abril muito forte à medida que olharam para além do vale da fraqueza econômica para um ponto em que o estímulo reacenderá o crescimento econômico”, disse David Carter, chefe de investimentos da Lenox Wealth Advisors em Nova York. “Mas pode ser um vale mais longo e mais profundo do que muitos esperavam.” 

De fato, as ações tiveram uma corrida notável em abril, com a S&P 500 e o Dow marcando as maiores altas mensais em 33 anos. 

Trump disse que seu governo estava elaborando medidas retaliatórias contra a China como punição pelo surto de coronavírus, mais uma vez provocando temores tarifários que abalaram os mercados nos últimos dois anos.

Trump culpou a China por o que ele diz ser “desinformação” quando o vírus surgiu na cidade chinesa de Wuhan e depois se espalhou rapidamente pelo mundo.   

“Trump cutucando a China foi a última coisa que os mercados precisavam considerando a presente incerteza econômica e financeira”, acrescentou Carter.

Uma série de balanços com resultados mistos, particularmente um relatório decepcionante da Amazon.com, juntamente a uma nova rodada de dados econômicos desanimadores, também pesavam no sentimento. 

A atividade manufatureira dos EUA caiu para uma baixa de 11 anos no mês passado, com fábricas fechadas, de acordo comÍndice de gerentes de compras do Institute for Supply Management. 

O Dow Jones caiu 2,55%, para 23.723,69 pontos, o S&P 500 perdeu 2,81%, a 2.830,71, e o Nasdaq Composite caiu 3,2%, 8.604,95.

CORONAVIRUS

U.S. Department of State. 05/01/2020. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Buck Sexton of The Buck Sexton Show. Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Via Teleconference

QUESTION: All right, as promised, we have the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with us right now. Mr. Secretary, thank you so much.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Buck, it’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me on.

QUESTION: A lot going on right now. China obviously the big focus from the international relations standpoint. There’s a piece in The Washington Post that says, “China wasn’t wild about Pompeo before the virus. It’s really gunning for him now.” And then it seems to list a bunch of state media propaganda directed at you as if you’ve somehow upset them. Mr. Secretary, what have you done to get the ire of the Chinese Communist Party?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Buck, what we’ve tried to do, what Trump administration has tried to do is just very simple: We’ve tried to get China to deal with us in a way that is fair and reciprocal. We saw it most clearly at the front of the administration on trade, but we’ve done the same thing diplomatically, the same thing militarily, and then we’ve had this moment, this moment where this virus began in Wuhan, China. And in spite of President Trump’s best efforts, my best efforts, we’ve not been able to get our experts in to figure out what actually happened here.

We have – we of course have two goals in that, right, Buck. We have the goal of figuring out what happened here, how did this go down, why did it get out, how did it spread all throughout the world, causing now more than 50,000 losses of life in America, a couple hundred thousand all across the world. But – so we need responsibility and accountability for this outbreak, but it’s really important, Buck, we have to understand what happened to make sure something like this can’t happen again. And so there are multiple labs inside of China and our understanding of what takes place there is pretty limited, and there have been examples of leaks from those labs before, and we’ve got to – this has been expensive, costly, a calamity around the world. And we need to do our part and there is responsibility on the part of the Chinese Communist Party to make sure something like this can never happen again.

I don’t know as to why they keep saying these things about me. This isn’t personal. This is about protecting the American people and we’ll keep doing it.

QUESTION: And what is the response you get from your Chinese counterparts in the Foreign Ministry when you say we just want greater access and transparency about something that is obviously affecting the United States and the whole world? Do they have a reason, a rationale for why we shouldn’t get the access that we want?

SECRETARY POMPEO: You’ve seen the statements they have made publicly. They’ve claimed that they have been transparent, but of course, at least as of a day or two ago, we still didn’t actually have a sample of the virus. We were still working to try to understand what the scope of the risk was. Answers about where this came from – they claimed they didn’t know, and then in fact those inside of China who have tried to talk about this, some of the people who have reported on it or those who have – doctors who tried to talk about this back in January or earlier this year – were denied access, were told don’t talk about that, stop it. They banned discussions of this early on.

That’s not the way partners work, reliable partners work. Reliable partners share. They open up, especially when there’s trouble. They go overboard to make sure everybody can understand how it came to be. That’s all we’ve asked for. We hope that the Chinese Communist Party will see their way clear to allow the world to understand how the heck this virus got out of Wuhan, China and spread all across the world.

QUESTION: We’re speaking to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Secretary, I want to ask you: What about accountability? There’s already been some discussion of possible lawsuits against the Chinese Communist Party. How that goes, how far they go remains to be seen, but down the line, could you foresee a situation where, if in fact it is proven that China acted irresponsibly to cover this up, once we’ve gotten past obviously the most important thing right now, dealing with the virus, will there be accountability for the Chinese Communist Party?

SECRETARY POMPEO: We – Buck, we’ve been focused on the here and now, trying to keep Americans safe and healthy as best we can and to get this economy cranked back up again so people can get back to work, get out of their places that they’re sheltering today. So that’s been the predominant mission set we’ve had with respect to the virus, but there will come a time when we need to make sure that we understand what happened here and those responsible – those who took actions that prevented earlier notice, those who took actions that allowed this virus to spread – we’ve seen the narrative which is that this virus began and the Chinese Communist Party knew about it, didn’t alert the world to it in a timely fashion. The President’s talked about this. As we continue to investigate and we learn precisely what happened – I am confident that the whole world wants to know the answer to this because the world has a right to know what happened and then ultimately hold those persons or those nations who engaged in this activity that harmed the world – to find a mechanism to hold them accountable.

As you said, there’ve already been some lawsuits filed in the United States. I don’t know what precisely the right mechanism is and what the President will ultimately choose, but we will present him a set of options once we know all the facts that hold those persons responsible for this accountable.

QUESTION: And in Hong Kong, there’s been an additional crackdown from the Chinese Government. I know that’s gotten some focus from you recently. Are they essentially trying to use the shroud of everyone dealing with this virus to get away with more repressive measures, and what can the U.S. – we have our hands full, obviously, with the virus, but to the degree that we can, are we able to push back a bit on the crackdown in Hong Kong?

SECRETARY POMPEO: We’ve made clear since early last year when we first started to see some of this activity in Hong Kong that our ask of the Chinese Communist Party was the same one that we make with respect to this virus: Show us what you’re doing. You made a set of promises back in 1947. You made a set of promises about one country and two systems. Live up to those international commitments. If you do those things, Hong Kong can continue to be the thriving place that those who’ve had a chance to travel there know. It’s a big financial hub. It’s a place that has a different system inside of China, but they have obligations. They have duties, promises not that we made or not that the British made, but that the Chinese Communist Party made, and we ask them to live up to them. That’s what I said last week when we saw some of the actions that they were taking or at least contemplating taking, and it’s what we continue to try and hold them accountable for. They have to live up to their international commitments. The world is watching these things and it’s not hard to do. They ought to just simply do it.

QUESTION: We’re speaking with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Secretary, you and Senator Elizabeth Warren – former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren – you had a bit of an exchange on Twitter. You told her that she “should review the law again – our rights under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 are separate from the JCPOA. But I’ll put you down for Chinese arms sales to Iran on October 18th. Which weapons is it okay with you if they send? A couple of divisions of VT-4 tanks good?”

Mr. Secretary, just tell me this: What is this dispute about and what are you saying and what is Elizabeth Warren’s position?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, President Trump came in knowing that the Iran nuclear deal was a disaster and got out of it in May of 2018. One of the reasons it was such a wreck was that most of the major provisions weren’t permanent. They began to expire. The first of such provisions expires in October of this year, just – Buck, just a handful of months away. Excuse me. So we’re going to use every tool we have in our diplomatic kit bag to ensure that come October of this year the Chinese can’t sell tanks, the Russians can’t sell armaments. All conventional arms sales that this provision prohibits today will expire and they’ll be – the world’s largest state sponsor of terror in Iran will be able to purchase those weapon systems.

And so we had a little bit of fun, but when Senator Warren said goodness gracious, you can’t use the JCPOA – we’re not doing that. The United States has an unambiguous right at the UN Security Council to keep these restrictions in place, and President Trump has made clear we’re going to make sure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon and we’re going to deny them access to weapon systems to the maximum extent feasible.

QUESTION: I think given all the tough these days for – Secretary, before we let you go, I just wanted to ask: What are some of the things that are going on at the international level when it comes to our allies and partners trying to help us deal with this, whether it’s information sharing between scientists, between doctors and medical researchers around the world? Just is there anything you can speak to with regard to how our allies are coming through for us?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Buck, that’s a great question. We have had some friends do some great things. First, we had tens of thousands of Americans stranded all across the world. Some of our friends have been fantastic in helping the State Department get now over 75,000 people back who had travel plans or they were on a mission trip and got stuck overseas and planes stopped moving, and we were able to get them home. So that’s been heartening to watch these other countries help us do that as well in difficult conditions with the virus.

But as for the work being done on the virus itself, there is a global campaign of countries that have really talented epidemiologists, scientists, people who know chemistry working to find therapeutics and vaccines. You see the list of all of those that are in process. I’m very confident that we will find a good answer before too long and it will be a global solution, one that I know America will play a significant part in moving forward.

QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, always appreciate your time, sir. Thanks again.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Buck, thank you, sir. Have a good day.

U.S. Department of State. 05/01/2020. Update: The United States is Continuing to Lead the Response to COVID-19

Through the American people’s generosity and the U.S. government’s action, the United States continues to demonstrate global leadership in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Months into fighting this pandemic at home and abroad, the United States remains the largest single country donor to the response efforts globally, building on decades of leadership in life-saving health and humanitarian assistance.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. Government has committed more than $775 million in emergency health, humanitarian, economic and development assistance specifically aimed at helping governments, international organizations, and NGOs fight the pandemic. This funding, provided by Congress, will save lives by improving public health education, protecting healthcare facilities, and increasing laboratory, disease-surveillance, and rapid-response capacity in more than 120 countries.

The COVID-19 assistance to-date from the State Department and USAID includes:

• Nearly $200 million in emergency health assistance from USAID’s Global Health Emergency Reserve Fund for Contagious Infectious-Disease Outbreaks and Global Health Programs account. These funds prioritized interventions to mitigate and prepare communities in developing countries affected and at-risk of COVID-19.
• Nearly $300 million in humanitarian assistance from USAID’s International Disaster Assistance (IDA) account. These funds prioritize populations affected by ongoing humanitarian crises, particularly displaced people, because of their heightened vulnerability, the elevated risk of severe outbreaks in camps and informal settlements and anticipated disproportionate mortality in these populations.
• More than $150 million from the Economic Support Fund (ESF). These funds will promote American foreign policy interests by supporting shorter-term mitigation efforts and addressing second-order impacts from the pandemic in the long term, across a variety of sectors.
• More than $130 million in humanitarian assistance from the Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA) account, provided through the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. These funds will help international organization and NGO partners address challenges posed by the pandemic in refugee, IDP, and hosting communities as well as other migrants and other vulnerable people in both global and local humanitarian responses.

This new assistance is in addition to the more than $100 billion in global health funding and nearly $70 billion in overseas humanitarian assistance provided by the United States in the last decade alone.

In addition to this direct U.S. government funding, our All-of-America approach is helping people around the world through the generosity of American private businesses, nonprofit groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals. Together, Americans have committed an estimated nearly $6.5 billion in government and non-government donations and assistance in the global COVID-19 response.

In order to meet the most urgent needs, U.S. government departments and agencies are coordinating efforts to prioritize foreign assistance to maximize the potential for impact. The United States is providing the following assistance through the State Department and USAID:

Africa:

• Angola: $570,000 for health assistance is helping provide risk-communications and water and sanitation, and prevent and control infections in key health facilities in Angola. This assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. investments in Angola, which total $1.48 billion over the past 20 years, including $613 million for health assistance.
• Botswana: $1.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. This assistance builds on nearly $1.2 billion in total assistance in Botswana over the last 20 years, $1.1 billion of which was for health.
• Burkina Faso: Nearly $7 million in health and humanitarian funding will go toward risk-communications, water and sanitation, preventing and controlling infections in health facilities, public-health messaging, and more. This includes $2.5 million in health assistance, $1.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance, and nearly $2.8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance, which will help protect the health of vulnerable people in Burkina Faso during the pandemic. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $2.4 billion total in Burkina Faso, $222 million for health alone.
• Burundi: More than $1 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will help protect the health of vulnerable people. The United States has invested more than $997 million in total assistance for Burundi, including more than $254 million in health assistance, over the past 20 years.
• Cameroon: Nearly $8 million for health and humanitarian assistance will help provide infection-control in key health facilities, strengthen laboratories and surveillance, prepare communities, and bolster local messaging. This includes $6.1 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance from USAID, in addition to nearly $1.9 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and their host communities. This assistance builds upon more than $960 million in total U.S. investment in the country over the past 20 years, $390 million of which was for health.
• Central African Republic: More than $10 million in humanitarian assistance, including $6.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance that will go toward risk-communications, preventing and controlling infections for health facilities, and safe water supplies, and more than $3.5 million in MRA humanitarian assistance that will help protect the health of vulnerable people in the Central African Republic during the pandemic. The U.S. Government has provided $822.6 million in total in the Central African Republic over the last 20 years, including $4.5 million in emergency health assistance in FY 2019.
• Republic of Congo (ROC): $250,000 in health assistance will address the outbreak. The United States has invested in the Republic of Congo for decades, with more than $171.2 million in total U.S. assistance for the ROC over the last 20 years, $36.8 million of which was for health.
• Chad: More than $3.5 million in humanitarian assistance, including $1 million from the IDA account for preventing and controlling infections for health facilities, raising community awareness of COVID-19, and improving hygiene, and nearly $2.6 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to help protect the health of vulnerable people in Chad during the pandemic. This new assistance builds upon the foundation of nearly $2 billion in total U.S. assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $30 million for health.
• Côte d’Ivoire: $1.6 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $2.1 billion in long-term development and other assistance in Côte d’Ivoire.
• Democratic Republic of the Congo: More than $26 million, including $16 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance that will improve the prevention and control of infections for health facilities, and support improved awareness of COVID-19, including by working with religious leaders and journalists on risk-communication messaging. More than $5 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will help protect vulnerable people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the pandemic. Finally, approximately $5 million in ESF will go toward distance education and alternative education for Congolese children and youth so they can continue to learn and maintain protective routines and social connections while schools are closed across the country. This builds upon more than $6.3 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $1.5 billion for health.
• Djibouti: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has already invested more than $338 million total in Djibouti over the last 20 years.
• Eswatini: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. Funds will go to bolstering Eswatini’s emergency health response, which could include the procurement of supplies, contact-tracing, laboratory diagnostics, and raising public awareness. This assistance builds upon the foundation of U.S. government investments in the Kingdom, which total more than $529 million in total assistance over the last 20 years, including more than $490 million for health.
• Ethiopia: More than $20.5 million in assistance to counter COVID-19, including more than $10.9 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk-communications, the prevention and control of infections for health facilities, disease-surveillance, contact-tracing, and coordination; $7 million in ESF that will support continued operations in a major industrial park, to preserve more than 135,000 jobs; and nearly $2.7 million in MRA humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people. This assistance is in addition to the United States’ long-term investments in Ethiopia of more than $13 billion in total assistance, nearly $4 billion for health alone, over the past 20 years.
• Ghana: $1.6 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon $3.8 billion in total U.S. Government investments to Ghana over the last 20 years, including nearly $914 million for health.
• Guinea: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has invested nearly $1 billion in total assistance for Guinea over the last 20 years, including $365.5 million for health.
• Kenya: Nearly $4.5 million for health and humanitarian assistance, including $3.5 million in health assistance to bolster risk communication, prepare health-communication networks and media for a possible case, and help provide public health messaging for media, health workers, and communities; and $947,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance for refugees and host communities. This COVID-19 specific assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. government investments in Kenya, which total $11.7 billion in total U.S. assistance to Kenya over the last 20 years, including $6.7 billion for health alone.
• Lesotho: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon decades of U.S. investments in Lesotho, which total more than $1 billion over the last 20 years, including more than $834 million for health.
• Liberia: $1 million for health assistance will provide critical aid for all 12 Liberian counties (emergency operation centers, training, contact-tracing, hospitals, and community health services), support quarantine efforts, and provide community-level support. The United States has helped lay a strong foundation for Liberia’s COVID-19 response through more than $4 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $675 million for health.
• Madagascar: $2.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has invested more than $1.5 billion in total assistance for Madagascar over the last 20 years, including nearly $722 million for health alone.
• Malawi: $4.5 million in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has provided more than $3.6 billion in total assistance for Malawi over the past 20 years, including more than $1.7 billion for health.
• Mali: More than $8.4 million in assistance for the response to COVID-19, which includes $4.4 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk-communication, the prevention and control of infections in health facilities, and coordination; and more than $4 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable in Mali during the pandemic. This new assistance builds upon decades of U.S. investments in Mali, which total more than $3.2 billion over the last 20 years, including more than $807 million for health.
• Mauritania: $250,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. The United States has provided more than $424 million in total assistance over the last 20 years for Mauritania, including more than $27 million for health, which builds a strong foundation for their pandemic response.
• Mauritius: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds upon the foundation of more than $13 million in total U.S. government investments over the past 20 years, including $838,000 for health.
• Mozambique: $5.8 million for health and IDA humanitarian funding will help provide risk-communication, water and sanitation, and prevent and control infections in key health facilities in Mozambique. The United States has invested nearly $6 billion in Mozambique over the past 20 years, including more than $3.8 billion for health.
• Namibia: $750,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance comes in addition to nearly $1.5 billion in total U.S. government investments to Namibia over the past 20 years, including more than $970.5 million in long-term health assistance.
• Niger: More than $4.6 million in assistance includes nearly $2.8 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance for risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and coordination; and $1.8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support vulnerable people in Niger during the pandemic. This assistance comes on top of more than $2 billion in total U.S. Government investments for Niger in the past 20 years, nearly $233 million for health alone.
• Nigeria: More than $30 million in assistance, which includes nearly $26 million for health and IDA humanitarian funding for risk communication, water and sanitation activities, infection prevention, and coordination; and nearly $4.1 million in MRA humanitarian assistance for vulnerable people. This assistance joins more than $8.1 billion in total assistance for Nigeria over the past 20 years, including more than $5.2 billion in U.S. health assistance.
• Rwanda: $2.2 million in assistance for Rwanda’s COVID-19 response includes $1.7 million for health assistance that will help with surveillance and case-management efforts in response to COVID-19, and $474,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance to support refugees and host communities in Rwanda. This comes on top of long-term U.S. Government investments in Rwanda that total more than $2.6 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $1.5 billion for health.
• Sénégal: $3.9 million in health assistance to support risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. In Sénégal, the U.S. has invested nearly $2.8 billion in total over the past 20 years, nearly $880 million for health.
• Sierra Leone: $400,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This assistance joins decades of U.S. investments in Sierra Leone, totaling more than $5.2 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $260 million for health.
• Somalia: $16.5 million in assistance for the response to COVID-19 will support risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and case-management, and more. This assistance comes in addition to $5.3 billion in total assistance for Somalia over the last 20 years, including nearly $30 million for health.
• South Africa: Approximately $8.4 million in health assistance to counter COVID-19 will support risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. This assistance joins more than $8 billion in total assistance by the United States for South Africa in the past 20 years, nearly $6 billion invested for health.
• South Sudan: More than $19 million in assistance for South Sudan’s response to COVID-19 includes $13.4 million in IDA humanitarian assistance for case-management, infection prevention and control, logistics, coordination efforts, risk communication, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs, and more than $5.6 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support refugees, IDPs, and their host communities in South Sudan during the pandemic. This funding builds upon past U.S. investments in South Sudan totaling $6.4 billion over the past 20 years, including more than $405 million for health.
• Sudan: $23.1 million in assistance includes $16.8 million in IDA humanitarian assistance for risk communication, case-management, disease surveillance, infection prevention and control, and water, sanitation and hygiene programs; $5 million in ESF for cash assistance to vulnerable families adversely affected by COVID-19; and more than $1.3 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable people. The United States has invested more than $1.6 billion in total assistance for Sudan over the last 20 years, of which more than $3 million was for health.
• Tanzania: $1.4 million for health assistance supports risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. The United States has invested more than $7.5 billion total in Tanzania over the past 20 years, nearly $4.9 billion for health.
• Uganda: $3.6 million in assistance includes $2.3 million in health assistance to address the outbreak and nearly $1.3 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support refugees and their host communities in Uganda during the pandemic. This assistance is provided in addition to the nearly $8 billion in total U.S. Government investments for Uganda over the last 20 years and $4.7 billion for health.
• Zambia: $3.4 million for health assistance supports risk communication, water and sanitation, infection prevention and control, public health messaging, and more. This new assistance joins $4.9 billion total U.S. Government investments for Zambia over the past 20 years, nearly $3.9 billion in U.S. health assistance.
• Zimbabwe: Nearly $3 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance will help to prepare laboratories for large-scale testing, support case-finding activities for influenza-like illnesses, implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry, and more. This new assistance builds on a history of U.S. investments in Zimbabwe – nearly $3 billion total over the past 20 years, nearly $1.2 billion of which was for health.
• Regional Efforts in the Sahel: $5 million in ESF will strengthen the efforts of partner governments and civil society to manage and respond to COVID-19 with transparent communication and response. These investments will cover Burkina Faso, Niger, The Gambia, Chad, and Mali.
• Regional Efforts in West Africa: $5 million in ESF will go towards conducting information campaigns with local authorities and communities and engaging community groups, community radio stations, and local media actors to develop targeted messaging in local languages. Assistance will also engage citizens in local-led advocacy, dialogue, and inclusive behavior change. These investments will cover Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo, Benin, and Guinea. 

Asia:

• Afghanistan: More than $18 million in total U.S. assistance for Afghanistan’s COVID-19 response includes more than $5.6 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance to support the detection and treatment of COVID-19 for IDPs, and nearly $2.4 million in MRA humanitarian assistance for Afghan returnees. This also includes $10 million in existing resources the United States has redirected to support the United Nations Emergency Response Plan for COVID-19. This support includes surveillance, lab improvements, case-management, infection prevention and control, community engagement, and technical assistance to the Government of Afghanistan.
• Bangladesh: More than $12.3 million in assistance includes $4.4 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance to help with case-management, surveillance activities, infection prevention and control, risk communication, and water, sanitation, and hygiene programs, and nearly $8 million in MRA humanitarian support for vulnerable people during the pandemic. This builds upon nearly $4 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, which includes more than $1 billion for health.
• Bhutan: $1 million in total assistance for COVID-19 response includes $500,000 in Economic Support Funding to support micro, small and medium-sized-sized enterprises to generate income for those affected by COVID-19. It also includes $500,000 in health assistance to strengthen diagnostic laboratory capabilities and clinical case-management, provide virtual training for health care providers and lab personnel, and support risk communications materials. This assistance builds upon more than $6.5 million in total U.S. government investments over the past 20 years, including $847,000 for health.
• Burma: Nearly $9.5 million total, including approximately $4.3 million for health and $3 million in IDA humanitarian for the prevention and control of infections in health facilities, case-management, laboratories, risk-communications and community engagement, as well as water and sanitation supplies, including assistance to IDP camps that are facing shortages. This also includes nearly $2.2 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable people and their host communities during the pandemic. This assistance comes on top of long-term U.S. government investments in Burma that total more than $1.3 billion over the past 20 years, which includes more than $176 million for health.
• Cambodia: More than $8.5 million in total assistance for the response to COVID-19 response. This includes $5 million in ESF for relief and job skills training for vulnerable people, including returning migrants, and expanded counter-trafficking and child protection efforts. It also includes more than $3.5 million in health assistance to help the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, communicate risk, support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more. The United States has invested long-term in Cambodia, providing more than $1.6 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, which includes more than $730 million for health.
• India: Nearly $5.9 million in health assistance to help India slow the spread of COVID-19, provide care for the affected, disseminate essential public health messages to communities, strengthen case findings and surveillance, and mobilize innovative financing mechanisms for emergency preparedness and response to the pandemic. This builds on a foundation of nearly $2.8 billion in total assistance to India over the last 20 years, which includes more than $1.4 billion for health.
• Indonesia: Nearly $5 million includes more than $4.5 million in health assistance to help the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more. It also includes $400,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance. The United States has invested more than $5 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $1 billion for health.
• Kazakhstan: More than $1.6 million for health assistance will help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-findings and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This new assistance builds upon U.S. investments of more than more than $2 billion in total assistance over the last 20 years, including $86 million for health.
• Kyrgyz Republic: Approximately $900,000 for health assistance will help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. The United States has invested nearly $1.2 billion in total assistance for Kyrgyzstan over the past 20 years, including more than $120 million for health.
• Laos: Nearly $3.5 million for health assistance is helping the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more. This assistance builds upon U.S. Government investment in Laos over time, including more than $348 million over the past decade, of which nearly $92 million was health assistance.
• Malaysia: $200,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support COVID-19 response efforts for refugees and asylum seekers in Malaysia. This assistance builds upon a foundation of decades of U.S. investment in Malaysia, totaling more than $288 million over the past 20 years, including more than $3.6 million for health.
• Maldives: $2 million in Economic Support Funding will support the expansion of social protection services led by local civil society organizations and assist them to advocate effectively for COVID recovery policies. This assistance will also include technical support to government, private sector, and financial institutions to support hard hit businesses. U.S. investments in Maldives include more than $30 million in total assistance since 2004.
• Mongolia: Nearly $1.2 million for health assistance is helping the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more. The United States has invested more than $1 billion in total assistance for Mongolia over the past 20 years, including nearly $106 million for health.
• Nepal: $4.3 million total assistance for response to COVID-19 includes $2.5 million in Economic Support Funds to support local governments and disaster management committees to respond to the economic and social impacts of COVID-19, and will provide small grants to private sector and civil society organizations to enable economic recovery, mitigate food insecurity, and address the needs of vulnerable populations. It also includes $1.8 million for health assistance that is helping the government to conduct community-level risk communications, prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, and more. Over the past 20 years, U.S. government investment in Nepal totals more than $2 billion, including more than $603 million for health.
• Pacific Islands: Nearly $9.8 million total includes $5 million in Economic Support Funds to strengthen civil society capacity to combat disinformation and hate speech and to protect the rights of vulnerable & marginalized groups. Small grants will also be made available at the community and national levels to increase their resilience and ability to respond to the economic impacts of COVID-19. This total also includes $2.3 million for health assistance which is helping governments prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness; and $2.5 million in IDA humanitarian assistance to support risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, logistics, coordination efforts, and more. Over the last 20 years, the United States has invested over $5.21 billion in assistance to the Pacific Islands. Over the last decade, the United States has invested more than $620 million for health for the Pacific Islands.
• Papua New Guinea: $1.9 million for health assistance for Papua New Guinea is helping the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, and support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and more. The United States has invested over $108 million total in Papua New Guinea over the past 20 years, including more than $52 million for health.
• Pakistan: Nearly $15 million in total new assistance for Pakistan’s response to COVID-19 includes: $5 million in Economic Support Funds to support the Government of Pakistan’s program of providing cash assistance to more than 70,000 vulnerable families affected by COVID-19; $7 million in health assistance to strengthen monitoring and better prepare communities to identify potential outbreaks including funding for training of healthcare providers and other urgent needs; and nearly $2.9 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support COVID-19 response efforts for vulnerable in Pakistan. U.S. long-term investment in Pakistan over the past 20 years includes more than $18.4 billion in total assistance, which includes $1.1 billion for health alone.
• Philippines: More than $15 million in total COVID-19 assistance includes $5 million in economic support funds to support government efforts to promote crisis management, procurement, and a regulatory environment that enhances the resilience of communities and businesses; provide grants and skills training to heavily affected sectors and communities; and facilitate access to credit for micro and small enterprises. In addition, about $6.5 million in health assistance and $2.8 million in IDA humanitarian assistance will help support laboratory and specimen-transport systems, intensify case-finding and event-based surveillance, support Philippine and international technical experts for response and preparedness, risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, handwashing and hygiene promotion, community-level preparedness and response, and more. Finally, $875,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support vulnerable people during the pandemic.  The United States has invested more than $4.5 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, which includes $582 million in the Philippines’ health assistance.
• Sri Lanka: More than $5.8 million in total assistance includes $2 million in Economic Support Funds to increase social services for areas and populations most impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and address the specific conflict threats to build social cohesion and mitigate negative economic impacts; $2 million in additional Economic Support Funds for strengthening small and medium-sized-sized enterprises and increasing women’s economic participation; and $1.3 million in health assistance to help the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, conduct risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and more. Finally, $590,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support vulnerable people during the pandemic. Over the past 20 years, U.S. assistance in Sri Lanka has totaled more than $1 billion, which includes $26 million for health.
• Tajikistan: Approximately $866,000 for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This support builds on more than $1 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, which includes nearly $125 million for health.
• Thailand: More than $2.7 million for health assistance will help the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and more. $730,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support surveillance and response capacity in all nine Burmese refugee camps on the Thailand-Burma border.  This new assistance builds upon long-term U.S. government investments in Thailand including more than $1 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, which includes nearly $213 million for health.
• Timor-Leste: Almost $1.1 million for health assistance is helping the government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and more. The United States has invested more than $542 million in total assistance for Timor-Leste since independence in 2002, including nearly $70 million for health.
• Turkmenistan: Approximately $920,000 for health assistance has been made available to help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. Over the past 20 years, the United States has collaborated closely with the Government of Turkmenistan and local partners to implement bilateral and regional programs totaling more than $201 million, including over $21 million in the health sector.
• Uzbekistan: Approximately $848,000 for health funding is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This COVID-19 response assistance builds on more than $1 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $122 million in the health sector alone.
• Vietnam: Nearly $9.5 million in total assistance for response to COVID-19 includes $5 million in Economic Support Funds, which will be utilized to bring much needed resources to bear immediately, including supporting private sector recovery by mitigating the financial impacts of the pandemic on small and medium-sized-sized enterprises (SMEs), addressing the non-financial impacts facing SMEs, and partnering with Government of Vietnam stakeholders to bolster the government’s relief interventions. It also includes $4.5 million in health assistance that was previously announced to help the Government prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for preparedness and response, community education and engagement, infection prevention for healthcare settings, public health screening at points of entry, and more. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $1.8 billion in total assistance for Vietnam, including more than $706 million for health.
• Regional Efforts in Asia: $2 million in Economic Support Funds will provide essential services to vulnerable migrants in Central Asia stranded across the region as a result of border closures and ensure their safe return home in accordance with their own wishes and the help of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and local government. Additionally, $800,000 in health assistance is helping governments and NGOs across the region prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, risk-communication, the prevention and control of infectious diseases in health facilities, and more. Furthermore, nearly $2.8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support vulnerable people in Southeast Asia and $425,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will help vulnerable people in Central Asia during the pandemic.  In addition to historic bilateral support to individual countries in the region, the United States has provided more than $226 million for health assistance regionally, and in total more than $3 billion in development and other assistance provided regionally over the last 20 years.

Europe and Eurasia:

• Albania: $1.2 million for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. Over the last 20 years, the United States has invested more than $693 million in total assistance to Albania, including more than $51.8 million for health.
• Armenia: $1.7 million for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. The United States has invested more than $1.57 billion in total assistance to Armenia over the past 20 years, including nearly $106 million for health.
• Azerbaijan: More than $2.2 million in assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. $565,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will help vulnerable people and their host communities during the pandemic. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $894 million in total assistance to Azerbaijan, including nearly $41 million for health.
• Belarus: $1.3 million for health funding is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This new assistance comes on top of decades of U.S. investment in Belarus, totaling more than $301 million over the past 20 years, including nearly $1.5 million for health.
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: $1.2 million for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. The United States has invested more than $1.1 billion in total assistance for Bosnia and Herzegovina over the past 20 years, including $200,000 for health.
• Bulgaria: $500,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance builds on longstanding U.S. assistance for Bulgaria, which totals more than $558 million in total assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $6 million for health.
• Georgia: $1.7 million for health funding is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. The United States has provided more than $3.6 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $139 million for health.
• Greece: $500,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support response to COVID-19 efforts for migrants and refugees in Greece. This new assistance builds upon a foundation of U.S. support for Greece, which totals more than $202 million in total investments over the last 20 years, including nearly $1.8 million for health.
• Italy:S. support includes $50 million in economic assistance implemented by USAID to bolster Italy’s response to COVID-19. USAID will expand and supplement the work of international organizations, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based groups responding to the pandemic in Italy and mitigating its community impact. USAID will also purchase health commodities not required for the U.S. domestic response and work to support Italian companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Kosovo: $1.1 million in health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This assistance to combat COVID-19 is in addition to long-term U.S. investments which total over $772 million in total assistance in Kosovo over the past 20 years, including more than $10 million for health.
• Moldova: $1.2 million for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This COVID-19 assistance builds upon U.S. investments of more than $1 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, including nearly $42 million for health.
• Montenegro: $300,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. This new assistance joins long-term U.S. investment in Montenegro totaling more than $332 million, including more than $1 million for health.
• North Macedonia: $1.1 million for health assistance is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested more than $738 million in total assistance for North Macedonia, including nearly $11.5 million for health.
• Romania: $800,000 in health assistance to address the outbreak. In addition, the U.S. Government fully funded an operation by the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) to transport personal protective equipment (PPE) from South Korea to Romania, and U.S. military personnel were members of air crews manning two other flights delivering PPE to Romania using the NATO-supported Strategic Airlift Capability. The United States has invested in Romania for decades, totaling nearly $700 million in total U.S. assistance in the last 20 years, including more than $55 million for health.
• Serbia: $1.2 million for health assistance is helping: expand testing, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance; deploy additional technical expertise for response and preparedness; bolster risk communication and community engagement; and improve hygiene practices in the home. In addition, USAID/Serbia has also redirected $150,000 to provide food and other essential support to Serbia’s most vulnerable families and groups, including the elderly. The United States has invested more than $1 billion in total assistance to Serbia over the past 20 years, including nearly $5.4 million for health.
• Turkey: $800,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support response to COVID-19 efforts for refugees and their host communities in Turkey. This new funding is in addition to the $18 million for Syrian refugee assistance inside Turkey announced March 3, and builds upon nearly $1.4 billion in total U.S. assistance to Turkey over the past 20 years, including more than $3 million for health assistance, helping lay the foundation for the current response.
• Ukraine: $14.5 million in total assistance includes $12.1 million in health and IDA humanitarian assistance that will improve the ability of local health care institutions to care for the sick and combat further spread of COVID-19 while increasing public communication to lower contagion risk. These funds will also mitigate secondary impacts such as loss of livelihoods and public services to vulnerable populations, including conflict-affected communities in eastern Ukraine. It also includes $2.4 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support vulnerable populations during the pandemic. The United States has invested nearly $5 billion in total assistance to Ukraine over the past 20 years, including nearly $362 million for health.
• Regional Efforts in Europe and Eurasia: $5 million in economic support funds will empower civil society actors to safeguard democratic institutions and ensure citizens are heard during the pandemic. Funding will also assist civil society organizations to provide citizen oversight over their governments’ efforts to respond to COVID-19. 

Latin America and the Caribbean:

• Belize: $300,000 in previously announced health assistance to address the outbreak and improve operational capacity and case-management. This assistance builds upon past U.S. investment in Belize, which totals more than $120 million over the past 20 years, including nearly $12 million for health.
• Bolivia: $750,000 in previously announced health assistance to build capacity in COVID-19 diagnostics and improve epidemiological surveillance. This assistance joins long-term U.S. investment in Bolivia, including nearly $2 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, which includes $200 million for health.
• Brazil: $950,000 in new economic support funds will incentivize private sector investments in mitigating non-health COVID impacts on rural and vulnerable urban populations. This assistance builds upon past U.S. investment in Brazil, which totals more than $617 million over the past 20 years, including nearly $103 million for health.
• The Caribbean: $1.7 million in previously announced health funding is helping 10 Caribbean countries (Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago) scale up their risk communication efforts, provide water and sanitation, prevent and control infectious diseases in health facilities, manage COVID-19 cases, build laboratory capacity, and conduct surveillance. This builds upon decades of strategic U.S. investment in the region, including more than $840 million total over the past 20 years, which includes $236 million for health.
• Colombia: Nearly $12.6 million in assistance for Colombia’s response to COVID-19 includes $8.5 million in previously announced IDA humanitarian assistance that is helping surveil the spread of the virus, provide water and sanitation supplies, manage COVID-19 cases, and more; and nearly $4.1 million in new and previously announced MRA humanitarian assistance, which will support efforts to help vulnerable people during the pandemic. In Colombia, the United States has invested nearly $12 billion in total assistance over the past 20 years, which includes approximately $32.5 million in health assistance.
• Dominican Republic: $3.4 million in total response to COVID-19 funding includes $2 million in new economic support funds to address critical needs in the areas of social protection, psychosocial support, education, water and sanitation, and food security in vulnerable communities. This new funding is in addition to $1.4 million in previously announced health assistance to address the outbreak, which is supporting epidemiological analysis and forecasting, contact-tracing, as well as pandemic surveillance. The United States has invested in the Dominican Republic’s long-term health and development through more than $1 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, which includes nearly $298 million for health.
• El Salvador: $4.6 million in total response to COVID-19 funding includes $2 million in new economic support funds to address second-order COVID-related impacts in El Salvador through job creation and increased access to credit, both critical factors in driving illegal immigration to the United States, and nearly $2.6 million for health assistance to address the outbreak. Support will include infection prevention, control, and case-management. Over the past 20 years, the United States has invested in El Salvador’s health and long-term development through more than $2.6 billion in total assistance, which includes $111 million for health.
• Ecuador: $8 million in total response to COVID-19 funding includes $6 million in new IDA humanitarian assistance that will provide support to transportation and logistics, as well as risk communication and community outreach efforts. This assistance is in addition to the previously announced $2 million for health assistance that will increase testing capacity, implement risk communications and infection prevention activities, and strengthen clinical management. Over the last 20 years, the United States’ long-term commitment to Ecuador includes more than $1 billion in total assistance, of which nearly $36 million for health assistance – helping Ecuador respond to other major public health challenges such as Zika and Malaria.
• Guatemala: More than $2.4 million in previously announced health assistance for Guatemala will strengthen the health institutions to respond to COVID-19 in the areas of infection prevention and control, surveillance, risk communication, and clinical case-management. U.S. long-term investment in Guatemala’s health and development includes more than $2.6 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, which includes $564 million for health.
• Haiti: $13.2 million in previously announced health and IDA humanitarian assistance for Haiti will support risk communication efforts, improve water and sanitation, prevent infections in health facilities, manage COVID-19 cases, strengthen laboratories, and more. The United States has invested nearly $6.7 billion in total assistance, including more than $1.8 billion for health in Haiti over the past 20 years.
• Honduras: More than $2.4 million for health assistance for Honduras will help the Government respond to the epidemic through focused support in the areas of lab strengthening, improved disease surveillance, and clinical management of COVID-19 cases. Some of these funds will also target infection control in migrant-receiving communities. The United States has also invested nearly $1.9 billion in total assistance, which includes $178 million for health, for Honduras over the past 20 years.
• Jamaica: $700,000 in previously announced health funding is supporting coordination, infection prevention, control, and management, risk communication efforts, and surveillance. This assistance builds upon U.S. investments of nearly $619 million total over the past 20 years, including nearly $87 million for health.
• Mexico: More than $1.3 million in humanitarian assistance, including $845,000 in new MRA funding, will support COVID-19 response efforts for asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants in Mexico. U.S. long-term investment in Mexico has helped build the foundation for Mexico’s COVID-19 response – this adds up to nearly $4.8 billion in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $61 million for health.
• Panama: $750,000 in previously announced health assistance will help address the outbreak for a strategic U.S. partner. Assistance will optimize country health system capacity to care for COVID-19 patients, protecting the most vulnerable. The United States has a history of investing in Panama’s health and long-term development with more than $425 million in total U.S. assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $33.5 million for health.
• Paraguay: $1.3 million for health assistance will support risk communication efforts, infection control and prevention, clinical case-management, laboratory capacity strengthening, and surveillance U.S. investment in Paraguay is long-term and totals more than $456 million total over the past 20 years, including more than $42 million for health.
• Peru: $5.5 million in total response to COVID-19 funding includes $3 million in new economic support funds for addressing the economic impacts of COVID-19 and preventing backsliding on shared, top-level development and security issues, including the fight against the drug trade; and $2.5 million in previously announced health assistance to provide technical assistance and training in surveillance, infection prevention and control, risk communication, and community engagement. The United States’ strong history of investing in Peru’s health and long-term development has laid the foundation for Peru’s response, with more than $3.5 billion in total U.S. assistance over the last 20 years, including nearly $265 million for health.
• Venezuela: More than $12.3 million in total humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people is helping surveil the spread of the virus, provide water and sanitation supplies, manage COVID-19 cases, and more. In Venezuela, the U.S. has invested more than $278 million in total long-term assistance over the past 20 years, including more than $1.3 million in direct health assistance. In the last year, the U.S. provided additional lifesaving humanitarian assistance and development programming inside Venezuela that are not captured in COVID-19 response amounts.
• Regional Efforts in Latin America and the Caribbean: Nearly $850,000 in MRA humanitarian assistance will support regional efforts to respond to the Central America migration crisis to help vulnerable people in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras during the pandemic.

Middle East and North Africa:

• Algeria: $500,000 to support Algeria’s response to COVID-19 and mitigate its impact on Algerian society by strengthening risk communication and community engagement approaches under the GoA preparedness and response plan.
• Iraq: Nearly $30 million in COVID-19 assistance for Iraq includes more than $19.1 million for health and IDA humanitarian assistance that is helping prepare laboratories, implement a public-health emergency plan for points of entry, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance for influenza-like illnesses, and more. The funding includes $10.6 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to assist vulnerable people during the pandemic. This new assistance builds upon long-term investment in Iraq, which adds up to more than $70 billion in total U.S. assistance in the past 20 years, including nearly $4 billion in the health sector alone.
• Jordan: Nearly $8.3 million in assistance includes nearly $6.8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to support response to COVID-19 efforts to help vulnerable people in Jordan, and $1.5 million in health assistance, which will support infection prevention and control to stop the spread of the disease, as well as laboratory strengthening for large-scale testing of COVID-19. The United States also is spearheading donor support to the Government of Jordan, coordinating life-saving assistance and prioritizing investments to respond rapidly now and to plan ahead as the threat evolves. Our investments in the last 20 years alone total more than $18.9 billion in total assistance, including more than $1.8 billion for health.
• Lebanon: $13.3 million in assistance for Lebanon includes $5.3 million in IDA humanitarian assistance for response to COVID-19 activities targeting vulnerable Lebanese, such as supporting private health facilities to properly triage, manage, and refer patients; ensure continuity of essential health services; carry out risk communication and community outreach activities, and increase access to water, sanitation, and hygiene. $8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance will support COVID-19 response efforts to help refugees and their host communities in Lebanon. This assistance builds upon the nearly $4.9 billion in bilateral assistance, including more than $187 million for health assistance, that the U.S. has provided for Lebanon in the last 20 years. In addition to the bilateral funding, the U.S. has provided more than $2.3 billion in humanitarian assistance to respond to the Syria crisis in Lebanon.
• Libya: Nearly $12 million in response to COVID-19 includes $3.5 million in economic support funds to help municipalities to formalize their crisis response functions, develop emergency management plans, and train teams in Crisis Emergency Response. In addition, assistance will expand key public awareness, education, and guidance messages during the COVID-19 crisis. It also includes $6 million in IDA humanitarian assistance being provided for Libya to support risk communication, improve case-management, bolster coordination for an effective COVID-19 response, and strengthen infection prevention and control; and nearly $2.5 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable people during the pandemic.
• Morocco: Nearly $5.7 million in total response to COVID-19 funding includes $4 million in ESF to support socio-economic recovery among marginalized and vulnerable populations in urban and rural populations through a cash relief program; and $1.7 million for health assistance that is helping prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. This assistance builds upon long-term U.S. investments in Morocco adding up to more than $2.6 billion in total assistance over the last 20 years, including $64.5 million for health.
• Syria: More than $31 million in humanitarian assistance for the response to COVID-19 in Syria supports risk communication, disease surveillance, water, sanitation and hygiene programs, infection prevention and control. This assistance joins decades of U.S. investments for the Syrian people, including more than $10 billion in humanitarian assistance for people in need inside Syria, Syrian refugees, and their host communities since the beginning of the conflict. Humanitarian assistance, including medicines and medical supplies, is exempt from any current U.S. and UN sanctions across all areas of Syria.
• Tunisia: $600,000 for health assistance will help prepare laboratory systems, activate case-finding and event-based surveillance, support technical experts for response and preparedness, bolster risk communication, and more. The United States has invested more than $1.3 billion in total U.S. assistance for Tunisia over the past 20 years, including more than $7 million for health.
• West Bank/Gaza: $5 million in International Disaster Assistance is helping provide immediate, life-saving assistance in the West Bank.
• Yemen: More than $1.7 million in humanitarian assistance will support COVID-19 response efforts to help refugees and other vulnerable populations in Yemen. In the past 20 years, the United States has provided nearly $4 billion in total assistance for Yemen’s long-term development, including nearly $132 million for health.
• Regional Efforts in the Middle East: $6 million in MRA humanitarian assistance to help vulnerable people during the pandemic.

Global:

• Approximately $35.5 million in global and regional programming is being provided globally through international organizations and NGOs, including for programs that support supply-chain management, new partnerships, monitoring and evaluation, and more.
• $8 million in MRA humanitarian assistance for the global response to COVID-19 to address the challenges posed by the pandemic in refugee, IDP, and hosting communities.
• $5 million in ESF for USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA) will support civil society organizations (CSOs) to promote citizen-centered governance; respect for press and civic freedoms by monitoring legal protections for journalists and CSOs; provide legal assistance where COVID-related emergency laws have been used to restrict rights; ensure public health responses are non-discriminatory and counter efforts to blame or stigmatize marginalized groups related to COVID-19; promote media integrity and communicating responsible information on COVID-19; counter misinformation and disinformation; ensure the financial sustainability of independent media outlets. and provide support to human rights defenders to carry out their important work.
• Nearly $4.3 million in ESF for USAID’s Bureau for Economic Growth, Education, and Environment (E3) to expand trade and access to education. With approximately $750,000 USAID will provide technical assistance and surge capacity to partner governments and USAID Missions on education responses to COVID-19, create a Global Working Group on Distance Learning in Crisis, and launch a Virtual Center of Excellence for Education Distance Learning for developing countries. With $3.5 million USAID will support a global public-private partnership to support partner governments to reduce trade barriers on medical devices and testing kits/instruments, and improve governments’ adherence to international standards for medical equipment.
• $8 million in economic support funds for USAID’s Bureau for Resilience and Food Security (RFS) will support a multi-partner effort to mitigate pandemic-related shocks to the global food and agriculture system. Some policy responses in emerging economies to the pandemic are already negatively impacting local food systems, and food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition are growing concerns. USAID will produce data and analysis to help countries implement forward-looking policies; help small and medium-sized food and agriculture businesses shift business models and withstand the most severe impacts; and rapidly disseminate information in emerging economies about how consumers can safely participate in food and agriculture activities and markets amid COVID-19. The partnership includes collaborating with finance sector partners to unlock financing for small and medium-sized food and agribusinesses.
• $2 million in ESF is planned for the Secretary of State’s Office of Global Women’s Issues (S/GWI) to ensure survivors of GBV have access to emergency assistance, improved protections, and justice. The funds also intend to support advocacy and awareness campaigns on the gendered economic, governance, and security implications of GBV, particularly as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The United States is the largest and most reliable contributor to dozens of international organizations, including UNICEF and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. These contributions include significant investments in core operating budgets, which sustain the organizational structure and support functions that enable global humanitarian, development, peacebuilding, and other actions.   

FULL DOCUMENT: https://www.state.gov/update-the-united-states-is-continuing-to-lead-the-response-to-covid-19/

U.S. Department of State. 04/30/2020. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Simon Conway of Newsradio 1040. Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Via Teleconference

QUESTION: It is my absolute honor to welcome to the show Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Hello, sir.

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me on today.

QUESTION: You’re very welcome. There’s all kinds of things we want to try and get through in our limited time. But first of all, you have to be incredibly proud of your department for getting 70,000 – I mean, 70,000 – Americans home from 128 countries. That’s a remarkable thing.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thanks for that. The American people – I am proud. The American people should be proud, too. The State Department came through. We had people – you can imagine – when planes stopped, ships stopped, we saw with the cruise lines, the Amazon forest, Mount Everest, you name it, we had Americans there and they were stuck. And the State Department swung into action and got these people back to their families, back to their homes, so I’m proud of the work we did. I’m proud of how there were friends and allies around the world that helped us, too. It was the best of American diplomacy getting these people back home.

QUESTION: It really was, and a logistical nightmare, I’m sure, but so anyway, well done. We don’t get to say “well done” to a government department very often. (Laughter.) But well done to the Department of State for pulling that one off.

Let’s talk about some of the things that we’re facing in the world right now. Of course, it was just a few days ago, really, that the President – rightly, in my opinion – threatened the Iranians to stop messing with our ships or else. They appear to have stopped messing with our ships.

SECRETARY POMPEO: That’s right. What they did was unacceptable. You’ll remember, too, just to contrast, when they took 10 of our sailors and made them kneel down, when the Iranians did that back in the previous administration, that secretary of state apologized. President Trump took a very different approach. They brought some of their boats up too close to ours. He made clear we were going to allow our sailors to defend themselves. As he’s done every place during my time – he’s always told our team we’re always going to take care of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. He gave them the right guidance. And to date, at least, the Islamic Republic of Iran hasn’t chose to challenge President Trump.

QUESTION: I know a lot of Navy veterans, and I can tell you, that moment with our sailors in that position was a real low point for them (inaudible).

SECRETARY POMPEO: It was really, really bad.

QUESTION: Right. I’m very pleased that that’s the situation we’re looking at so far.

There’s also, though, the misinformation or disinformation. It’s coming from places like Iran. It’s coming from Russia. It’s coming from China. What are we doing about that and how dangerous is it?

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s always very dangerous when countries think they can manipulate the information space with real fake news about what’s taking place. We respond. We always correct the record. We do our best to convince those countries that it’s not in anyone’s best interests for them to out-and-out push out disinformation. It’s especially dangerous when it’s with respect to something like this virus, when we know what happened here. We know this came from Wuhan, China. We don’t know precisely how. That’s what we need an investigation to determine.

But we know where the virus originated, and when they tell stories, when they use disinformation to suggest somehow that this was a European thing or the Americans started it, that’s dangerous. Not only dangerous because it fails to inform, but dangerous because we need to know the answers to these questions so that we can save lives and get the economy started back up and, frankly, to make sure that something like this can never happen again.

QUESTION: Right. I mean, because I’m sure they’re watching as well what we’ve done – the reaction. I mean, we had an absolute booming economy. It’s never happened in history where we – we ourselves – said shut it all down. And that has not gone unnoticed by the likes of China and Russia.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Absolutely true. The cost that has been posed on the United States economy not only monetary but, right, we’ve had now more than 50,000 people whose lives have been lost. We’ve got to get the economy cranked back up, but all of this is a direct result of the fact that this virus came out of China. The Chinese Communist Party has a special responsibility to explain how this happened, to let the world come in to see what took place.

They tell me all the time they want to be our partner, they want to cooperate with us. Reliable partners, reliable countries share information; they open up. They don’t – when a doctor wants to report on what’s happening in their hospital, they don’t shut them down and tell them you can’t talk about that. That’s not how reliable partners work, how cooperating countries work. We need the Chinese Communist Party to begin to be a better partner here for lots of reasons.

QUESTION: Right. I mean, some of those doctors have been disappeared as well, Mr. Secretary. It is very serious stuff. Now, if it did escape from a laboratory in Wuhan, is it potential – is the potential there that they know how to cure it and maybe are about to make a huge killing – the most bad choice of words – financially on the cure? Or am I being naive here?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, we don’t know precisely where it began. We don’t know if it came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. We don’t know if it emanated from the wet market or yet some other place. We don’t know those answers. It’s why President Trump has made clear we need to get those answers. The people who know the answer to that, or at least most likely to know the answer to that, reside inside of China. It’s the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party. I hope we can get to a better place.

Look, the Chinese scientists, Chinese doctors, if they were operating here in a democracy, we’d have information being exchanged. You’ve seen it as we try to prepare a vaccine – good idea, some of them don’t work, and that’s how democracies and freedom-loving people work. We don’t shut down information. We don’t (inaudible) out journalists. We don’t (inaudible) doctors. We engage in the exchange of ideas, and that’s how you keep people safe.

QUESTION: I’ve got about a minute left. The former governor of Iowa – you’re talking to the whole state of Iowa and a big chunk of Illinois right now – is our ambassador in China, and I called for that appointment, by the way, very publicly. I said he wasn’t just a great choice; he was the choice because he’s supposed to be really good buddies with the President. Has that served us well?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Terry has done a fantastic job. Governor – Governor Branstad has done fantastic. Ambassador Branstad – I’ve got to get it right – has done fantastic work. He has been put into an incredibly difficult place and he has managed that relationship as effectively as you can. They are a tough country to work with. We wish that it were not so. I’m very proud of the work – Ambassador Branstad and his team. We – the first repatriation – we began by talking about getting Americans home. The very first one was getting our team out of Wuhan, where they were under an enormous amount of stress, and we got not only the State Department team but 800 Americans out of Wuhan, China. That’s the direct result of good work by Ambassador Branstad, his leadership, and his team’s work.

QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, absolute honor to have you on my show. Thank you very much for joining us today, and hopefully we’ll get you back. Stay safe out there, sir.

SECRETARY POMPEO: I would love it. I would love it. You stay safe, too. Thank you for having me on your show, sir. So long.

U.S. Department of State. 04/30/2020. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Dan “Ox” Ochsner of Ox in the Afternoons. Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Via Teleconference

QUESTION: Right now, though, we have former Kansas congressman, CIA director, and now Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Welcome, sir. Good to have you on.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Dan, it’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me on the show today.

QUESTION: Well, Mr. Secretary, first the most important question: As a former power forward, did you ever think you’d see a day in America where neighborhood basketball games would be outlawed, sir?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I find that just unacceptable. We’ve got to get back to basketball in the driveway.

QUESTION: I mean, come on. Who would have ever dreamed this, right?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah. No, I would have never dreamed it, too. The calamity that’s been foisted upon the United States by what happened in Wuhan, China is of enormous proportions, and I never thought I would see this moment where we have people restricted in this way. We need to get back to it just as quickly as we can.

QUESTION: Amen to that. So that – well, you’ve led me into it, then. How do you balance your relations with the Chinese Government, which I assume we have to do as a world power, but when the American proletariat now is catching on that they’re all bad actors and they’ve been playing us all these years?

SECRETARY POMPEO: So look, as for the issue of the virus, we’ve been very clear to the Chinese Communist Party they have a special responsibility. This virus originated in Wuhan. They have a special responsibility to share with the world the data, the information, the need to be transparent. We need reliable partners in this, and we hope that China will be that. We’ve got to figure out how this happened, not only for purposes of understanding this virus and to be able to develop the therapeutics and the vaccine and the processes, but also to make sure that something like this can never happen again.

And so you work with them. You find places where you can get cooperation, and you demand of them what the world needs, which is an open, transparent process by which to evaluate how the heck this all came to be.

QUESTION: How important is it that we get to the bottom of it and seek some retribution against them for this?

SECRETARY POMPEO: President Trump has been very clear. Our primary focus today is reducing the risk to life, keeping people as healthy as we can, getting our economy cranked back up so people like my friends back in Kansas can do what they – they keep telling me, like, “Mike, I want to get back to work. I want to get back to my church.” All those things that we know and value as Americans. “And my basketball game with my buddies.”

We have a responsibility to do that. When that’s done, when we’ve reached that point, we want to make sure that we understand what happened here. We know that Wuhan was the origination point, but we need to figure out how this was transmitted. And then ultimately, I think the world will form a judgment and there will be an accountability that is associated with entities or people that caused this enormous calamity that we find ourselves in today – not just America, but all of our friends and allies around the world are suffering in this same way.

QUESTION: Reassuring. I appreciate hearing that, Mr. Secretary. So yeah, with the other countries we have, what, we had 70,000 Americans out in 128 countries. How does the Department of State track and manage getting everyone back home?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, it’s been an enormous process and a wonderful one, too. Our team has done just really great work. We had Americans – some of them on mission trips, some of them on business, some who were on a vacation of a lifetime – and all of a sudden, buses, trains, and planes stopped moving around the world and they were stuck – some of them in the Amazon forest, some of them at the foot of Mount Everest, and the State Department sprung into action to work to get them all home.

We’re now at 75,000-plus Americans that we’ve gotten back to their families. We still have some to go. But it’s been heartwarming to see how much these Americans have come to appreciate the fact that when Americans are stuck, when Americans are challenged, we’re going to do everything we can to make sure they get back to their families, back to their homes. It’s been a great project repatriating that many people – something we didn’t have on our plan for 2020, but our team has done fantastic work.

QUESTION: I appreciate that. And will we see, do you think, policy changes allowing international travel in or out of our country in the future?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Of course. We have to get back to that. We have to let this all get back going. And so we’re working along with Department of Transportation – that is, the State Department – the Department of Transportation, Health and – or, excuse me, DHS, who handles immigration issues at our border. We need to work to develop systems that not only get those aircraft flying again, get them back into regular flight patterns, but we need to do so in a way that gives individual Americans and those traveling all around the world the confidence they can to get back on those planes. We want those visitors to come see all the great things in America. We want our citizens to be able to travel the world and do business and go on vacation. Those are good things that we need to get that going just as quickly as we can. I know that day will come. I hope we can move it forward.

QUESTION: Do you see some new vetting procedures maybe put in before we let people set foot on our soil?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I do. I think we’ll have to make sure that those people who are thinking about traveling have confidence that as they board that airplane they are not at risk, and so certainly in an interim period, before we get to the point where there is a known therapeutic that has high confidence or a vaccine, if people are going to get back to traveling, they’ve got to know that there is some screening mechanism that gives them confidence.

We’re working to try and figure out what that is, and we’re working with countries. People traveling to places like the United Kingdom or Europe or South America, we’re working with those airports and countries to develop exactly those algorithms so we can try and get people back into business, back into commission.

QUESTION: Great. Well, Mr. Secretary, a quick final question. What if Barack Obama was president during coronavirus right now?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, I’m pretty sure – you can ask his former vice president – they wouldn’t have shut down China as quickly as we did. They likely wouldn’t have shut down travel from Europe as quickly as we did. And if you talk to the medical professionals, they will all say that the decisions that President Trump made there saved hundreds and thousands of American lives.

I think it’s likely the case that the beating that we frankly took for – the President took for making that decision probably would have prevented them from doing that. I’m happy we were able to do that. We got that decision right at the front end. It was worth the opprobrium that we suffered from the World Health Organization, from the Chinese Communist Party, and from others even in our own country who said, well, that’s xenophobic, that’s racist. We were making good decisions for the health and safety of the American people, and I’m really proud of what we did.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I wish we had more time, but I appreciate the time you had for us and all of your service to this country, my friend. Great to have you on with the Ox.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Great. Thank you, sir. Have a good day.

U.S. Department of State. 04/30/2020. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Scott Sands of The Scott Sands Show. Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Via Teleconference 

QUESTION: It’s 4:20 at NewsRadio 1370 and 92.9 FM, the Scott Sands Show. Honored to be joined now by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Secretary, thanks for coming on the show.

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s great to be with you. Thanks for having me on today.

QUESTION: In my hands right now, sir, I am holding a Mike Pompeo, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency challenge coin that a friend of mine who may or may not have done business for the company passed along to me as a thank-you.

SECRETARY POMPEO: (Laughter.) Good for you.

QUESTION: As director of Central Intelligence, can you confirm that the video released by the U.S. Navy this week were, in fact, aliens?

SECRETARY POMPEO: (Laughter.) I’m going to give the official CIA response, which is we don’t comment on that kind of thing. (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Am I the only one to ask you about that yet?

SECRETARY POMPEO: You’re the first.

QUESTION: (Laughter.) Mr. Secretary, on a serious note, I mean, we’ve got a lot of stuff to cover. First of all, thank you for your service and thank you for what you’re doing in the State Department.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, sir.

QUESTION: What can you tell us about what the hell is happening in North Korea? Do we know anything officially about Kim Jong-un?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, we know we’ve not been able to identify a public appearance of his for now a little over two weeks – not unheard of, but unusual. But beyond that, I don’t have much that I can share with you today. We are continuing to monitor closely. We are working to make sure we’re prepared for whatever eventuality there is. And President Trump’s made clear whatever is going on, we have a very singular mission, and that’s to implement the terms of the deal from Singapore, which involves making sure that that country doesn’t have nuclear weapons and that we get a brighter future for the North Korean people.

QUESTION: I saw some pictures this morning that his personal train and that his yacht were apparently at a beach town. It seems unlikely, though, that he’s just on vacation. I mean, even North Korea, as behind as they may be, he would have the technology to release a selfie on the beach if he were still alive.

SECRETARY POMPEO: (Laughter.) We’re watching it closely.

QUESTION: (Laughter.) You – see, I love those answers, because you obviously know a lot more than you’re willing to share with us right now. (Laughter.) And when there’s no comment, that’s like a validation, sir.

In the midst of all of this, I know that you and the State Department and the SECDEF and the President are keeping busy, because as much as time as even you’ve been involved in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and our response, we’ve got other issues to deal with, including North Korea and Iran, who are looking at what’s happening right now and perhaps seeing this as an opportunity for them to encroach upon our national security interests.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yeah, Scott. It’s true. State Department, Department of Defense both and the President have been focused on making sure we do all we can to push back against this virus here at home. But we have responsibilities that continue, and we have seen Iran – even as this virus has impacted their country so significantly, they continue to act out in ways that are inconsistent with what normal nations do. They launched a military missile now about a week ago when they promised they didn’t have – that it was all commercial stuff, without a military satellite. You saw what they did to one of our ships when they came around it the other day and President Trump made clear that’s unacceptable. That’s very different from when, under Secretary Kerry, they took nine of our sailors and made them kneel. That will not happen in a Trump administration.

We remain concerned with the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, the Islamic Republic of Iran. But the American people should know we have put real pressure on the regime, and we are hopeful that soon the Iranian people will have a government that behaves in a way that’s consistent with what I know they want and uses its resources for good, like taking care of COVID patients rather than firing satellites into the sky.

QUESTION: The President seemed to change rules of engagement for the Navy in that region, authorizing ships’ captains to open fire if they feel threatened by Iranian vessels nearby.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Yes. Look, he made clear to our soldiers, sailors, and Marines, as he has for his entire time as President, it is unacceptable to put our folks at risk, and they have all the authority they need to do what’s right to defend themselves, no matter who it is that presents that risk to them.

QUESTION: How worried are you, how worried is the President, how worried is the SECDEF about these countries, these rogue nations like Iran and North Korea and others and even terrorist organizations seeing how COVID-19 has affected not just the number of people who have been infected and died as the result of the virus in America and worldwide, but also the economic impact? It seems like seeing these results could bolden them to explore bioterror as a new weapon against the United States.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Look, we’re watching all of this. We’re watching those who are trying to take advantage of this time, of this global pandemic to foment terror, to foment malign action. We’ve seen it in a handful of places. We’re watching closely. It is also the case that many of these organizations themselves are impacted by this, and so they’ve had to take a pause and change the activity that they’ve been engaged in as well. But we do – we are ever mindful. We have a significant program that works to make sure that countries don’t have access to the capacity to do the kinds of harm you described. And President Trump and our team, the Department of Defense, folks who are still out all around the world doing our mission – we can do more than one thing at once. We can push back against this pandemic while still performing our national security functions.

QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo here on the Scott Sands Show. Mr. Secretary, if we learn that China knew more about the COVID-19 virus than they let on early on, or may have in fact played a role in its release internationally, would the State Department be willing to go so far as to declare that a state sponsor of terrorism?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Well, I try, Scott, not to get out in front of a policy decision that the President may make. But it’s – it is very clear that we have an obligation to find out how this happened. We know that it began in Wuhan, that this was the origin in Wuhan – in Wuhan, China. What we don’t know is what the Chinese Communist Party won’t let us know. We’ve asked to put folks on the ground. We’ve asked for data and information. We’ve simply not received that. That’s not a good sign either. Often when people refuse to let out information or those who are trying to talk about it like doctors in China, and they are not permitted to speak, that’s a suggestion that somehow there may be information they don’t want in the hands of the world.

We have a duty to try and get to the bottom of how this began, not only – not only to hold accountable those who are responsible here, but to make sure something like this couldn’t happen again. We have a real responsibility, and we’re working diligently to convince the Chinese Communist Party that they need to do that. I think the whole world is owed an explanation of how this came to be.

QUESTION: We had our friend Morgan Ortagus on a couple of weeks ago and we talked with her about repatriating Americans who are still stuck abroad, I believe, in more than a hundred countries right now, close to, I think, 100,000 Americans. We talked to one, our friend, Sabrina Sabbagh, who was in the middle of Ecuador and caught a – I think literally stowed away on a military C-130 cargo jet from Panama to get back into the United States. State Department going through extreme lengths to get Americans who want to come back back into the country.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Good for your friend. I’m glad your friend was able to get back. It has been – it’s been trains, planes, and automobiles. We have moved heaven and earth to try and get back now I think it’s just over 75,000 to date. I’m sure we’ll cross the 100,000 threshold before too long to help them. They got stuck when this virus hit. Airports shut down, travel lanes were closed, and we had a responsibility to try and get Americans back. My team’s done fantastic work to get them back, get back home to their families, back home to their churches, all the things that we love as Americans. We still have more to go, and we are working diligently to get every one of them back.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, how’s your family dealing with the coronavirus lockdown? I mean, obviously, you’re still doing your job and you’re surrounded by a lot of people every day, including the President and the Vice President. I would think that you’re worried about their safety as well as your family’s safety at the same time and trying to protect them.

SECRETARY POMPEO: We all worry about our families. I worry about everyone else’s family, too. My wife and my son are both doing good. So far, so good. But they, too – they’re feeling a little locked in. They are ready to go. They are ready for our economy to get cranked back up, get out there, and get back to the things we know and love – meeting with friends, doing our jobs, going to church – all the things that we value in our lives and we’re anxious to get back to as well.

QUESTION: What’s the first thing you want to do when the lockdown ends and the economy reopens and businesses are allowed to open?

SECRETARY POMPEO: Goodness. I’ve got a favorite place for pizza. But professionally, I want to get back out. I’ve got a lot of places that I need to get to talk to our friends and allies around the world, and we need to prepare, both to make sure that we’re doing everything we can to hold those responsible for what’s taken place accountable, and to put in place a lattice, a structure that responds to this in a way that the World Health Organization simply failed to respond in this case.

QUESTION: When given an opportunity after this is over, will you or will you not binge-watch Tiger King on Netflix?

SECRETARY POMPEO: (Laughter.) I think the answer to that is no, although my son has kept me posted on the goings-on there. I think I’ll leave it to others.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your time. It’s an honor and a pleasure to have you on the show, sir.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Thank you, Scott. God bless you. So long.

QUESTION: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on NewsRadio 1370 and 92.9 FM.

U.S. Department of State. 04/30/2020. Secretary Michael R. Pompeo With Lars Larson of The Lars Larson Show. Michael R. Pompeo, Secretary of State. Via Teleconference

QUESTION: Well, if there’s one guy who can get to the bottom of this, imagine a guy who served in the United States Congress, he served at the CIA, he served in the military, and he was a tank platoon leader, but he also went to Harvard. Now, that’s a great collection of background for a resume, and he is today the United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Secretary of State Pompeo, welcome to the program.

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s great to be with you. It’s been too long. I hope you’re doing well.

QUESTION: Yeah, I’m doing very well. It’s been a long time since you stood in my studio a long, long time ago. But I – I want to ask you this first. I was just mentioning what we know and what we hope to know about what the Chinese involvement in this coronavirus, COVID, China virus, Wuhan virus – you weren’t exactly on the Chinese Government’s Lunar New Year, Christmas card list before this happened, and you’ve been pretty tough on them since, haven’t you?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I prefer to think of it as just reflecting the challenges that they have presented to us. This is a – we’ve had now more than 50,000 people die in the United States, enormous economic harm to our country from a virus that originated in Wuhan, China. And we’ve not yet been able to get access to the information that we need, the world hasn’t been able to get access to the information we need, to figure out how this happened, how it was the case that this got around the world that quickly when the Chinese Government clearly knew about this in December.

And then second, how do we get comfort that with all the labs that are inside of the Chinese country today that they’re operating those labs in a way that’s consistent with making sure this never happens again?

Those are important things. We need Chinese scientists with access to Western scientists so we can make sure that their security levels and their management levels at these facilities doesn’t present the – a risk that something like this could ever happen again.

QUESTION: In fact, didn’t your folks on the ground about two years ago from State send cables back, I think in 2018, saying, “Hey, they’re being kind of sloppy over at the Wuhan virus institute”?

SECRETARY POMPEO: There have been long concerns based on a number of things, including the fact that this is – this is a program that’s been concerning because they’ve had leaks from their facilities before, back in – I think it’s 2004, 2005. I might get the year wrong, but this is not the – this is not something that we are conjecturing about. We’ve had known problems, and we have been stiff-armed. And those who have tried to talk about this, whether it was doctors or journalists, those who have had to try to write about this have not been able to do so freely. That’s not cooperation. That’s not transparency. We want to do that. We want to work alongside the Chinese Government to get answers to these questions. But to do that, they’ve got to share information, share data with the United States and with the world, and with the best scientists all over this world.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you’d actually like to see the United States get some direct access to actually put eyes on what’s going on inside that Wuhan virus institute. Is that right?

SECRETARY POMPEO: We got to get to the bottom of it. The devastation wrought on the globe as a result of this is enormous, and it requires a real response to find the answers for this pandemic, and to prevent one from happening in the future.

QUESTION: I guess the thing that seems puzzling to me is when the Chinese knew apparently a week before they told their own population we have an epidemic, they didn’t bother to warn their own people don’t go to the Lunar New Year celebrations, don’t go to that giant potluck in Wuhan with 50,000 families there, maybe more than 100,000 people going to a potluck, for God’s sake, as an epidemic is breaking out. The government knew it, they didn’t decide to warn it. Did they think they could really keep this thing under wraps? Because they must have imagined that at some point it would become an epidemic, the rest of the world would learn, and it would escape from their shores since they used to have tens of thousands of Chinese nationals coming into our country on a daily basis by airplane for a whole bunch of reasons. They must have known this could get out. How did they think they were going to play this to (inaudible) when we found out they knew?

SECRETARY POMPEO: It’s an interesting question. I don’t know what they were thinking. I simply know what they did and what they failed to do, and what the World Health Organization failed to do as well. And I know President Trump and this administration’s responsibility, it’s our duty to figure out how that transpired and do everything we can to prevent something like this from happening again.

I’m very confident that if we are permitted to have access to the information, locations, and all the data we need collectively – not just the United States, but scientists from Europe and from Japan and from Australia, world’s leading scientists – we can figure this thing out and we can reduce the risk that something like this would ever happen again. It’s been part of a global effort. It’s what the World Health Organization had the lead and responsibility to prevent from happening, and here we are.

QUESTION: I’m talking to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Mr. Secretary, should the Chinese pay in some meaningful way for the damage they’ve done to our country and to the rest of the world? And if so, do you have any ideas of how we might make them pay?

SECRETARY POMPEO: So the President, I think, has said this right. Our first focus is on making sure that we do everything we can to protect human life here in the States, and we get therapeutics and ultimately a vaccine as quickly as we possibly can, and we’re – get our economy going back again. I talked to some friends back in Kansas just last week. They are chomping at the bit to get back at it. That’s mission one. We’ve got to do that and we need to be singularly focused with respect to this virus about that. Then there will come a time to figure out what accountability ought to look like.

I am very convinced that the world knows what happened here, that they know this virus originated in Wuhan, and I’ve already seen nations – when I talk to my colleagues around the world, I’ve already seen nations that are asking the same thing we are. The Australians have been great in demanding an investigation, other countries too. I am very confident that we will all collectively recognize the shortcomings of this authoritarian regime and that there will be accountability for those who did things, whether they were simply reckless or negligent, that did things that resulted in the devastation to the global economy and to human life all around the world commensurate with the responsibility that they have for it.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I want to shift gears a moment to Iran. You’ve been having to fight against the UN trying to lift a ban on Iran’s purchase of advanced military technology. Is this even really a question, whether we should let the folks in Tehran buy advanced military technology?

SECRETARY POMPEO: I hope not. Unfortunately, the previous administration, Secretary Kerry and President Obama, thought that October of 2021 was a – excuse me, of 2020, this year, a few months from now, was a perfectly good date on which the Iranian Government should be able to purchase conventional weapons systems from around the world. That was the date that was contained in the JCPOA.

The good news is the UN Security Council resolution gives us the ability to make sure that that doesn’t happen, and we are working with our Chinese, our Russian, our British, our French, our partners on the Security Council to make sure – and even more broadly throughout the UN to make sure that they’re all on board in preventing this from happening coming October 18th of this year.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I know as America’s top diplomat, you have to be diplomatic about this, but what in the world was the Obama administration thinking saying we’re going to take a state, a country, Iran, that was labeled by the United States as the top state sponsor of terrorism on the globe, and say it’s okay to let them start buying advanced bombs and bullets down – just a few years down the road? You have any insight to that?

SECRETARY POMPEO: No explanation that is remotely reasonable there. They – I think anyone who was staring at this, it’s just a matter of course to permit this to happen just a handful of years after the deal was signed. We’ve talked about this. The President talked about it as far back as his campaign about this crazy Iran nuclear deal, and one of the core failures of it was the fact that these provisions that prevented Iran from getting weapons that could do so much more destruction began to expire very quickly.

And here we are, as soon as 2020, the first significant provision expiring, and we’ve got Iran failing to comply with their nuclear elements – their nuclear commitments under the JCPOA that we chose to withdraw from. This is a bad place that the world finds itself in, and your listeners should know President Trump and our team is going to make sure that when we come to October of this year, we’re going to have played every card in our kit to make sure that they can’t purchase tanks and armored vehicles from Russia or from China.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, I know your time is tight, so you have to tell me when you have to go, but I want to ask one last question. One of the stories that has mystified a lot of us is that the National Institutes of Health – let’s go back to Wuhan for a moment – was actually putting money into some kind of program that was in Wuhan. Now I know that there are times where we cooperate with other countries or we have some involvement with other countries, maybe because it gives us a window into what they’re doing. But is there any good reason why American taxpayer dollars would be going to the Wuhan virus institute? I know that’s a bit outside your lane, but I’ll bet you’ve got a view on it.

SECRETARY POMPEO: So I don’t know the answer to precisely what happened there. I’ve seen these reports as well where we collectively are trying to figure this out. I do know that there are places where we want to go, we want to see what they’re doing, we want to help them be better. We’ve seen this in nuclear assurance programs, where we help other countries make sure that they don’t lose a nuclear weapon or there’s not a nuclear accident, so we go in and try to assist them.

I assume that that’s what was taking place here. We were trying to help the Chinese make sure that they didn’t have a problem, they were handling these materials in a way that would prevent accidental leakage or someone from stealing a pathogen or a virus, but I don’t know the answer to what was actually happening here.

QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, you’ve come a long way since Kansas and being a tank platoon leader. Thank you very much for the time and I’ll look forward to the next time.

SECRETARY POMPEO: Lars, bless you. Thank you. Have a great day.

QUESTION: And you as well.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE / DEFENSE

DoC. April 27, 2020. Trade enforcement. Commerce Tightens Restrictions on Technology Exports to Combat Chinese, Russian and Venezuelan Military Circumvention Efforts. Wilbur Ross, Secretary of Commerce

The Department of Commerce announced today new export control actions to prevent efforts by entities in China, Russia, and Venezuela to acquire U.S. technology that could be used in development of weapons, military aircraft, or surveillance technology through civilian supply chains, or under civilian-use pretenses, for military end uses and military end-users.

"It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from U.S. companies for military applications," said Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "Certain entities in China, Russia, and Venezuela have sought to circumvent America’s export controls, and undermine American interests in general, and so we will remain vigilant to ensure U.S. technology does not get into the wrong hands."

Specifically, the rule changes include:

• Expansion of Military End Use/User Controls (MEU) - Expands MEU license requirements controls on China, Russia, and Venezuela to cover military end-users in all three countries, as well as items such as semiconductor equipment, sensors, and other technologies sought for military end use or by military end-users in these countries.
• Removal of License Exception Civil End Users (CIV) - Removes a license exception for exports, reexports, or transfers (in-country) to civilian end-users in countries of national security concern for National Security- (NS) controlled items.
• Elimination of License Exception Additional Permissive Reexports (APR) Provisions - Proposes to eliminate certain provisions of a license exception for partner countries involving the reexport of NS-controlled items to countries of national security concern to ensure consistent reviews of exports and reexports of U.S. items.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) in the Department of Commerce is responsible for overseeing these export control activities. BIS’s mission is to advance U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives by ensuring an effective export control and treaty compliance system and promoting continued U.S. strategic technology leadership. BIS is committed to restrict U.S.-origin commodities and technology from use in support of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) projects, terrorism, or destabilizing military modernization programs.

IT / DEFENSE

THE WHITE HOUSE. May 1, 2020. STATEMENTS and RELEASES. INFRASTRUCTURE and TECHNOLOGY. Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code, I hereby report that I have issued an Executive Order declaring a national emergency to deal with the threat posed by the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of bulk-power system electric equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries.

Foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the United States bulk-power system.  The bulk-power system provides the electricity that supports our national defense, our vital emergency services, our critical infrastructure, our economy, and our way of life.  The bulk-power system is a target of those seeking to commit malicious acts against the United States and its people, including malicious cyber activities.  Although maintaining an open investment climate in bulk-power system electric equipment, and in the United States economy more generally, is important for the overall growth and prosperity of the United States, such openness must be balanced with the need to protect our Nation against a critical national security threat.  To deal with this threat, additional steps are required to protect the security, integrity, and reliability of bulk-power system electric equipment used in the United States.

The Executive Order prohibits certain future transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment where the Secretary of Energy (Secretary), in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and, as appropriate, the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies), has determined that:

(i)   the transaction involves bulk-power system electric equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied, by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary; and

(ii)  the transaction:

(A)  poses an undue risk of sabotage to or subversion of the design, integrity, manufacturing, production, distribution, installation, operation, or maintenance of the bulk-power system in the United States;

(B)  poses an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resiliency of United States critical infrastructure or the economy of the United States; or

(C)  otherwise poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.

The Executive Order also establishes a Task Force on Federal Energy Infrastructure Procurement Policies Related to National Security.

I have delegated to the Secretary the authority to take such actions, including directing the timing and manner of the cessation of pending and future transactions prohibited pursuant to the Executive Order, adopting appropriate rules and regulations, and employing all other powers granted to the President by IEEPA, as may be necessary to implement the Executive Order.  The heads of all agencies, including the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, are directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to implement the provisions of the Executive Order.

I am enclosing a copy of the Executive Order I have issued.

Sincerely,

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE. May 1, 2020. EXECUTIVE ORDERS. INFRASTRUCTURE and TECHNOLOGY. Executive Order on Securing the United States Bulk-Power System

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, find that foreign adversaries are increasingly creating and exploiting vulnerabilities in the United States bulk-power system, which provides the electricity that supports our national defense, vital emergency services, critical infrastructure, economy, and way of life.  The bulk-power system is a target of those seeking to commit malicious acts against the United States and its people, including malicious cyber activities, because a successful attack on our bulk-power system would present significant risks to our economy, human health and safety, and would render the United States less capable of acting in defense of itself and its allies.

I further find that the unrestricted acquisition or use in the United States of bulk-power system electric equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries augments the ability of foreign adversaries to create and exploit vulnerabilities in bulk-power system electric equipment, with potentially catastrophic effects.

I therefore determine that the unrestricted foreign supply of bulk-power system electric equipment constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, which has its source in whole or in substantial part outside the United States.  This threat exists both in the case of individual acquisitions and when acquisitions are considered as a class.  Although maintaining an open investment climate in bulk-power system electric equipment, and in the United States economy more generally, is important for the overall growth and prosperity of the United States, such openness must be balanced with the need to protect our Nation against a critical national security threat.  To address this threat, additional steps are required to protect the security, integrity, and reliability of bulk-power system electric equipment used in the United States.  In light of these findings, I hereby declare a national emergency with respect to the threat to the United States bulk-power system.

Accordingly, I hereby order:

Section 1.  Prohibitions and Implementation.  (a)  The following actions are prohibited:  any acquisition, importation, transfer, or installation of any bulk-power system electric equipment (transaction) by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, where the transaction involves any property in which any foreign country or a national thereof has any interest (including through an interest in a contract for the provision of the equipment), where the transaction was initiated after the date of this order, and where the Secretary of Energy (Secretary), in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget and in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and, as appropriate, the heads of other executive departments and agencies (agencies), has determined that:

(i)   the transaction involves bulk-power system electric equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied, by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary; and

(ii)  the transaction:

(A)  poses an undue risk of sabotage to or subversion of the design, integrity, manufacturing, production, distribution, installation, operation, or maintenance of the bulk-power system in the United States;

(B)  poses an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resiliency of United States critical infrastructure or the economy of the United States; or

(C)  otherwise poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons.

(b)  The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other agencies as appropriate, may at the Secretary’s discretion design or negotiate measures to mitigate concerns identified under section 1(a) of this order.  Such measures may serve as a precondition to the approval by the Secretary of a transaction or of a class of transactions that would otherwise be prohibited pursuant to this order.

(c)  The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section apply except to the extent provided by statutes, or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the date of this order.

(d)  The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of other agencies as appropriate, may establish and publish criteria for recognizing particular equipment and particular vendors in the bulk-power system electric equipment market as pre-qualified for future transactions; and may apply these criteria to establish and publish a list of pre-qualified equipment and vendors.  Nothing in this provision limits the Secretary’s authority under this section to prohibit or otherwise regulate any transaction involving pre-qualified equipment or vendors.

Sec. 2.  Authorities.  (a)  The Secretary is hereby authorized to take such actions, including directing the timing and manner of the cessation of pending and future transactions prohibited pursuant to section 1 of this order, adopting appropriate rules and regulations, and employing all other powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to implement this order.  The heads of all agencies, including the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, shall take all appropriate measures within their authority as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to implement this order.

(b)  Rules and regulations issued pursuant to this order may, among other things, determine that particular countries or persons are foreign adversaries exclusively for the purposes of this order; identify persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of foreign adversaries exclusively for the purposes of this order; identify particular equipment or countries with respect to which transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment warrant particular scrutiny under the provisions of this order; establish procedures to license transactions otherwise prohibited pursuant to this order; and identify a mechanism and relevant factors for the negotiation of agreements to mitigate concerns raised in connection with subsection 1(a) of this order.  Within 150 days of the date of this order, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, and, as appropriate, the heads of other agencies, shall publish rules or regulations implementing the authorities delegated to the Secretary by this order.

(c)  The Secretary may, consistent with applicable law, redelegate any of the authorities conferred on the Secretary pursuant to this section within the Department of Energy.

(d)  As soon as practicable, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Director of National Intelligence, the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the heads of such other agencies as the Secretary considers appropriate, shall:

(i)   identify bulk-power system electric equipment designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied, by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of a foreign adversary that poses an undue risk of sabotage to or subversion of the design, integrity, manufacturing, production, distribution, installation, operation, or maintenance of the bulk-power system in the United States, poses an undue risk of catastrophic effects on the security or resiliency of United States critical infrastructure or the economy of the United States, or otherwise poses an unacceptable risk to the national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons; and

(ii)  develop recommendations on ways to identify, isolate, monitor, or replace such items as soon as practicable, taking into consideration overall risk to the bulk-power system.

Sec. 3.  Task Force on Federal Energy Infrastructure Procurement Policies Related to National Security.  (a)  There is hereby established a Task Force on Federal Energy Infrastructure Procurement Policies Related to National Security (Task Force), which shall work to protect the Nation from national security threats through the coordination of Federal Government procurement of energy infrastructure and the sharing of risk information and risk management practices to inform such procurement.  The Task Force shall be chaired by the Secretary or the Secretary’s designee.

(b)  In addition to the Chair of the Task Force (Chair), the Task Force membership shall include the following heads of agencies, or their designees:

(i)    the Secretary of Defense;

(ii)   the Secretary of the Interior;

(iii)  the Secretary of Commerce;

(iv)   the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(v)    the Director of National Intelligence;

(vi)   the Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and

(vii)  the head of any other agency that the Chair may designate in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the Interior.

(c)  The Task Force shall:

(i)    develop a recommended consistent set of energy infrastructure procurement policies and procedures for agencies, to the extent consistent with law, to ensure that national security considerations are fully integrated across the Federal Government, and submit such recommendations to the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council);

(ii)   evaluate the methods and criteria used to incorporate national security considerations into energy security and cybersecurity policymaking;

(iii)  consult with the Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council and the Oil and Natural Gas Subsector Coordinating Council in developing the recommendations and evaluation described in subsections (c)(i) through (ii) of this section; and

(iv)   conduct any other studies, develop any other recommendations, and submit any such studies and recommendations to the President, as appropriate and as directed by the Secretary.

(d)  The Department of Energy shall provide administrative support and funding for the Task Force, to the extent consistent with applicable law.

(e)  The Task Force shall meet as required by the Chair and, unless extended by the Chair, shall terminate once it has accomplished the objectives set forth in subsection (c) of this section, as determined by the Chair, and completed the reports described in subsection (f) of this section.

(f)  The Task Force shall submit to the President, through the Chair and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget:

(i)    a report within 1 year from the date of this order;

(ii)   a subsequent report at least once annually thereafter while the Task Force remains in existence; and

(iii)  such other reports as appropriate and as directed by the Chair.

(g)  In the reports submitted under subsection (f) of this section, the Task Force shall summarize its progress, findings, and recommendations described in subsection (c) of this section.

(h)  Because attacks on the bulk-power system can originate through the distribution system, the Task Force shall engage with distribution system industry groups, to the extent consistent with law and national security.  Within 180 days of receiving the recommendations pursuant to subsection (c)(i) of this section, the FAR Council shall consider proposing for notice and public comment an amendment to the applicable provisions in the Federal Acquisition Regulation to implement the recommendations provided pursuant to subsection (c)(i) of this section.

Sec. 4.  Definitions.  For purposes of this order, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)  The term “bulk-power system” means (i) facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electric energy transmission network (or any portion thereof); and (ii) electric energy from generation facilities needed to maintain transmission reliability.  For the purpose of this order, this definition includes transmission lines rated at 69,000 volts (69 kV) or more, but does not include facilities used in the local distribution of electric energy.

(b)  The term “bulk-power system electric equipment” means items used in bulk-power system substations, control rooms, or power generating stations, including reactors, capacitors, substation transformers, current coupling capacitors, large generators, backup generators, substation voltage regulators, shunt capacitor equipment, automatic circuit reclosers, instrument transformers, coupling capacity voltage transformers, protective relaying, metering equipment, high voltage circuit breakers, generation turbines, industrial control systems, distributed control systems, and safety instrumented systems.  Items not included in the preceding list and that have broader application of use beyond the bulk-power system are outside the scope of this order.

(c)  The term “entity” means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization.

(d)  The term “foreign adversary” means any foreign government or foreign non-government person engaged in a long‑term pattern or serious instances of conduct significantly adverse to the national security of the United States or its allies or the security and safety of United States persons.

(e)  The term “person” means an individual or entity.

(f)  The term “procurement” means the acquiring by contract with appropriated funds of supplies or services, including installation services, by and for the use of the Federal Government, through purchase, whether the supplies or services are already in existence or must be created, developed, demonstrated, and evaluated.

(g)  The term “United States person” means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.

Sec. 5.  Recurring and Final Reports to the Congress.  The Secretary is hereby authorized to submit recurring and final reports to the Congress regarding the national emergency declared in this order, consistent with section 401(c) of the NEA (50 U.S.C. 1641(c)) and section 204(c) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1703(c)).
Sec. 6.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)    the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)   the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

DONALD J. TRUMP

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 1, 2020.

_________________

ECONOMIA BRASILEIRA / BRAZIL ECONOMICS

CORONAVÍRUS

FGV.  Apr 30, 2020. Impactos do COVID-19. Confiança das empresas e empresários durante a pandemia

Com base no resultado final da Confiança do Consumidor, divulgado pelo FGV IBRE, a pesquisadora Viviane Seda explica que a crise afeta grande parte das atividades até o terceiro trimestre deste ano e muitas até 2021. O patamar de confiança atingiu o menor nível de todas as séries históricas, o que significa uma drástica redução do consumo. Nesse momento, 80% dos consumidores estão comprando apenas bens essenciais, como produtos de alimentação e saúde.

VÍDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq5UWdMj3hk&feature=youtu.be

MEconomia. 01/05/2020. COVID-19. Brasil investe mais que a média dos países avançados no combate ao coronavírus. Balanço da Secretaria Especial de Fazenda aponta esforço fiscal de R$ 349,4 bilhões no enfrentamento ao coronavírus. Secretário especial de Fazenda, Waldery Rodrigues, apresentou balanço das medidas fiscais de mitigação dos efeitos da pandemia da Covid-19

O Brasil está investindo mais que a média dos países avançados e quase o dobro do que as nações emergentes para combater os efeitos do coronavírus. As medidas brasileiras de combate à Covid-19 já anunciadas representam um impacto primário equivalente a 4,81% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) em 2020. A média dos países avançados é de 4,3% do PIB. Entre os emergentes, a média é de 2,3%. Os números foram apresentados pelo secretário especial de Fazenda do Ministério da Economia, Waldery Rodrigues, nesta sexta-feira (1º/5).

“Em termos de impacto agregado, estamos acima da média mundial. Nossa ação foi célere, focada, buscando alta efetividade, defendendo os mais vulneráveis, assim como a manutenção do emprego, sempre com transparência”, disse nesta sexta-feira (1º/5) o secretário especial de Fazenda do Ministério da Economia, Waldery Rodrigues, ao apresentar, em entrevista coletiva virtual, balanço das ações de enfrentamento à Covid-19 tomadas até agora.

Esforço fiscal

“É de R$ 349,4 bilhões o esforço fiscal adicional do governo em reação ao coronavirus”, destacou o secretário especial. Esse valor leva em conta retração de R$ 16 bilhões nas receitas e aumento de R$ 333,4 bilhões nas despesas neste ano, considerando medidas adotadas e algumas anunciadas até o momento.

Pelo lado da receita estão medidas como as de isenção das alíquotas de importação para produtos de uso médico-hospitalar (R$ 7,8 bilhões) e redução temporária da cobrança do Imposto sobre Operações Financeiras (IOF) nas operações de crédito (R$ 7,1 bilhões). As principais despesas referem-se ao Emergencial - Coronavoucher (R$ 123,9 bilhões), o Benefício Emergencial de Manutenção do Emprego e da Renda - BEM (R$ 51,6 bilhões) e o Programa Emergencial de Suporte a Empregos - PESE (R$ 34 bilhões).

Transparência

O Ministério da Economia está acompanhando em tempo real a evolução dos gastos dos recursos destinados a ações de combate à Covid-19. Do total de R$ 253 bilhões autorizados até agora, já foram pagos R$ 59,9 bilhões. Em termos de despesas já pagas a ação com maior volume até agora é o auxílio emergencial a pessoas em situação de vulnerabilidade (Coronavoucher): R$ 35,6 bilhões.

Waldery Rodrigues ressaltou a importância de manter absoluta transparência sobre esse fluxo de despesas, afinal trata-se de dinheiro público, dos cidadãos. Para garantir acesso aos dados pela população, as informações foram disponibilizadas no portais Tesouro Nacional Transparente e Painel do Orçamento Federal, explicou o secretário especial. “Há impacto sobre o contribuinte. Temos de ter zelo completo e cuidado com a efetividade das ações”, disse. A atualização das informações é diária.

Ele destacou que a maior parte dessas despesas de combate ao Covid-19estão sendo atendidas por meio de créditos extraordinários, portanto não se tornarão despesas permanentes. “O impacto no resultado primário de 2020 é situação conjuntural, de caráter transitório. Estamos desenhando mecanismos que não carreguem impacto para frente, que não impeçam a busca do equilíbrio fiscal após o enfrentamento do coronavírus”, afirmou.

Projeções

A Secretaria Especial de Fazenda apresentou também a projeção atualizada do déficit primário do Governo Central (Tesouro, Banco Central e Previdência Social) para 2020, que agora é estimado em R$ 566,6 bilhões. Para o setor público consolidado (que inclui estados, municípios e estatais), o déficit primário projetado alcança R$ 601,2 bilhões. Esses números foram calculados levando em consideração estimativa de retração de 3,34% do Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) neste ano, que é a mais recente estimativa dos agentes de mercado apurada pelo Boletim Focus, do Banco Central. Sob essa perspectiva, a Dívida Bruta do Governo Geral (DBGG) alcançaria 90,8% do PIB.

A Secretaria Especial de Fazenda, entretanto, realizou projeções considerando retração do PIB de 2020 entre 1,34% (em um cenário mais otimista) e 5,34% (cenário mais pessimista). Na hipótese de a queda do PIB ficar em 1,34%, o déficit primário do Governo Central seria de R$ 546,1 bilhões e a DBGG ficaria em 88,6% do PIB. Considerando queda de 5,34% do PIB, o déficit primário do governo central subiria a R$ 587,1 bilhões e a DBGG atingiria 93,1% do PIB. “Dada a alta imprevisibilidade sobre qual será a queda do PIB, colocamos uma análise de sensibilidade, com diversos cenários”, destacou.

Participaram da coletiva virtual nesta sexta-feira  o secretário especial de Fazenda, Waldery Rodrigues; o  diretor de Programa da Fazenda,  Gustavo Guimarães ; o subsecretário de Planejamento Estratégico da Política Fiscal  da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, Pedro Jucá; o subsecretário de Estudos Orçamentários, Relações Institucionais e Tecnologia da Informação da Secretaria de Orçamento Federal, Pablo Rangell; o Coordenador-Geral de Contabilidade da União da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, Heriberto do Nascimento; o subsecretário da Dívida Pública da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, José Franco de Morais; o coordenador-geral de Estudos Econômicos Fiscais  da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, Rafael Araújo; o coordenador-geral de Planejamento e Riscos Fiscais da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, Daniel Borges; o coordenador-geral de Planejamento Estratégico da Dívida Pública da Secretaria do Tesouro Nacional, Luiz Fernando.

Apresentação Divulgação e Transparência das Ações de Enfrentamento à Covid-19: https://www.gov.br/economia/pt-br/centrais-de-conteudo/apresentacoes/2020-05-01-transparencia.pdf/view

TAXA BÁSICA DE JUROS SELIC

BACEN. REUTERS. 1 DE MAIO DE 2020. Banco Central deve cortar Selic em mais 0,5 ponto na quarta-feira
Por Gabriel Burin

1 Maio (Reuters) - O Banco Central deverá cortar sua taxa básica de juros em 0,5 ponto percentual novamente na quarta-feira para ajudar a economia brasileira, que mergulha em uma recessão acelerada devido a medidas de isolamento, mostrou uma pesquisa da Reuters.

Com a atividade já passando pelo que parece ser a maior queda trimestral já registrada, e as empresas quase incapazes de vender seus bens e serviços, a inflação não é mais uma ameaça que impediria mais flexibilização monetária.

O Comitê de Política Monetária (Copom) deve estender o ciclo de corte de taxas iniciado no ano passado para alimentar uma economia que já estava em ritmo lento antes da pandemia de coronavírus, prejudicando as promessas de crescimento do presidente Jair Bolsonaro.

“A gravidade da situação ficou mais clara desde a última reunião do Copom”, disse Etore Sanchez, economista-chefe da Ativa Investimentos, em São Paulo. “A condição crítica da economia prevalecerá nas decisões políticas”.

Em um sinal de quão rápidas as condições econômicas estão em declínio, a taxa de desemprego no Brasil subiu para 12,2% nos três meses até março, marcando o maior aumento em três anos, embora o coronavírus não tenha sido o principal fator.

A redução esperada seria a sétima desde 7 de julho, quando a taxa Selic ficou em 6,5%, e a deixará em um nível recorde mínimo de 3,25%, após um corte de 0,5 ponto percentual em uma reunião de março, segundo 26 economistas consultados entre 27 e 30 de abril.

Prevê-se que o Copom diminua novamente a taxa para 3% em algum momento deste trimestre, abaixo da taxa de final de ciclo de 3,25% esperada em uma pesquisa anterior da Reuters em abril, e permaneça lá por um ano inteiro antes de começar gradualmente a subir.

Mas essa abordagem causou um efeito colateral, com uma queda de 27% do real desde janeiro, depois que os cortes nas taxas do Copom corroeram a chamada vantagem de “carry trade” da moeda brasileira, diminuindo sua atratividade para os investidores.

Uma depreciação tão grande pressionaria a inflação em outras circunstâncias, como na década de 1980 ou na atual Argentina, vizinha do Brasil. No entanto, a contração relacionada ao coronavírus deixou as empresas brasileiras sem nenhum poder de elevar preços.

“Apesar da fraqueza do real, as expectativas de inflação continuaram caindo, dando espaço para o Banco Central flexibilizar ainda mais”, escreveram analistas do Citi em relatório nesta semana. As vendas de dólar também diminuem as pressões de uma moeda em queda, acrescentou.

A inflação provavelmente ficará em média em 2,7% no segundo trimestre, a menor em um período de três meses desde 2017, quando uma safra abundante derrubou os preços dos alimentos, de acordo com pesquisas da Reuters. O Produto Interno Bruto (PIB) deverá cair 5,7% em abril-junho.

A perspectiva preocupante levou o Congresso a começar a debater uma emenda constitucional que concede poderes de emergência ao Banco Central para realizar uma flexibilização quantitativa (“quantitative easing”) como parte de seu arsenal de combate a crises.

Até agora, Roberto Campos Neto, presidente do banco, descartou a compra generalizada de títulos, dizendo que qualquer ação seria semelhante à sua intervenção cambial em tempos de forte estresse no mercado.

As autoridades querem acalmar os receios de embarcar na impressão definitiva de dinheiro. “Será limitado ao mercado secundário, vemos isso como uma medida positiva”, disse Victor Beyruti, economista da Guide Investimentos, em São Paulo.

COMÉRCIO EXTERIOR BRASILEIRO

MEconomia. 30/04/2020. COVID-19. Governo Federal zera Imposto de Importação de mais 81 produtos para combate à Covid-19. Medida inclui insumos para a produção de ventiladores pulmonares e materiais e equipamentos de uso médico-hospitalar

O governo federal, por meio da Câmara de Comércio Exterior (Camex) – órgão interministerial presidido pelo Ministério da Economia – zerou o Imposto de Importação de mais 81 produtos utilizados no combate à pandemia da Covid-19 no Brasil. A decisão, aprovada em reunião do Comitê Executivo de Gestão da Camex (Gecex), inclui insumos para a produção de ventiladores pulmonares e materiais e equipamentos de uso médico-hospitalar.

A Resolução Nº 33/2020 do Gecex, publicada nesta quinta-feira (30/4) no Diário Oficial da União, abrange produtos classificados em 38 códigos da NCM (Nomenclatura Comum Mercosul). Os itens foram definidos em trabalho conjunto da Camex com a Secretaria da Receita Federal e o Ministério da Saúde. Com a nova lista, chega a 394 o número de produtos que tiveram a tarifa de importação zerada para o combate à pandemia.

Na mesma reunião, o Gecex aprovou a Resolução nº 34, para ajustar a lista desses produtos – todos constantes do anexo único da Resolução Nº 17, de 17 de março de 2020, que incluiu os itens adicionados pelas Resoluções Nº 22/2020, Nº 28/2020, Nº 31/2020 e Nº 32/2020.

As alterações se devem à necessidade de efetuar ajustes nas numerações de determinados ex-tarifários de bens de capital (BK), em alguns casos pontuais. Além disso, nos ex-tarifários dos códigos NCM 8422.40.90 e 8449.00.80, será feito ajuste na nomenclatura, conforme solicitação da Secretaria Especial de Produtividade, Emprego e Competitividade do Ministério da Economia (Sepec/ME), para viabilizar a desoneração de equipamentos importados destinados à fabricação de máscaras de proteção.

DOCUMENTO: https://www.gov.br/economia/pt-br/assuntos/noticias/2020/abril/governo-federal-zera-imposto-de-importacao-de-mais-81-produtos-para-combate-a-covid-19

AVIAÇÃO

EMBRAER. BNDES. REUTERS. 1 DE MAIO DE 2020. BNDES negocia com bancos financiamento de até US$1,5 bi para Embraer, pode elevar participação
Por Rodrigo Viga Gaier

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Embraer pode obter um crédito de 1 bilhão a 1,5 bilhão de dólares junto ao BNDES e bancos comerciais para capital de giro e financiar a exportação de aeronaves, disseram à Reuters duas fontes do governo próximas às negociações.

As conversas entre o banco e a fabricante de aviões ainda estão estágio inicial, mas, de acordo com as fontes, a Embraer também pode ser incluída em um programa de socorro às companhias aéreas nacionais afetadas pelos impactos da pandemia de Covid-19.

A Boeing anunciou na semana passada cancelamento do acordo para comprar o controle da principal divisão da companhia brasileira por 4,2 bilhões de dólares, gerando dúvidas sobre o futuro da Embraer e motivando a empresa a abrir um processo de arbitragem contra a fabricante norte-americana.

Segundo as fontes, um suporte está sendo estudado pelo governo brasileiro, via BNDES, para a Embraer após a frustração do negócio com a Boeing.

“A Embraer não estava endereçada nos nossos esforços para ajudar o setor aéreo...Aí teve a questão com a Boeing e aí ela virou candidata (a apoio)”, disse à Reuters uma das fontes.

“A Embraer virou candidata de uma possível sindicalização entre os bancos e BNDES. É uma empresa aberta, de capital pulverizado que permite fazer algo como bônus com subscrição ou uma conversibilidade (em ações). É consenso dos bancos que a Embraer é uma natural candidata a um apoio...para dar capital de giro a ela e para financiar a venda dos aviões”, adicionou a fonte.

Procurados, representantes do BNDES não comentaram o assunto. A Embraer não se manifestou, mas fez referência a comunicado enviado por ocasião do anúncio do cancelamento do acordo com a Boeing:

“A Embraer encerrou 2019 com uma sólida posição de caixa e não temos dívidas significativas nos próximos dois anos. Mesmo assim, a partir do término do acordo com a Boeing, estamos adotando medidas adicionais para preservar nossa liquidez e manter nossas sólidas finanças durante esses tempos turbulentos, o que inclui o que inclui ajustes de estoque e produção, extensão de ciclos de pagamento, redução de despesas e investimento e acesso a fontes complementares de financiamento.”

Porém, para o financiamento de até 1,5 bilhão de dólares ser estruturado com o BNDES e os bancos comerciais, o governo precisa reativar o Fundo de Garantia a Exportação (FGE), que foi alvo de intensas críticas do atual presidente Jair Bolsonaro por ter apoiado projetos de engenharia em países como Angola, Venezuela e Cuba nos governos petistas.

“O FGE está travado e precisa ser destravado, reconstruído em melhores termos depois daqueles problemas...tem que estruturar esse sistema para apoiar a Embraer para atender encomendas, mas para o BNDES apoiar precisa que o FGE tenha orçamento, dotação e previsibilidade. Financiar hoje é uma operação de muito risco”, disse uma das fontes.

Além do empréstimo, um possível aumento da participação do governo, via BNDES, no capital da Embraer também está sendo avaliado. O braço de investimentos em participações do banco de fomento, BNDESPar, detém 5,4% do capital da fabricante brasileira.

“As conversas estão iniciais...equity é sempre bem vindo nesse tipo de empresa (como a Embraer). A empresa pode ficar reticente hoje de fazer um movimento de equity porque teve uma queda grande na bolsa brasileira. A Embraer é uma candidata a ter uma operação de equity; faz sentido numa empresa como essa”, disse uma das fontes.

DIVÓRCIO AMARGO

Falando durante uma live orgnizada pela Aviation Week nesta sexta-feira, o presidente-executivo da divisão de aviação comercial da Embraer, John Slattery, afirmou que a empresa está queimando caixa, mas tem capacidade de levantar mais recursos se necessário. “Não estou preocupado com liquidez”, afirmou o executivo.

Slattery brincou que o público da apresentação era dominado por advogados de cada lado da disputa com a Boeing, enquanto as duas empresas se dirigem para o que é amplamente esperado como um caso de divórcio amargo.

Para se preparar para a separação da unidade de aviação comercial, antes da desistência da Boeing, a Embraer fechou as principais atividades por 40 dias, preparando-a para formar uma joint-venture que seria 80% controlada pela Boeing.

Slattery disse que isso resultou em alguma duplicação entre o núcleo da Embraer e a unidade de aviação comercial, mas que a terceira maior fabricante de aviões do mundo se recuperará do cancelamento do acordo como “uma única Embraer”.

“No momento, a direção está muito clara... vamos controlar a Embraer Comercial... e de uma maneira bem ponderada traçar os próximos movimentos”, disse Slattery.

Com reportagem adicional de Tim Hepher e Marcelo Rochabrun

EMBRAER. BOEING. REUTERS. 1 DE MAIO DE 2020. Embraer sofreu "dor" na preparação para negócio com Boeing, diz executivo
Por Tim Hepher

PARIS (Reuters) - O chefe executivo da unidade de aeronaves comerciais defendeu os benefícios de um negócio de 4,2 bilhões de dólares abandonado pela Boeing na semana passada, mas disse que o grupo aeroespacial brasileiro estava focado em seu futuro.

O executivo John Slattery disse que a Embraer sofreu “dor” e custos ao separar os aviões a jato das atividades de defesa e jato executivo em preparação para a fusão, incluindo a perda de entregas em janeiro.

Ele preferiu não comentar sobre um processo de arbitragem que a Embraer lançou depois que a Boeing cancelou abruptamente o acordo no sábado.

Falando em um webinar promovido pela Aviation Week, Slattery disse estar convencido de que a parceria aeroespacial comercial com a Boeing proporcionaria “benefícios extraordinários” aos clientes das companhias aéreas que expressaram decepção com o colapso.

A Boeing afirmou que a Embraer não cumpriu as condições para fechar o acordo.

Foi a primeira aparição pública do chefe comercial da empresa desde que o negócio entrou em colapso.

O colapso, relatado pela primeira vez pela Reuters, chamou a atenção de uma indústria que já está enfrentando a pior crise devido à queda nas viagens causada pelo coronavírus, com 2.000 pessoas participando do webinar previamente organizado.

Slattery brincou que o público era dominado por advogados de cada lado, enquanto as duas empresas se dirigiam para o que é amplamente esperado como um caso de divórcio amargo.

A Embraer criou sua unidade comercial e fechou as principais atividades por 40 dias, preparando-a para transformá-la em um novo empreendimento, que seria 80% da Boeing.

Slattery disse que isso resultou em alguma duplicação entre o núcleo da Embraer e sua cisão comercial, mas que a terceira maior fabricante de aviões do mundo se recuperaria como “uma única Embraer”.

Questionado sobre as conversas sobre uma parceria com a China, Slattery disse que a Embraer não iniciou conversas com ninguém, mas que não pode “legislar sobre as chamadas de entrada que podem vir”.

“No momento, o conselho está muito claro... vamos governar a Embraer Commercial... e de uma maneira bem ponderada descobrir os próximos movimentos”, disse Slattery.

ENERGIA

OPEP. REUTERS. 1 DE MAIO DE 2020. Preços do petróleo têm ganho semanal enquanto Opep+ inicia cortes recordes de produção
Por Devika Krishna Kumar

NOVA YORK(Reuters) - Os preços do petróleo nos EUA subiram 5%, enquanto o petróleo Brent subiu acima de 26 dólares por barril nesta sexta-feira, com os dois contratos de referência registrando seu primeiro ganho semanal em quatro semanas, à medida que a Opep e seus aliados embarcam em cortes recordes de produção para enfrentar um excesso de oferta devido à crise do coronavírus.

Em abril, o petróleo dos EUA caiu para um nível mais baixo de todos os tempos e negociou negativo pela primeira vez, enquanto o Brent atingiu uma baixa de quase 21 anos, quando a pandemia corroeu a demanda e a Opep e outros produtores aumentaram a produção antes de chegarem ao novo acordo de fornecimento, que começou na sexta-feira.

O Brent para julho caiu 0,04 dólar, ou 0,2%, para 26,44 dólares por barril. O contrato de junho expirou na quinta-feira em 25,27 dólares.

O petróleo nos EUA (WTI) encerrou a sessão com alta 0,94 real, ou 5%, a 19,78 dólares, depois de subir acima de 20 dólares no início da sessão.

Após três semanas consecutivas de perdas, o petróleo Brent alcançou um ganho de cerca de 23%, enquanto o WTI aumentou cerca de 17%.

O WTI também encontrou apoio depois que as empresas de energia dos EUA cortaram as sondas de petróleo pela sétima semana consecutiva, reduzindo a contagem total para 325, a menor desde junho de 2016, disse a empresa de serviços de energia Baker Hughes. [RIG/U]

A Organização dos Países Exportadores de Petróleo, Rússia e outros produtores, conhecidos como Opep+, concordaram com um corte de produção de 9,7 milhões de barris por dia a partir de 1 de Maio.

Reportagem adicional de Alex Lawler e Aaron Sheldrick

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LGCJ.: