On November 18, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the issuance of a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against garments, apparel, and textiles manufactured in Mauritius by Firemount Group Ltd. The WRO follows an investigation into the company where CBP discovered several indicators of forced labor use, including abuse of vulnerability, debt bondage, deception
United States and Ecuador Reach Framework Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
According to a Joint Statement issued by the White House on November 13, 2025, the United States and the Republic of Ecuador have entered into a Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade to “provide access to each other’s markets and increase alignment on economic and national security matters.” As noted in a separate White
President Trump Issues Executive Order Exempting Various Agricultural Products from the Reciprocal Tariff Regime
On November 14, 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order exempting various agricultural products from the reciprocal tariff regime established under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”). Listed in Annex I of the executive order by their tariff codes within the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”), these agricultural products include
OFAC Issues New and Amended Russia-related General Licenses
- Russia-related General License 124B, “Authorizing Petroleum Services and Other Transactions Related to the
USTR Announces One-Year Suspension of Section 301 Countermeasures Targeting China’s Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding Sectors
On November 13, 2025, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a nearly one-year suspension—until November 10, 2026—of countermeasures it imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, on Chinese vessels and maritime transport operations. Section 301 authorizes the USTR to investigate
Trump’s Emergency Tariffs Face Scrutiny—and Skepticism—at the Supreme Court
On November 5, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a high-profile consolidated appeal challenging whether President Donald Trump lawfully invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) to impose tariffs. The cases challenge two sets of tariffs Trump implemented earlier this year: (1) tariffs against Canada, China, and Mexico in response to
White House Announces One-Year Suspension of the BIS “Affiliates Rule”
On November 1, 2025, the White House published a Fact Sheet announcing that the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) will suspend the new “50% Rule”—also known as the “Affiliates Rule”—for one year, beginning November 10, 2025. The suspension was among several concessions reached during trade negotiations between the United States and
United States and China Reach Deal to Ease Trade Tensions
- China
Customs Broker Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Charge in Latest FCPA Prosecution Following DOJ’s Recent Enforcement Restart
On October 23, 2025, a customs broker operating in both the United States and Mexico pleaded guilty to conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) before a magistrate judge in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. Although the plea agreement remains under seal, it was approved and adopted the
OFAC Sanctions Russia’s Two Largest Oil Companies
On October 22, 2025, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) placed Russia’s two largest oil companies on its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List. This action was taken by the Treasury Department to “increase pressure on Russia’s energy sector and degrade the Kremlin’s ability to raise revenue for its war machine