On December 14, 2021, lawmakers in the House and Senate announced that they had reached an agreement on compromise language for a bill known as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act or “UFLPA.” Different versions of this measure passed the House and the Senate earlier this year, but lawmakers and Congressional staff have been working to reconcile … 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
** UPDATE: On February 5, 2020, the FAR Council “corrected” the effective date of the Final Rule from January 21, 2021, to January 19, 2021. This alert has been updated accordingly. ** Recent modifications to regulations and federal government acquisition policies portend big change for contractors across the US, and their suppliers around the world. … Continue Reading
What are international sanctions? What are primary and secondary sanctions? What are extraterritorial effects and how will that impact multinational operations? The changing international sanctions regulations produce dizzying regulatory landscape, and complex as well as confusing compliance environment. To help lift the curtain a bit on this topic, Trade Practitioner José María Viñals (partner, Madrid/Brussels), also … Continue Reading
On August 6, 2020, President Donald Trump signed two Executive Orders (EOs) targeting the TikTok and WeChat applications and their parent companies. Specifically, President Trump invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and other related statutes, as well as the national emergency he previously declared under these laws in Executive Order 13873 (Securing the … Continue Reading
The corona pandemic, the ongoing Brexit and the emerging dominance of China in global markets are among the issues that pose multifaceted challenges for international trade relations. At a time when new Free Trade Agreements are being negotiated, we would like to examine how international trade can be shaped in the “World of New Normal” … Continue Reading
Effective at midnight China Standard Time on Saturday, March 28, 2020, China is temporarily suspending the entry of foreign nationals who hold a valid ordinary visa or residence permit.… Continue Reading
The coronavirus’ impacts on global shipping are growing every day. While borders around the world generally remain open for cargo at this time, the cost of trans-Pacific and -Atlantic shipping of goods has increased substantially as a result. … Continue Reading
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
This post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our International Policy Practice. Please contact Matthew Kirk with any questions. We are being asked with increasing frequency by companies whether, in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdowns, their business counts as an “essential service”. This … Continue Reading
This blog post is being published for The Trade Practitioner as part of a content partnership with our Shanghai and Beijing Offices. Please contact Daniel Roules and Yi (Nic) Wan with any questions. In a prior client advisory on the legal implications of coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) in China, we explored employment, force majeure, data … Continue Reading
On May 15, 2019, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain.” The long-awaited EO addresses the use in US communications networks of technologies from certain types of foreign companies.… Continue Reading
On 21 February 2017, the French National Assembly adopted a Corporate Duty of Vigilance Law, which creates a novel corporate supply chain liability, defining a duty of vigilance for parent companies and their subcontractors. The law provides that multinational firms carrying out all or part of their activity on French territory will need to adopt … Continue Reading
