The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a Notice and Request for Comments seeking comment from members of the public, businesses, and government agencies as to whether further modifications are necessary to the China Section 301 tariffs “to keep current on developments in our national fight against the coronavirus pandemic.” USTR states
OFAC Issues Amended Ukraine-Related General Licenses Involving GAZ Group
The Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced its extension of two general licenses related to GAZ Group, Ukraine-related General License No. 13N, “Authorizing Certain Transactions Necessary to Divest or Transfer Debt, Equity, or Other Holdings in GAZ Group” and Ukraine-related General License No. 15H, “Authorizing Certain Activities
OFAC Sanctions Companies for Facilitating Iran’s Petroleum Sales; BIS Places Iranian Entities on Entity List
In its continuing effort to tighten economic sanctions on Iran, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has sanctioned five United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based companies that facilitate the Iranian regime’s petroleum and petrochemical sales. According to OFAC, these companies in 2019 “collectively purchased hundreds of thousands of metric tons of petroleum
Proposed Regulations to Institute CFIUS Filing Fees; Comments Due April 8
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
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