We read every presidential action of 2026. Five of them matter.
The President can change the rules for a company without going through Congress. He signs one of three things. An executive order tells federal agencies to do something. A proclamation is the one that sets tariff rates — if a duty is being imposed, it almost always lives here. A memorandum instructs one named official, and is usually the opening move of a trade investigation rather than the end of one.
Only some of them actually cost a company money. The rest tell an agency to go and study a problem, which can take a year to turn into anything and often never does. That distinction — a real obligation with a date on it, versus an instruction to investigate — is the entire difference between a tradeable event and a headline. It is the first thing we filtered on.
We read every executive order, proclamation and memorandum signed in 2026 and scored each one on a single question: can it move a stock you can name? Everything that could not was deleted, not greyed out. 26 survived. Here is what is left, and the filter that gets from those 26 to the five worth acting on.
The full list, newest first.
The gold rows are the five whose date has not arrived yet — the only ones still in front of you. Shaded rows already happened; they are here so you can see what the market has priced.
| Date | Action | Why it matters | Stocks affected | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | ||||
| 08/20/26 | ★The National Space Transportation Policy (NSPM-17)Memo · Defense · DUTY | Rescinds the 2013 policy. Targets 1,000+ launches and reentries a year by 2030 against 178 in 2025. Requires US Government payloads to fly on US-built vehicles and directs agencies to favour commercial providers and fund multiple suppliers | RKLB, ASTS, LUNR, RDW, BA/LMT via ULA + | In force |
| 08/18/26 | Temporary Suspension of Additional Duties — Canadian Alcohol, Dairy, Motor VehiclesProc · Trade · DUTY | Suspends Procs 11046–11048 for three days, 19–22 Aug, on a Canadian commitment to remove the discriminations | Magna, Linamar, Stellantis Canada, Saputo + | Lapsed 22 Aug — status unconfirmed |
| 08/13/26 | ★Adjusting Imports of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and ComponentsProc · Defense · DUTY | 100% duty on UAS over 25 kg MTOW, thermal-imaging drones, docking stations and Annex I components. UAS eff 3 Sep 2026; components eff 9 Feb 2027 | KTOS, AVAV, RCAT, ONDS, UMAC + · DJI-dependent buyers − mixed | In force, phasing |
| 08/13/26 | Rebuilding the United States Navy and America's Shipbuilding Industrial BaseMemo · Defense · STUDY | Directs a shipbuilding industrial-base expansion plan and yard investment | HII, Hanwha Philly, Austal, Fincantieri + | In force |
| 08/12/26 | Expanding Capabilities to Combat Transnational Cyber-Enabled CrimeMemo · Cyber · STUDY | Expands federal offensive and investigative cyber capability and directs new interagency resourcing — the budget line that funds endpoint and threat-intel vendors | PANW, CRWD, S, FTNT + | In force |
| 08/06/26 | ★Adjusting Imports of Polysilicon and its DerivativesProc · Minerals · DUTY | 15% duty plus minimum import prices — $21/kg polysilicon, $100/kg ingots and wafers, $0.22/W cells, $0.38/W modules. Eff 4 Dec 2026. Replaces the expiring Sec 201 solar safeguard and reaches further upstream | FSLR, Hemlock, REC Silicon + · RUN, NOVA, SEDG, ENPH − mixed | Eff 4 Dec 2026 |
| 07/30/26 | Presidential Determination under DPA Sec 101 — Recoverable Critical MineralsMemo · Minerals · STUDY | Extends Defense Production Act Title III authority to recoverable critical minerals — the authority that funds direct government offtake and equity stakes | MP, USAR, Ramaco, UUUU + | In force |
| 07/23/26 | Section 301 Actions — 60 Economies — Forced LaborMemo · Trade · DUTY | 10% duty on 17 economies that committed to forced-labour import bans, 12.5% on the rest. Eff 24 Jul 2026 — the day Sec 122 expired. This is the successor tariff architecture, on a statute with no sunset | Broad importers − | In force |
| 07/20/26 | Imposing Additional Duties to Offset Canadian Discrimination — Motor Vehicles, Dairy, AlcoholProc · Trade · DUTY | Up to 50% on Canadian autos, dairy and alcohol under Section 338 of the Tariff Act 1930 — Procs 11046–11048. First real use of a legally untested statute | Magna, Linamar, Saputo, distillers − | Suspended 18 Aug, then unconfirmed |
| 07/20/26 | Securing America's Defense Supply Chains (EO 14415)EO · Defense · STUDY | Directs the Dept of War to curtail waivers for Chinese-origin covered materials and require prime and sub-tier origin mapping. Obligations arrive via future DFARS clauses, not immediately | LMT, RTX, NOC, GD, LHX − · MP, USAR + mixed | Rulemaking pending |
| 07/13/26 | Modifying the Bears Ears National MonumentProc · Energy · DUTY | Immediately shrinks monument boundaries, reopening acreage to mineral entry | UEC, EU, coal producers + | In force |
| 07/09/26 | ★Adjusting Imports of Commercial Aircraft, Jet Engines and PartsProc · Trade · STUDY | No tariff imposed. Orders Commerce and USTR to negotiate agreements within 180 days of 9 Jul 2026 — a dated decision point on the whole aero supply chain | BA, GE, RTX, HWM, SPR, HEI, TDG + | Negotiation window open |
| 06/29/26 | Declaration of Emergency — Duty-Free Phosphate Fertilizer from MoroccoProc · Minerals · DUTY | Immediate duty suspension on Moroccan phosphate | MOS, CF − · farmers + mixed | In force |
| 06/22/26 | Ushering in the Next Frontier of Quantum Innovation (EO 14413)EO · AI/Semis · STUDY | Establishes the QC-ADDS effort to field a scientifically useful quantum computer — the single largest federal commitment to date, and the tape moved on it | IONQ, RGTI, QBTS, IBM, HON + | In force |
| 06/22/26 | Securing the Nation Against Advanced Cryptographic Attacks (EO 14412)EO · Cyber · STUDY | Mandates a national post-quantum cryptography migration strategy; Commerce to issue PQC guidance to agencies | PANW, CRWD, ENTG, Entrust + | In force |
| 06/02/26 | Promoting Advanced AI Innovation and Security (EO 14409)EO · AI/Semis · STUDY | Hardens federal infrastructure against AI-enabled attack; creates a voluntary framework giving government up to 30 days' pre-release access to frontier models | OpenAI, Anthropic, GOOGL, MSFT, PANW, CRWD mixed | In force |
| 05/29/26 | Realigning US Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations With Peer CountriesEO · Health · STUDY | Directs HHS and CDC to revise the childhood immunisation schedule toward peer-country practice | MRK, PFE, GSK, SNY vaccine franchises −− | In force |
| 05/19/26 | Restoring Integrity to America's Financial System (EO 14406)EO · Financial · STUDY | Directs a Treasury AML advisory; CFPB within 60 days on deportation risk as an underwriting factor; regulators within 180 days to revisit CIP rules | Consumer lenders, WU, Remitly, banks mixed | Deadlines running |
| 04/02/26 | ★Adjusting Imports of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmaceutical IngredientsProc · Health · DUTY | 100% duty on patented pharma and APIs. UK 10%; EU, Japan, Korea, Switzerland 15%; BIS onshoring agreement 20%; HHS MFN-pricing agreement → 0% to 20 Jan 2029. Generics exempt. Eff 31 Jul 2026 (Annex III) / 29 Sep 2026 | LLY, PFE, MRK, JNJ, AZN, NVO, NVS, GSK — outcome depends entirely on signing an MFN deal ? · TEVA, VTRS + mixed | In force, phasing |
| 04/02/26 | Strengthening Actions on Aluminum, Steel and CopperProc · Minerals · DUTY | Expands derivative coverage; duty applied on full customs value rather than metal content | NUE, STLD, CLF, X + · fabricators − mixed | In force |
| 02/20/26 | Ending Certain Tariff ActionsEO · Trade · DUTY | Terminates collection under EOs 14193, 14194, 14195, 14245, 14257, 14323, 14329, 14380 and 14382 following the Supreme Court ruling. CBP stopped collecting 24 Feb 2026; refunds remanded to lower courts | All importers ++ | In force |
| 02/20/26 | Continuing the Suspension of Duty-Free De Minimis TreatmentEO · Trade · DUTY | Preserves the de minimis suspension independent of the voided IEEPA orders | Shein, Temu, FDX, UPS, ecommerce − | In force |
| 02/11/26 | Strengthening National Defense With America's Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet (EO 14386)EO · Energy · DUTY | Directs the Secretary of War to approve long-term PPAs with coal plants serving DoW installations; DOE to distribute $175m for upgrades at six named plants | BTU, ARCH, CEIX, VST, AEP, D + | In force |
| 01/14/26 | Adjusting Imports of Semiconductors, SME and DerivativesProc · AI/Semis · DUTY | 25% duty eff 15 Jan 2026, narrowly scoped to defined semiconductor articles (HTS 8471.50/.80, 8473.30). Commerce report on data-centre chips due 1 Jul 2026. The scope, not the rate, is the whole trade | DELL, HPQ, SMCI − · INTC, TXN, MU + mixed | In force |
| 01/14/26 | Adjusting Imports of Processed Critical Minerals and DerivativesProc · Minerals · STUDY | No duty imposed. Affirms the 232 finding but orders Commerce and USTR to negotiate; reserves price floors and quotas | MP, Lynas, Alcoa + | Negotiation open |
| 01/09/26 | Safeguarding Venezuelan Oil RevenueEO · Energy · DUTY | Establishes controls over Venezuelan oil proceeds | CVX, refiners mixed | In force |
Signed, dated, not yet in the price.
Canada is not on this list. The 50% Section 338 duties went live on 22 August and Canada pledged retaliation from 8 September — but the August duties were suspended within days of being signed, and the 2025 round against Canada was struck down entirely. It'll likely get faded, same as last time. Not a trade I'd size around.
Not financial advice — please do your own research.
Single source: every action, date, title and mechanism in this piece comes from whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions and the individual proclamation and memorandum pages published there. Every one of the 45 rows links to its own action page on that site — not to the index — and each URL was read off the White House index rather than guessed from the title, because the slug often differs from the headline. Nothing is taken from secondary coverage, law-firm summaries or trade press.
My own work, not from the source: the 1–5 rating, the DUTY / STUDY classification, the "stocks affected" lists, the up/down direction calls, the five-name shortlist and the view on Canada are my assessment. The White House publishes the instrument; it does not name companies or say what a policy is worth. Treat those columns as opinion.
One figure is not from the source: the "178 launches in 2025" baseline in the space card is not stated in NSPM-17 — the memorandum gives only the 2030 target of more than 1,000 launches and reentries a year. The 178 comes from published launch counts and is included for scale, flagged here because it falls outside the single-source rule.
Everything was scored on one question: can this move a stock you can name? The 1–5 numbers have been taken off the table — they were my working scaffold and they are gone now that everything weak has been deleted. What is left is the shading: gold for the five whose date is still ahead, and a darker tint on the heaviest actions. The expired Section 122 surcharge has been removed too, so every row on the page is live law. Anything that came out at 2 or below is deleted rather than greyed out, which cut 13 more rows — customs enforcement, federal-lands access, fintech licensing, TrumpIRA, FDA mental-health pathways, DPA re-delegation, mortgage credit, phosphorus, arms-transfer strategy, single-family investor rules, defense acquisition reform, and the two you flagged (childhood vaccines and quartz). Every one of them directs an agency to think about something with no rate, no date and no listed pure-play. Three moved up: Quantum Innovation 2 → 4 — you were right, IONQ, RGTI and QBTS traded on it, and a 2 could not explain that; DPA Section 101 critical minerals 3 → 4 — Title III is the authority behind direct government offtake and equity stakes, not a study; Commercial aircraft 3 → 4 — it carries a dated 180-day decision point over BA, GE, RTX, HWM, SPR, HEI and TDG.
Five rows cut for being unpriceable. Ending Birth Tourism, Schedule Policy/Career in the Excepted Service, DEI Discrimination by Federal Contractors, Truthful Advertising of Products Made in America and the Ratepayer Protection Pledge all scored a 1 — headline risk with no rate, no date and no company you could put a trade on. They are gone rather than greyed out. Three scores also moved: Transnational Cyber-Enabled Crime 2 → 4 (it funds a procurement line, not just a study), Gold Standard Childhood Vaccine 3 → 2 and Quartz Surface Products 3 → 2 (one narrow import category, no listed US pure-play).
Two rows removed and one date corrected. A Brazil Section 301 action dated 15 July and a DPA Section 303 waiver dated 13 February could not be found anywhere on whitehouse.gov, so both were cut rather than left linking to the index — the count falls from 47 to 45. Both were STUDY items rated 2, so no duty, date or shortlist changes. The Ratepayer Protection Pledge was dated 23 February here; the proclamation page shows 4 March 2026, and the row now reads that. The Bears Ears row is retitled to the official Modifying the Bears Ears National Monument — no companion Grand Staircase-Escalante proclamation appears on the site.
Coverage: calendar 2026 only, 1 January to 24 August 2026. Actions from 2025 are excluded. Dates shown are signing dates as published on the action page. Where an effective date is calculated rather than stated — the aircraft negotiation window at 180 days from 9 July 2026, the space deadlines at 90/180/240 days from 20 August 2026 — that is arithmetic on the deadline written into the instrument.