On March 9, 2020 the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) published in the Federal Register proposed regulations to establish a fee for parties filing a voluntary notice of certain transactions for review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The regulation would establish a fee for both “covered transactions” involving investments
Scott E. Diamond**
Scott is a senior policy advisor with more than 25 years' experience with the legislative and regulatory processes involved in international trade policy, remedies and enforcement. This includes working with clients on matters involving export controls, economic sanctions, human rights and forced labor compliance, corporate anti-boycott and antibribery compliance, national security investigations, and foreign direct investment in the United States.
**Not licensed to practice law.
USTR Notifies Congress of Intent to Negotiate Trade Agreement with Kenya
U.S Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer has formally notified Congress that President Donald Trump will negotiate a trade agreement with the Republic of Kenya. Ambassador Lighthizer stated that the Trump administration is seeking a “a comprehensive, high-standard agreement with Kenya that can serve as a model for additional trade agreements across Africa. Kenya is an…
USTR Grants Extensions for China Section 301 Exclusions Set to Expire March 25, 2020
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), after seeking comments on whether to extend for another year certain product exclusions it granted in March 2019 (see Trump and Trade Update of January 2, 2020), has granted 11 extensions covering these Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheadings and product descriptions:
- 8412.21.0045 – Other engines
…
USTR Issues Additional China Section 301 Tariff Exclusions, including Exemptions for Certain Medical Supplies Helping to Curb Coronavirus Spread
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued Friday Federal Register notices exempting Section 301 tariffs for certain List 3 (imports from China with an annual trade value of $200 billion) and List 4 (imports from China with an annual trade value of $300 billion) products. While the Items on List 3 include several non-medical supply related…
President Trump Signs Legislation to Enhance Efforts to Secure U.S. Telecommunication Networks
On March 12, 2020, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 4998, the “Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019,” which prohibits the use of certain federal funds and subsidies to purchase communications equipment or services posing national security risks. The Act, passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate by…
Department of Commerce Renews Huawei Temporary General License Until May 15, 2020
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a Federal Register notice again renewing the temporary general license for Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and 114 of its non-U.S. affiliates on the Entity List until May 15, 2020. The expiration date for the license had been April 1, 2020. As published on…
In Annual Reports to Congress, USTR Continues to Criticize Russia and China for Poor WTO Compliance
Recently, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued its annual reports to Congress assessing how the People’s Republic of China (China) and the Russian Federation (Russia) have been complying with their World Trade Organization (WTO) accession agreements, including both their multilateral commitments and bilateral commitments with the United States. China became a member of the WTO…
President Trump Orders Unwinding of 2018 Chinese Acquisition of U.S. Company
In a rare move, President Donald Trump has issued an Executive Order that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) direct the foreign parties involved in the acquisition of StayNTouch, Inc., a U.S. company, to divest their interests in the company. President Trump found credible evidence that Beijing Shiji Information Technology Co.,…
USTR Issues Section 301 Product Exclusions for Medical Supplies to Help Curb Coronavirus Spread
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a Federal Register notice exempting from List 4 (imported Chinese products with an annual trade value of $300 billion) of the Section 301 tariffs targeting China eight entire 10-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) subheadings that cover 59 separate exclusion requests. While there is no reference in the notice,…
U.S. Trade Representative Releases 2020 Trade Policy Agenda and 2019 Annual Report
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released President Donald Trump’s 2020 Trade Policy Agenda and 2019 Annual Report, detailing how the Trump administration’s trade actions have resulted in “a ‘blue-collar boom’ with higher wages, more jobs and a stronger economy for all.” The report details several of President Trump’s trade accomplishments…
