Timely news and analysis of the latest developments in international trade law
On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This trilateral free trade agreement will affect many facets of the North American economy.
Please join us weekly for our four-part virtual roundtable series as we help you navigate the USMCA provisions affecting companies and understand the…
In an April 21, 2020, Federal Register notice, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced procedures for North American producers of passenger vehicles or light trucks to submit petitions requesting an alternative staging regime: An interested vehicle producer must submit a petition with a draft alternative staging plan no later than July…
On March 13, 2020, the Canadian House of Commons and the Canadian Senate each approved Bill C-4, an “Act to implement the Agreement between Canada, the United States of America and the United Mexican States.” Shortly after that, Canadian Governor General Julie Payette gave her royal assent, ratifying the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on…
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…
In his State of the Union address to Congress last night, President Donald Trump spoke of the “great American comeback” and claimed that “[t]he years of economic decay are over. The days of our country being used, taken advantage of, and even scorned by other nations are long behind us.” His prepared speech focused briefly…
On January 29, 2019, President Donald Trump signed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and in remarks at the White House stated that the agreement is “the largest, fairest, most balanced, and modern trade agreement ever achieved.” He added that the agreement is “a colossal victory for our farmers, ranchers, energy workers, factory workers, and American…
The U.S. Senate has approved by a vote of 89 to 10 the required implementing legislation for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). After months of negotiations by Democrats in the House of Representatives with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (see Trump and Trade Updates of December 10, 2019 and December 16, 2019), H.R. 5430 was…
After reaching agreement with congressional Democrats on the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA) (see Trump and Trade Update of December 10, 2019), the Trump administration has forwarded to the Senate Finance Committee the necessary legislative text to implement the agreement. The House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways & Means will take up consideration of…
In a Federal Register notice published on August 21, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it has added 46 non-U.S. affiliates of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei) to the Entity List because they “pose a significant risk of involvement in activities contrary to the national security or foreign…
On June 19, 2019, Mexico became the first of the three involved countries to ratify the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA), which is intended to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In a nearly unanimous vote, Mexico’s Senate approved the trade agreement. The bill will now be sent to the Mexican executive branch for…
