On January 24, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security, on behalf of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (Task Force), issued a request for public comments on “how best to ensure that goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with forced labor in the People’s Republic of China are
Biden Signs Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act
Key Notes:
- President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act into law on December 23, 2021 to continue efforts to prevent the importation into the United States of goods produced in whole or in part with forced labor in China.
- The Act creates a rebuttable presumption that all goods produced in whole or in
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OFAC Identifies Eight Chinese Companies as Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies
On December 16, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced it was placing another eight Chinese technology firms on its Non-SDN Chinese Military-Industrial Complex Companies List (CMIC List). This action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13959 (as amended by Executive Order 14032), which prohibits U.S. persons from conducting…
President Biden Issues Executive Order Imposing Sanctions Regarding the Global Illicit Drug Trade
On December 15, 2021, President Joseph Biden signed “Executive Order on Imposing Sanctions on Foreign Persons Involved in the Global Illicit Drug Trade,” an order finding that “the trafficking into the United States of illicit drugs, including fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, is causing the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans annually,…
OFAC Sanctions Several Entities and Individuals for Serious Human Rights Abuses
On December 10, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned 15 individuals and 10 entities in several countries for their connection to human rights abuse and repression. In addition, OFAC imposed investment restrictions on one Chinese company in connection with the surveillance technology sector
In China, OFAC has placed…
BIS Adds 27 Entities to the Entity List and One Entity to the MEU List
On November 26, 2021, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Final Rule in the Federal Register adding 27 foreign entities and individuals to the Entity List for engaging in activities that are contrary to the national security or foreign policy interests of the United States. These entities and individuals…
USTR Announces Further Extension of Certain Section 301 Product Exclusions for COVID-19 Response Purposes
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that it will again extend Section 301 product exclusions for imports from China of medical care products needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. The 99 exclusions were published on December 29, 2020, and were scheduled to expire on November 14, 2021. See past Updates…
United States and European Union Reach Agreement on Steel and Aluminum Imports; Section 232 Duties to Be Removed
On October 30, 2021, the United States and the European Union (EU) reached an agreement regarding the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU that were implemented during the Trump administration. Under the agreement, the United States will replace the current Section 232 duties with tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for covered EU…
USTR Seeks Public Comment on Reinstatement of Certain Exclusions for Imports Subject to Section 301 China Tariffs
On October 5, 2021, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it is seeking public comments on whether to reinstate previously extended product exclusions for certain imports from China subject to Section 301 tariffs. Of the more than 2,200 product exclusions that were granted by USTR during the administration of President Donald…
USTR Katherine Tai Explains the Biden Administration’s “New Approach to the U.S.-China Trade Relationship”
In an October 4, 2021 speech, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai offered several broad insights into President Joseph Biden’s approach to the U.S.-China trade relationship. Noting that this relationship is complex, competitive and “one of profound consequence,” she stated that “[f]or too long, China’s lack of adherence to global trading norms has undercut the…
