February 2020

PrimeSource Building Products, Inc., a U.S. importer of various steel derivative products, filed a complaint (subsequently amended) in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) on February 4, 2020, arguing that President Donald Trump’s Proclamation No. 9980 is unlawful and unconstitutional. This proclamation expanded the implementation of steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232 of…

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released its Report on the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO), providing an in-depth assessment of the Appellate Body’s alleged “failure to comply with WTO rules and interpret WTO agreements as written.” In a press release, USTR Robert Lighthizer stated, “For more than 20…

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a Federal Register notice approving exclusions from the Section 301 tariff for four imported Chinese products appearing on the first list/tranche of goods valued at $34 billion. The products are:

  • Centrifugal pumps, submersible, designed for use in artificial lift systems for extracting oil and gas

…

China’s Ministry of Finance has announced that retaliatory tariffs it implemented on a range of U.S. goods in response to the U.S. government’s Section 301 tariffs will be reduced February 14, 2020 on certain products from 10 percent to 5 percent, and on others from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. China first implemented these retaliatory…

On February 6, 2020, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States was initiating free trade agreement negotiations with the Republic of Kenya. The announcement came shortly after President Donald Trump met with Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and after the third meeting of the U.S.-Kenya Trade and Investment Working Group,…

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a Federal Register notice seeking public comment on the possible extension of Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain products that it granted on April 18, 2019, in the ongoing trade dispute with China. These exclusions were in the third batch of exclusions granted as part…

In his State of the Union address to Congress last night, President Donald Trump spoke of the “great American comeback” and claimed that “[t]he years of economic decay are over.  The days of our country being used, taken advantage of, and even scorned by other nations are long behind us.” His prepared speech focused briefly…

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a Federal Register notice announcing additional Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain imported Chinese products appearing on List 3. These products have been subject to Section 301 tariffs since September 24, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced additional import duties on Chinese goods with an…