A government shutdown certainly didn't slow the news cycle this month. This month was filled with deals, deals, and other trade issues, primarily focused on critical minerals and rare earth metals. I take a brief look at all of those deals (unless another new one came out after I finished!) and a few other stories that made the headlines this month on Russia and Canada. What's the breakdown of these new deals, what's in them, what do they aim to accomplish? Tune in and find out.

Just as predicted, the export control relief targeting Syria was finally published this month. In this episode I take a deep dive into what our sanctions/export control stance towards Syria was up to this point, and examine the reforms that have come through to see what this new stance means for trade with Syria.

https://www.bis.gov/press-release/commerce-eases-export-controls-syria

https://www.bis.gov/node/18307

https://www.bis.gov/regulations/ear/746#section-746.9

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/02/2025-16724/relaxing-export-controls-for-syria

https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/31

August saw several important events related to peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, with America playing an important role in facilitating. But what does the future look like for American sanctions and export controls against Russia? To understand that, we'll first need a refresher on where we currently stand. Tune in and find out!