It's been a hectic start to the year. If you've been watching the news lately, it feels like a new document is coming out of the White House every single day. Honestly, keeping track of the list of new executive orders is a full-time job at this point. 2026 is shaping up to be a massive year for policy shifts, especially with the way the administration is leaning into trade, defense, and international relations.
Whether you’re a business owner, a government employee, or just someone trying to figure out why the price of certain goods is changing, these orders matter. They aren't just pieces of paper; they're the engine of the federal government.
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The Big Ones: Minerals, Defense, and International Deals
Early this January, the President signed a major order that basically flips the script on how we handle critical minerals. On January 15, 2026, the order titled "Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals and Their Derivative Products into the United States" hit the desk. It’s all about minerals like lithium, cobalt, and copper.
Why should you care? Because right now, even if we mine this stuff at home, we often send it to China to get processed. This new order tells the Secretary of Commerce to start negotiating with our allies to move that processing elsewhere—or bring it back here. If these negotiations don't go well, the President has reserved the right to slap on some pretty heavy tariffs. It's a "join us or get taxed" kind of vibe.
Then there’s the "Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting" order from January 7. This one is a real headache for big defense companies.
The administration is basically telling contractors like Lockheed or Boeing that if they’re behind on their schedules, they can’t use their cash to buy back stock or pay out big dividends to shareholders. The Secretary of War—a title that’s being used more frequently in these documents—now has the power to demand "remediation plans" from underperforming companies. It's an aggressive move to stop what the President calls "prioritizing investor returns over the Nation's warfighters."
Moving the Needle on Trade and Foreign Assets
The list of new executive orders for 2026 also includes some very specific, targeted strikes on foreign influence.
Take the January 2 order regarding HieFo Corporation. The government stepped in and blocked them from acquiring certain digital chip and wafer assets from EMCORE Corporation. HieFo is Chinese-controlled, and the feds decided the deal was a national security risk. They have 180 days to totally divest. This is a clear signal that the "chip wars" are only getting more intense.
And then there's Venezuela. On January 9, 2026, Executive Order 14373 was signed. It's titled "Safeguarding Venezuelan Oil Revenue for the Good of the American and Venezuelan People."
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Essentially, it protects funds held by the U.S. government on behalf of Venezuela from being seized by judicial processes or attachments. It sounds technical, but it’s a huge deal for anyone involved in international energy or finance. It's basically a "lockbox" strategy for oil money.
Other key updates you might have missed:
- The LIRR Dispute: On January 14, an order established a second Presidential Emergency Board to handle labor disputes at the Long Island Rail Road. This is the government stepping in to prevent a massive transit strike in New York.
- International Withdrawals: There’s a sweeping move to pull out of international organizations deemed "contrary to U.S. interests." This isn't just one order but a series of memoranda and directives targeting dozens of UN and non-UN entities.
- Federal Pay Rates: Effective January 1, 2026, new pay scales for federal employees kicked in. This includes the General Schedule, the Foreign Service, and even judges and members of Congress.
Why the Frequency is Picking Up
If it feels like there are more of these than usual, you’re right. By mid-January 2026, the President had already signed hundreds of orders across his second term. We are seeing a shift where the executive branch is using these directives to bypass a slow-moving Congress.
For example, look at the AI space. There’s an order from late 2025 that’s still rippling through the system, creating a "minimally burdensome" federal framework for AI. The goal is to stop states from making their own conflicting laws. It’s a classic battle of federal power versus state rights.
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The list of new executive orders isn't just about big geopolitics, though. There's stuff that hits closer to home. Rescheduling marijuana to Schedule III is still being pushed through the rulemaking process triggered by an order in late December. That’s going to change everything for researchers and the legal cannabis industry in 2026.
Actionable Insights and Next Steps
You can't just ignore these. If you are in any of the affected industries—defense, tech, energy, or even local transit—here is what you should be doing:
- Check your contracts. If you're a defense contractor, look at the new clauses regarding stock buybacks and executive pay. They're coming for your "short-term financial metrics."
- Watch the mineral supply chain. If your business uses batteries or semiconductors, the "Critical Minerals" order could mean price fluctuations or new sourcing requirements within the next six months.
- Monitor the Federal Register. These orders aren't official until they're published there. Often, there’s a gap between the signing date and the publication date. For example, EO 14373 was signed on the 9th but didn't hit the Register until the 15th.
- Consult with a compliance expert. Especially regarding the "Genesis Mission" and AI regulations. The federal government is trying to pre-empt state laws, which creates a messy legal gray area that you don't want to get caught in.
Stay ahead of the curve by looking at the specific text of these orders rather than just the headlines. The devil is always in the definitions section.