On June 17, 2020, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer testified before both the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee concerning President Donald Trump’s 2020 Trade Policy Agenda. His written statement highlights the “benefits of the President’s trade and economic policies” for U.S. households, the Trump administration’s fundamental changes to U.S.
U.S. Supreme Court Declines to Hear Appeal of Section 232 Case on National Security Tariffs on Steel Imports
On June 22, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari of an appeal by the American Institute for International Steel (AIIS) regarding the constitutionality of President Donald Trump’s authority to impose tariffs on steel imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The Court issued no formal statement; in declining to hear
USTR Issues China Section 301 Tariff Exclusion for One Product Under List/Tranche 3
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a Federal Register notice exempting Section 301 import tariffs for one additional List 3 product from China (imports from China with an annual trade value of $200 billion):
- Motorboats with displacement hulls of reinforced fiberglass and wood, each motorboat measuring not less than 14.47 m
OFAC Issues General License 37 After Blocking Entities and Vessels Operating in Venezuela’s Oil and Shipping Sectors
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) announced that it has issued General License (“GL”) 37 (Authorizing the Wind Down of Transactions Involving Delos Voyager Shipping Ltd, Romina Maritime Co Inc, and Certain Vessels), which expires on July 21, 2020. Additionally, OFAC issued frequently asked question (“FAQ”) 834 addressing the
UPDATED Country-by-Country Guide: Government Measures Taken in Response to COVID-19
In collaboration with our foreign law firm partners, we continue to update our chart of COVID-19 measures taken by governments around the world. The government measures in the chart include economic, labor and employment, health and safety, and export and import measures. Below is a list of the updated countries and a summary of the
Commerce Announces New Rule to Facilitate U.S. Companies’ Involvement in Standard-Setting Bodies Including Huawei
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced on June 15, 2020 that it is issuing a new rule to allow persons to share certain U.S. technology with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Huawei”) in connection with standards development in a standards setting body, despite Huawei’s designation to the Entity List. Commerce
State Department Updates Cuba Restricted List
Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump announced a foreign policy shift toward Cuba with the issuance of National Security Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba (NSPM). In announcing President Trump’s revised policy in June 2017 (see Trump and Trade Update of June 20, 2017), the
State Department and OFAC Issue Additional Sanctions on Iranian Shipping Entities
On June 8, 2020, the State Department announced sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL) and its Shanghai-based subsidiary, E-Sail Shipping Company Ltd (E-Sail) pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which targets weapons of mass destruction (WMD) proliferators and supporters. In a press statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo noted that,
BIS Extends Public Comment Period for Section 232 Electrical Steel Investigation
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has released a statement indicating that is it extending the deadline for filing public comments until July 3, 2020 for the Section 232 investigation into imports of certain electrical steel components for incorporation into transformers, electrical transformers and transformer regulators. The initial comment period was
USTR Issues Additional China Section 301 Tariff Exclusions for List/Tranche 4 Products
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a Federal Register notice excluding certain List/Tranche 4 products (imports from China with an annual trade value of $300 billion) from Section 301 tariffs of 10 percent. The exemptions cover two 10-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings and 32 specially-prepared product descriptions, which cover 55