A US federal judge temporarily blocked the Defense Department from including Chinese biotechnology firm WuXi AppTec on its list of companies supporting Beijing's military, ruling the government lacked sufficient evidence to justify the designation. WuXi AppTec had challenged the designation as arbitrary and politically motivated.
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix have been evaluating etching equipment from China's Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment (AMEC) at their Chinese factories, beginning tests approximately two years ago as a contingency against potential tightening of U.S. export restrictions.
The U.S. State Department announced it will permanently implement a visa bond program requiring applicants from 50 countries—predominantly African nations, plus Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal—to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking B1/B2 visas. The program, which transitions from a pilot initiative, takes effect August 3, 2026.
