The Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) uses several tools to enforce Section 307 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (Section 307), which prohibits the importation of goods made with forced labor. For example, CBP may issue a withhold release order (WRO) when information reasonably but not conclusively indicates that merchandise produced with forced labor is being, o

The Venezuelan economy's performance has declined steadily for almost a decade and fallen steeply since the imposition of a series of U.S. sanctions starting in 2015. For example, the economy declined from negative 6.2 percent gross domestic product growth in 2015 to negative 35 percent in 2019 and negative 25 percent in 2020. The sanctions, particularly on the state oil company in 2019, likely c

The Department of State (State) did not demonstrate that it used data and evidence to develop its proposal for establishing a new Bureau of Cyberspace Security and Emerging Technologies (CSET). In response to GAO requests for such data and evidence, State provided GAO with briefing slides outlining different options for the new bureau and an action memo, approved by the Secretary of State. The me

GAO's body of work on Afghanistan reconstruction from 2002 through 2020 identified systemic weaknesses in human resources, monitoring, contracting, information quality, coordination, and other management areas where internal control issues could increase the risk of waste, fraud, and abuse. These systemic weaknesses cut across multiple sectors of reconstruction activities, such as security, roads

The four U.S. trade preference programs that are intended to foster economic development by offering eligible developing countries duty-free access to the U.S. market (for select products) do not contain legal provisions specifically protecting or promoting women's rights and economic interests in the trade arena, such as equal access to credit. However, they do include provisions protecting some

Almost $20 billion of the $185 billion (11 percent) that the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) obligated from funds appropriated in fiscal years 2009–2019 remained unliquidated (or not yet expended), as of March 31, 2020. Funds appropriated for Development Assistance (DA), Economic Support Fund (ESF), and Global Health Programs (GHP) made up about 78 percent of these unliquidate

GAO's analysis of U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data and interviews with industry stakeholders shows that the repeal of the U.S. crude oil export ban is associated with increased crude oil exports—from less than half a million barrels per day in 2015 to almost 3 million barrels per day in 2019. The repeal of the ban expanded the market for U.S. crude oil to overseas buyers and, a

From 2014 through 2018, the United States and other donors provided an estimated total of more than $75 billion in global food security assistance, with the United States accounting for more than $22 billion of this total. Other countries disbursed a total of $40 billion, and multilateral donors, including international organizations and institutions with government membership, disbursed $13 bill

The Department of State (State) Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (State/INL) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) provided sufficient documentation for GAO to conclude that they followed most key practices for monitoring rule of law assistance for the awards we reviewed from selected countries. However, the agencies did not provide sufficient docu

The Department of State (State), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Labor (DOL) managed 182 international anti-trafficking in persons projects, totaling at least $316 million, during fiscal year 2018 and the first half of fiscal year 2019. These projects aim to support prosecution of perpetrators of trafficking, protect survivors, and prevent trafficking.