Due to the Export Control Reform (ECR) that began nearly six years ago, the Department of States’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) has updated 18 of the 21 categories in the United States Munitions List (USML), and most of these categories had items transition to the Commerce Control List (CCL) of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by respective … Continue Reading
On March 4, 2019, the Trump Administration announced Turkey and India will be terminated from the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which allows developing countries to export goods to the US without paying duties.… Continue Reading
UPDATE: On March 5, 2019, the Council of the EU approved the Regulation establishing a framework for screening of foreign direct investments into the EU. As further explained below, the Regulation facilitates enhanced cooperation and exchange of information between EU member states and the European Commission. The Regulation could affect businesses and investors, as well as their interactions with government entities at … Continue Reading
After the UK government overwhelmingly rejected Prime Minister May’s Withdrawal Agreement in January, the Prime Minister is back to negotiations with the EU in an attempt to hammer out a Brexit deal favorable for Britain before the 29 March deadline. … Continue Reading
With continuing uncertainty, there is still a lack of clarity on what the final Brexit arrangements between the UK and the EU will look like. Many companies have been planning for the implications of Brexit for some time, and some still need to consider how Brexit may affect their operations. Both the UK government and … Continue Reading
Congratulations to the National Association of Manufacturers’ Manufacturers’ Compliance Institute for the 2018 Corporate Counsel In-House Innovator Award!… Continue Reading
Our international trade policy team recently published an analysis on the modernized North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), known as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Below is a snapshot of the analysis.… Continue Reading
George Grammas, Co-Chair of our International Trade/Global Import and Export Compliance Practice, will present on US export controls topics at the upcoming Manchester Export Symposium hosted by the UK Government Department for International Trade on November 6 in Manchester, UK. The symposium will include plenary session and workshops, and provide attendees with networking opportunity with … Continue Reading
The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2017 (S. 2098/H.R. 4311, FIRRMA for short) was introduced in Congress to reform the national security review of foreign acquisitions of US businesses by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the Committee). However, FIRRMA extends well beyond this purpose of reviewing acquisitions … Continue Reading
On 10 January 2018, the European Commission published important notice warning of the consequences that Brexit will have in the field of industrial products[1], which are subject to CE Marking requirements when placed on the European Union (EU) market. For those products, the European Commission confirmed that, to demonstrate compliance with CE Marking requirements for … Continue Reading
On 7 November, the UK government published the Trade Bill, having introduced it to Parliament for its First Reading. Together with the Customs Bill, it is designed to give the UK the powers necessary to bring existing EU trade agreements into UK statute. The bill also establishes a new independent body called the Trade Remedies … Continue Reading
The Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2017 (“S. 2098/H.R. 4311” or FIRRMA) was introduced in the US Congress on November 8, 2017 to institute “a modernization of the processes and authorities” of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or the “Committee”).… Continue Reading
On 7 November 2017, the UK Government published the Trade Bill, having introduced it to Parliament for its First Reading. Together with the Customs Bill, it is designed to give the UK the powers necessary to bring existing EU trade agreements into UK statute so that when the UK officially withdraws from the EU, businesses … Continue Reading
Sudan Sanctions In 1997, the US imposed a comprehensive trade and investment embargo against Sudan. In January 2017, i.e., in the closing days of the Obama Administration, President Obama announced a six-month suspension of US economic sanctions, citing ongoing dialogue with the Sudanese government and the government’s progress in achieving milestones agreed upon in those negotiations. Specifically, the Obama Administration … Continue Reading
On 21 September 2017, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the EU and Canada entered into force provisionally.… Continue Reading
The first round of 5-day negotiations to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) concluded on August 20. In a joint statement released by trade officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada, they restated the commitment to updating the deal, continuing domestic consultations, and working on draft text. They also committed to a … Continue Reading
On August 15, 2017, the British government unveiled a much anticipated “Future customs arrangements paper” that outlines the government’s views on post-Brexit relationship with the remaining 27 EU member countries (EU27).… Continue Reading
On May 18, 2017, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified the US Congress of President Donald Trump’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In letters transmitted to senior Congressional leaders, Ambassador Lighthizer pledged that the administration will consult closely with Congress to ensure its negotiating positions are consistent with the … Continue Reading
Following through on his promise to put “America first,” President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) on April 18 titled “Buy American and Hire American,” a two-part document addressing both US federal procurement and immigration programs. Our international trade and public policy teams together analyzed the provisions contained in the EO and offer explanations … Continue Reading
President Donald Trump hosted the Canadian and Israeli Prime Ministers at the White House last week. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly traveled to Mexico City this week to discuss trade and security matters. Cabinet Shuffle. Gen. Michael Flynn resigned as the National Security Advisor (NSA) last week, after … Continue Reading
On Monday, 13 February, President Donald Trump welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the White House. President Trump hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday. The U.S. Senate confirmed Steven Mnuchin to serve as Secretary of the Treasury on Monday evening. Congress is scheduled to be in recess next … Continue Reading
Since taking office on January 20, 2017, President Trump’s actions on several trade-related matters – from officially withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), to signaling the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to suggesting reconsideration of existing bilateral trade agreements – will have a ripple effect seen and felt around the … Continue Reading
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of documents under his executive authorities on topics ranging from trade to national security to immigration, including on “extreme vetting” of persons from select Arab countries and establishing an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) also … Continue Reading
