Tag Archives: COVID-19

This Week in Transatlantic Trade

This week in transatlantic trade: Countries on both sides of the Atlantic are accelerating their efforts to stave off the spread of the COVID-19 variants by speeding up vaccination and adding travel restrictions The EU intends to increase export transparency on COVID experimental vaccines produced within its boundaries; and the European Commission is going to … Continue Reading

US SBA Issues Interim Rule Offers Relief to Certain 8(a) BD Companies

Many small businesses in the US have suffered severe economic hardships due to the global pandemic, but there is now some relief available to a subset of small businesses. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an interim rule effective January 13, 2021, amending the regulations governing the 8(a) Business Development (BD) program to implement … Continue Reading

ITC Ends 2020 with New Section 337 Complaints; A Look Ahead for 2021

– This blog post is published as part of content partnership with our Global IP & Technology Law Blog – After a slow but steady start to 2020, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) saw a flurry of new Section 337 complaints filed in the second half of the year. Eight new complaints were filed … Continue Reading

AfCFTA – The Key to Ushering Trade and Investment to Africa

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the African continent has seen challenges like other parts of the world that are affecting trade. This includes a moving effective date for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), which slid from July 1 to possibly January 1, 2021, to avoid distracting African leaders as they respond to the pandemic. … Continue Reading

Increase in Section 337 Complaints

After a steady, but typical number of Section 337 complaints filed in the first half of 2020, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) saw a dramatic increase in July. Twelve new complaints were filed, representing the second largest number of complaints ever filed in one month. Our colleague Adam Hess explains the reason behind this … Continue Reading

Accounting for CFIUS Regulatory Risk in Transactions Involving Property Rights at Airports and Maritime Ports

New rules went into effect on February 13, 2020, that implemented the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA), expanding the authority of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the US agency that reviews foreign investments in the US for potential national security concerns. The new rules include CFIUS … Continue Reading

Join Us on May 28, 2020: The Future of US-UK Trade — Who Will Come Out a Winner?

“We are going to win so much” is a staple soundbite from President Donald Trump, and also representative of his administration’s approach to international negotiations. President Trump favors bilateral trade deals and has been optimistically touting the US as the UK’s first FTA partner after Brexit. From the UK’s perspective, Prime Minister Boris Johnson also … Continue Reading

CFIUS: Interim Rule Establishes Filing Fees as of May 1, 2020

UPDATE:  On April 29, 2020, the US Department of the Treasury (the Treasury) issued an interim rule, effective May 1, 2020, concerning applicable filing fees for formal notice filings with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS or Committee), essentially implementing the proposed rule issued on March 9, 2020.… Continue Reading

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update: Trade, Supply Chains and Defense

As world leaders and healthcare professionals respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses around the world have been forced to adapt to new restrictions, unpredictable supply chains and a limited workforce. For medical and pharmaceutical products, demand is high and the efficient movement of inputs is critical. For many other industries, dwindling consumer demand is already … Continue Reading

EU Commission Updates Guidance on FDI Screening in the EU; Citing COVID-19 Concerns

On March 25, 2020, the European Commission published a Guidance addressed to Member States on the application of foreign direct investment (FDI) Screening Regulation 2019/452 in the EU and restrictions on free movement of capital from third countries.  The Guidance relates to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. … Continue Reading

Italy and COVID-19: Legal Overview on Key Business Issues

This post is being published for The Trade Practitioner to highlight our global effort to provide support and advice to help businesses navigate legal issues and manage risk. Please visit our Coronavirus COVID-19 resource hub for additional information.  The recent outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly evolved from a local issue to … Continue Reading

US Department of Defense (DoD) Clarifies the Defense Industrial Base as Essential Critical Infrastructure

On March 20, 2020, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord issued a memorandum to the Defense Industrial Base (DIB), clarifying what is considered the Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce in light of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) (the “Memo”). The Memo can be found here.… Continue Reading

Existing Restrictions May Preclude PE-Backed Small Companies From Getting Relief Under The COVID-19 Stimulus Bill

This post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our COVID-19 resource hub. Please contact Danielle Asaad, Pablo E. Carrillo and Kirk Beckhorn with any questions. As we start this week, lawmakers on Capitol Hill continue their efforts to overcome differences on the proposed legislation to provide emergency … Continue Reading

Free For All, or All For One? The Medical Supply Chain and COVID-19

This post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Global Supply Chain Law Blog. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy needs not restating. The saying “desperate times call for desperate measures” fits the current environment well. Governments throughout the world have instituted or are considering … Continue Reading

Coronavirus COVID-19 – Italy Rachets Up

What Has Changed? Up to now, European Governments have followed an approach to tackling Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) based on three main elements: closing down the main public interactions (retail, hospitality, sports) except those necessary for food and healthcare; encouraging/requiring people to work remotely where they can, and to stay away from work if not … Continue Reading

US Officials Finalize Passenger Travel Restrictions in Response to COVID-19

Effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT on Friday, March 20, 2020 the United States limited non-essential travel across its northern and southern borders through April 20, 2020. The decision comes following negotiations with Canada and Mexico in response to the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).  The restrictions target passengers, not cargo.  Administration officials continue … Continue Reading

Coronavirus COVID-19 – Defense Production Act (DPA) and Defense Priorities and Allocations System (DPAS) – Substance and Process

On March 18, 2020, President Trump issued an Executive Order on prioritizing and allocating health and medical resources to respond to the spread of COVID-19 in the US, citing the Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA), as amended (50 U.S.C. 4501 et seq.).… Continue Reading

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) – Legal Issues in Spain

This post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Madrid office. Please contact José María Viñals with any questions.  Spain is the second most affected country in Europe in relation to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with an increasing number of people becoming infected. Click on the … Continue Reading

COVID-19 Coronavirus – UK Competition Law: May The Force Be With You?

This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Competition – Antitrust Practice. Please contact Dickie Chan and Nicola Elam with any questions. Today, the UK government announced that “supermarkets [are] to join forces to feed the nation” as the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak continues to surge. Competition … Continue Reading
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