2020

We continue to collaborate with our foreign law firm partners to monitor and report on the most relevant government measures worldwide addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The newest version of the chart, which can be accessed at the link below, includes a concise, corporate-focused and user-friendly list of government measures and covers such areas as tax,…

On December 18, 2020, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a brief press statement announcing that it has “added” more than 60 entities to the Entity List, including Chinese company Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC), in order to “protect U.S. national security.” The Chinese companies include entities that enable human…

On December 11, 2020, the Treasury Department submitted its first report to Congress under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act, stating that to date it has not identified any foreign financial institutions (FFIs) that have knowingly conducted a significant transaction with an identified foreign person under the Hong Kong Autonomy Act (HKAA). The Department of…

On December 14, 2020, the State Department announced that the United States was rescinding Sudan’s designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism. The brief statement indicated that this removal “represents a fundamental change in our bilateral relationship toward greater collaboration and support for Sudan’s historic democratic transition. This achievement was made possible by the efforts…

In a Federal Register interim rule to be published on December 14, 2020, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it was revising certain aspects of the process for requesting exclusions from the additional duties and quantitative limitations implemented on imports of aluminum and steel under Section 232 of the…

In a forthcoming Federal Register Notice, the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is announcing that it is extending until June 30, 2021 the temporary exception provision under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to allow for continued telework operations during the current COVID-19 public health emergency. DDTC announced this extension…

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has revised Iran-related frequently asked questions (FAQs) to clarify that the sanctions authorized against the Iranian construction, mining, manufacturing and textiles sectors, among others, will not target Iranian manufacturers of medicines, medical devices, or products used for sanitation or hygiene or as personal protective equipment, solely for use…

On December 8, 2020, the United States and Ecuador signed a new Protocol on Trade Rules and Transparency that updates the U.S.-Ecuador Trade and Investment Council Agreement (TIC Agreement).  The Protocol adds four new annexes on (i) Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation, (ii) Good Regulatory Practices, (iii) Anticorruption and (iv) Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises.  In…

On December 3, 2020, the Department of Defense (DOD) released the names of four additional “Communist Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States in accordance with the statutory requirement of Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 1999, as amended. The companies are:

  • China Construction Technology

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On December 4, 2020, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it was terminating its Section 232 national security investigation into imports of mobile cranes.  The announcement notes that petitioner Manitowoc Company, Inc. requested on September 8, 2020, that its petition be withdrawn due to “a changing economic environment due…