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
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
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
On July 14, 2021, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was passed unanimously by the US Senate. It now moves to the House, where it is expected to pass easily – a previous version of the bill passed 406-3 in September 2020. The UFLPA reverses the previously applied burden of proof, creating a presumption … Continue Reading
Despite the Congressional recess and continued focus on COVID-19 economic relief, Trump officials announced several major trade actions over the last week that could impact global trade and supply chains. Here is a quick round-up of recent developments and what may be coming next.… Continue Reading
On Tuesday, August 11, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) is scheduled to publish a notice in the Federal Register that could end the ability of manufacturers based in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong”) of the People’s Republic of China (“China”) to avoid the tariffs imposed on Chinese products by the Trump … Continue Reading
The EU-27 and the UK have exchanged draft negotiating texts on their future trading relationship following the UK’s decision to leave the EU, indicating a polarity about how both sides see this future relationship.… Continue Reading
The UK government has published the proposed customs duty rates that will apply to imported merchandise entering the UK from third countries after the country has left the European Union (EU) under a so-called no-deal scenario. Unless recent political developments require the UK government to extend that deadline, it has been indicated that the UK … Continue Reading
UPDATE: The Tariff Book was updated on May 10, 2019 to reflect an updated action on Section 301 by the Trump Administration that increased tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese products (List 3). How To Use The Tariff Book Because there is so much information included in this Tariff Book, we have made the document fully searchable. … Continue Reading
Our partners Dr. Jens Rinze (Frankfurt) will give a practical insight into the issues that financial institutions, corporations and other businesses would face if the UK votes for Brexit. This complimentary seminar will take place on 9 June from 4-6 pm in the Squire Patton Boggs Warsaw offices. Topics will include: How would a Brexit work from the legal … Continue Reading
On 5 May 2016, the US Treasury Department’s OFAC announced designations of leaders and associates of the so-called Waked Money Laundering Organization, and 68 entities believed to be part of that organization, as specially designated narcotics traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. OFAC, in cooperation with US Customs and Border Protection, other US agencies and the Panamanian Government, … Continue Reading
North Korea Sanctions Bill Passes – Sent to President’s Desk. By a vote of 408-2, the House passed new North Korea sanctions legislation (H.R. 757) on Friday following the Senate’s unanimous approval Wednesday, sending the measure to President Obama’s desk for signature into law. Once enacted, the bill would compel the U.S. Department of the … Continue Reading
TPP – Agreement Signed; Warnings of a Slow Congressional Process. After the Thursday signing ceremony in Auckland, New Zealand, Ambassador Froman said the United States is developing a “full implementation plan” to make sure developing countries, such as Vietnam, uphold their obligations. At a Tuesday meeting with President Obama, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) … Continue Reading
The Senate was in session last week, while the House of Representatives (“the House”) remained in recess in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. Implementation Day of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran took effect, as did a prisoner swap last week. Washington’s attention then quickly shifted to an impending historic … Continue Reading
President Barack Obama addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday, delivering his final State of the Union (SOTU) address. Although trade is generally not a central theme during a congressional and presidential election year, the President did mention the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal near the end of the speech as one example of American … Continue Reading
Trade Practitioner will co-lead a practical interactive workshop on How to Meet Increasingly Complex Valuation Challenges on January 20, 2016, preceding American Conference Institute’s 10th Advanced Forum on Import Compliance & Enforcement. Chris’ session aims to make sense of and provide guidance on a range of Customs valuation issues that import compliance professionals encounter on a daily basis. For … Continue Reading
The renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program became effective on 29 July 2015. The GSP renewal has retroactive effect for the period during which it lapsed (1 August 2013 through 28 July 2015), and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recently provided notice that it will begin processing refunds on duties paid … Continue Reading
