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Decarbonizing the Global Shipping Industry: Is Hydrogen Fuel the Answer?

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in China, East Asia & the Pacific, EU, European Regulations, Trade Policy & Market Access, US, US Regulation
Decarbonization is coming to the global shipping industry. Accounting for nearly one- quarter of all carbon emissions from the world’s transportation sector and one billion tons of carbon dioxide annually, shipping stands at a critical juncture in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and mitigate its environmental impact. Among the emerging alternatives to traditional fossil … Continue Reading

BIS Amends the EAR to Expand Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus and Over 300 New Sanctions Designations

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Export Controls & Sanctions, Iran, Russia, US, US Regulation
On June 12, 2024, the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed additional export control measures against Russia and Belarus by expanding the scope of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) sectoral sanctions. The amendments to the EAR were issued in conjunction with the issuance of sanctions against over … Continue Reading

The Russian Federation’s Introduced Compensation Protocol in Response to the Unfriendly Acts of the US

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Enforcement Actions, Export Controls & Sanctions, Russia
The government of the Russian Federation is taking specific actions to establish a special procedure for compensation of damage caused by the US. Thus, this new procedure enables “Russian Rights Holders” (i.e., holders of damaged rights of the Russian Federation and/ or the Russian Central Bank) to address Russian courts with a statement claiming having … Continue Reading

New US Trade Action Against Disposable Aluminum Containers, Pans, and Trays from China

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in AD/CVD, China, Customs, Enforcement Actions, Tariffs, Trade Policy & Market Access, Trade Remedy & Defense, US Regulation
On May 16, 2024, U.S. producers filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against imports of disposable aluminum containers, pans, and trays from China claimed to be (a) dumped – i.e., sold into the United States at less than fair/normal value prices and (b) government subsidized. The petition alleges dumping import duty margins of … Continue Reading

White House Issues Executive Order to Strengthen Cybersecurity at US Ports

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in China, Enforcement Actions, EU, Export Controls & Sanctions, Technology Transfer, Trade Policy & Market Access, US, US Regulation
On February 21, 2024, the White House issued an executive order implementing various measures to bolster the security of US ports by expanding the US Coast Guard’s authority to regulate maritime cybersecurity, requiring the reporting of cyber incidents and investing in the US port critical infrastructure. With the increasing use of connected systems in the … Continue Reading

US ITC Launches Global Rice Trade Investigation

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in AD/CVD, Customs, Enforcement Actions, International Trade Commission & ITC, Tariffs, Trade Policy & Market Access, Trade Remedy & Defense, US
On March 1, 2024, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) officially announced the initiation of a new factfinding investigation into the global rice market. The investigation, titled “Rice: Global Competitiveness and Impacts on Trade and the U.S. Industry” (Investigation No. 332-603), was requested by US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Chair Jason … Continue Reading

European Commission Investigates Chinese State-backed Company’s Participation in a European Tender Using New Powers Under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in EU, European Regulations
The European Commission has launched its first ever formal investigation into a potentially market-distorting foreign subsidy, exercising its powers under the 2023 Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR). The investigation concerns the participation of a Chinese state-owned train manufacturer in a public tender organized by the Bulgarian Ministry of Transport and Communications. The outcome of this case … Continue Reading

Upcoming/New CFIUS Filing: Cunova GmbH (Germany) and KME America Marine Tube & Fitting LLC (U.S.)

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in CFIUS Case Summaries, Germany, Upcoming/New Filing, US
Status: Upcoming/New Filing Acquirer: Cunova GmbH (Germany); KME Group SpA (Italy); SDCL EDGE Acquisition Corporation (Cayman Islands) Acquired: KME America Marine Tube & Fitting LLC (U.S.) Value: $736 million Industry Tags: Specialty Metals; Metals; Aerospace        … Continue Reading

Unveiling the New EU Foreign Investment Regime

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Artificial Intelligence, EU, European Regulations
To address growing geopolitical tensions and technological shifts, the European Commission presented, on 24 January 2024, five new initiatives for strengthening the EU’s economic security. Part of the package is a proposal for a new regulation on the screening of foreign investments, whose aim is to update Regulation 2019/452 (FDI Regulation), which is currently in … Continue Reading

BIS Amends the EAR To Implement Additional Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus and To Revise Existing Export Controls on Russia, Belarus and Iran

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Export Controls & Sanctions, Iran, Russia, US, US Regulation
On January 25, 2024, the US Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published amendments to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) expanding the sanctions against Russia and Belarus through new and revised licensing requirements. The amendments also refined existing export controls on Russia, Belarus and Iran to enhance the effectiveness of, and better … Continue Reading

Forced Labor Legal Developments in Europe: EU Council and Parliament Negotiate Final Text for Proposed Regulation

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Customs, Enforcement Actions, EU, Export Controls & Sanctions, Tariffs, Trade Policy & Market Access, Trade Remedy & Defense, US, US Regulation
While many have focused in recent months on the US enforcement of the forced labor import ban (19 U.S.C. 1307) and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) (Public Law No. 117-78), the EU is working on its own set of regulations prohibiting products made with forced labor from entering the EU market. A proposal … Continue Reading

US ITC to Investigate Global Rice Trade

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in AD/CVD, Customs, Enforcement Actions, International Trade Commission & ITC, Tariffs, Trade Policy & Market Access, Trade Remedy & Defense, US
In a February 5, 2024 letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC), US House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (Republican-Missouri) requested that the ITC conduct a Section 332 investigation into the global rice market. The ITC will institute the investigation in the coming weeks, and it could be the first … Continue Reading

CFIUS Filing Pending: Czechoslovak Group a.s. and Sporting Products business of Vista Outdoor Inc.

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Americas, CFIUS Case Summaries, Europe & Central Asia, Pending, US
Status:       Pending Acquirer:            Czechoslovak Group a.s. (Czech Republic) Acquired:            Sporting Products business of Vista Outdoor Inc. (U.S.) Value:                  $1.91 billion Industry Tags:    Firearms; Law Enforcement… Continue Reading

Another Domino Falls: UK to Follow the EU in Ending the Antitrust Exemption for Liner Shipping

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in European Regulations, United Kingdom
In our blog back in October, we noted the European Commission’s decision to let the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) as to liner shipping expire on 25 April 2024. In a subsequent client alert, we noted that we were also waiting to see what the US Congress and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) would do … Continue Reading

No More ‘Safe Harbor’ – European Commission to End the Antitrust Exemption for Liner Shipping

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in EU, European Regulations
The European Commission has decided to end a rule exempting liner shipping services from certain EU antitrust rules, by letting the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) expire on April 25, 2024. The decision came after the European Commission concluded that the CBER “is no longer fit for purpose.”… Continue Reading

Deal Terminated: Yuhan Optoelectronic Technology Co., Ltd. and Applied Optoelectronics, Inc.

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in CFIUS Case Summaries, China, East Asia & the Pacific, Terminated, Unknown, US
Status:  Unknown; Deal Terminated Acquirer: Yuhan Optoelectronic Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (China) Acquired: Manufacturing facilities located in the People’s Republic of China and certain assets related to the transceiver business and multi-channel optical sub-assembly products of Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (United States) Value: $150 million Industry Tags: Telecommunications; Electronics Design & Manufacturing… Continue Reading

OFAC Expands Russian Sanctions

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Export Controls & Sanctions, Russia
On May 19, 2023, the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) expanded U.S. economic sanctions against Russia through the issuance of: In addition, OFAC issued four general licenses related to these expansions. (Recent Actions, Department of Treasury, Russia-related Designations; Issuance of Amended Russia-related Directive 4, Russia-related General Licenses; Publication of Russia-related Determinations; … Continue Reading

CFIUS Clearance: AGS Health LLC (U.S.); AGS Health Private Limited (India) and Mediscribes Solutions, Inc.

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Americas, CFIUS Case Summaries, Clearance, No Action, US
Status:        Clearance or No Action Acquirer:              AGS Health LLC (U.S.); AGS Health Private Limited (India) Acquired:             Mediscribes Solutions, Inc. (U.S.) Value:                   $56 million Industry Tags:    Software; Healthcare… Continue Reading

DDTC revises USML Category XI

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in US, US Regulation
On April 27, 2023, the U.S. Department of State published an Interim final rule and request for comments to amend the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to “remove from U.S. Munitions List (USML) Category XI certain high-energy storage capacitors and to clearly identify the high-energy storage capacitors that remain in USML Category XI.”… Continue Reading

BIS Amends the EAR to Impose Additional Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus and to Impose Additional Export Controls on Iran

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in Export Controls & Sanctions, Iran, Russia
Sanction, toned photoOn Friday, February 24, 2023, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published in the Federal Register four new Final Rules amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) (15 CFR parts 730-774) to implement additional sanctions against Russia and Belarus, refine existing controls, implement export control measures on Iran, and add new entities to the … Continue Reading

EU Agrees to 10th Package of Sanctions Against Russia

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in EU, Russia, Ukraine
On 25 February 2023, the EU Council adopted the tenth package of restrictive measures in response to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. The new regulations include tighter restrictions on the export of dual-use goods, as well as measures against entities that support the conflict or deliver drones used by Russia. According to a statement by … Continue Reading

Trade Alert: New Antidumping (AD) and Countervailing Duty (CVD) Petitions on Certain Tin Mill Products from Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom

By Trade Practitioner on Posted in China, Germany, Trade Policy & Market Access, United Kingdom
On January 18, 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union, filed a petition to impose (a) antidumping (AD) duties on imports of Certain Tin Mill Products from Canada, China, Germany, Netherlands, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey and the United Kingdom; and, (b) countervailing … Continue Reading
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