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
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
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
On February 14, 2024, US melamine producer Cornerstone filed antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions against melamine imports from Germany, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, and Trinidad and Tobago claimed to be (a) dumped – i.e., sold into the United States at less than fair/normal value prices, and (b) government subsidized. AD case is … 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
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
Status: Upcoming/New Acquirer: Sega Sammy Holdings, Inc. (Japan) Acquired: GAN Ltd. (U.S.) Value: $83.4 million Industry Tags: Gaming; Software… Continue Reading
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
Earlier this year, we previewed two significant False Claims Act (FCA) cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, United States ex. rel. Schutte v. SuperValu, Inc., No. 21-1326 (“SuperValu”), and United States ex. Rel. Proctor v. Safeway, Inc., No. 22-111 (“Safeway”). The FCA provides that “any person who knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim” to the … Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: Foxconn Ventures Pte. Ltd. (Singapore); Hon Hai Technology Group (Taiwan) Acquired: Lordstown Motors Corp. (United States) Value: $52.7 Million (Initial Closing) and approximately $47.3 Million (Second Closing) Industry Tags: Electric Vehicles… Continue Reading
The US has responded to the conflict in Ukraine with the following sanctions measures (listed by date, beginning with most recent). With relevant developments, we will update this post on a weekly basis. The latest developments occurred on April 1 and April 6. Additional jurisdictions we are tracking include: EU, Japan, Republic of Korea and … Continue Reading
On April 21, 2022, President Biden issued a proclamation prohibiting Russian-affiliated vessels from entering US ports. Under the proclamation a “Russian-affiliated vessel” means:… Continue Reading
Our Trade Practitioners recently provided an overview on Russia-related sanctions and newly imposed export controls by the US, and shared insights on how to manage US trade contracts and negotiations via two webinars. Please visit our Learning Center for the webinar recordings and presentation slides.… Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: Algonquin Power & Utilities Corp. (Canada) Acquired: Kentucky Power Company and AEP Kentucky Transmission Company, Inc. (U.S.) Value: $2.846 billion Industry Tags: Regulated Utilities; Energy… Continue Reading
Status: Clearance Acquirer: Affiliates of Wafra Inc. (US) Acquired: DigitalBridge Group, Inc. (U.S.) Value: US$213 million Industry: Network and Data Solutions… Continue Reading
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
On Saturday 9 January 2021, the PRC Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) issued MOFCOM Order No. 1 of 2021 on Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-Territorial Applications of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures (the Rules). The Rules specify that they were formulated pursuant to the PRC National Security Law for the express purpose of “counteracting the impact … 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