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,

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

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

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

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

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

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

On September 29, 2021, the Coalition of Freight Coupler Producers, consisting of Amsted Rail Company, Inc. and McConway & Torley LLC (“Petitioners”), filed petitions with the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of freight rail coupler (FRC) systems and components from the

On September 27, 2021, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it was again continuing exclusions from Section 301 duties for certain medical care imports from China needed to address the COVID-19 pandemic. These exclusions were set to expire on September 30, 2021 (see Update of March 8, 2021), but

On September 8, 2021, the Court of International Trade (CIT) issued an order that revised its July 6, 2021 order granting the plaintiff group’s motion for a preliminary injunction in the ongoing China Section 301 tariff refund litigation. That preliminary injunction suspended liquidation of unliquidated entries from China subject to List 3 and List 4A