On September 29, 2026, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued two Withhold Release Orders (WROs) against palm oil and its derivative products produced by Mitra Aneka Rezeki (MAR) and Hardaya Inti Plantation (HIP) in Indonesia. Both WROs are the result of a CBP review that MAR and HIP use forced labor to produce palm oil
Supply Chain
FCC Substantially Revises Covered List Restrictions on Foreign-Produced Power Inverters
On August 20, 2026, less than a month after adding foreign-produced power inverters (an electronic device that converts direct current to alternating current) to its Covered List, the FCC, responding to a determination from the Department of War, has substantially revised the designation. As we discussed in our earlier client alert, the July 28…
FCC Covered List Targets Foreign-Produced Power Inverters and Advanced Robotic Devices
- Effective July 28, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List now includes foreign-produced power inverters and foreign-produced advanced robotic devices. These equipment categories are now prohibited from receiving new FCC equipment authorizations.
- The term “foreign-produced” refers to any article that does not qualify as a “domestic end product,” as that term is
USTR Implements Tariffs in Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations
On July 23, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced in a Notice of Action its final action in the Section 301 investigation of 60 economies for “their failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor.” Under Section 301 of the Tariff Act…
USTR Proposes Tariffs of 10% to 12.5% in 60 Section 301 Forced Labor Investigations
On June 2, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued its determination under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 that certain acts, policies, and practices of 60 economies related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with forced labor are unreasonable…
USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigations into the Acts, Policies & Practices of Certain Economies Relating to Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sector
By Scott E. Diamond** & David M. Schwartz on
On March 11, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) initiated investigations into the Acts, Policies, and Practices of Certain Economies Relating to Structural Excess Capacity and Production in Manufacturing Sectors under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. This announcement had been expected since the Supreme Court of the United States…
President Trump Imposes Additional Tariff on Countries That Sell Oil to Cuba
On January 29, 2026, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14380 to impose an additional ad valorem duty on goods from countries that directly or indirectly sell or otherwise provide oil—that is, crude oil or petroleum products—to Cuba. Although the executive order, which took effect on January 30, 2026, appears broad in scope, it clarifies…
United States and Taiwan Sign Agreement on Trade & Investment
On January 15, 2026, the United States and Taiwan agreed to a trade deal to establish “a strategic economic partnership … to decisively strengthen U.S. domestic semiconductor supply chains and secure America’s technological and industrial leadership.” While the text and full terms of the trade deal were not released, the Department of Commerce released a…
CBP Issues WRO on Garments and Apparel Manufactured in Mauritius
On November 18, 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) announced the issuance of a Withhold Release Order (WRO) against garments, apparel, and textiles manufactured in Mauritius by Firemount Group Ltd. The WRO follows an investigation into the company where CBP discovered several indicators of forced labor use, including abuse of vulnerability, debt bondage, deception…
United States and Guatemala Reach Framework Agreement on Reciprocal Trade
On November 13, 2025, the United States and the Republic of Guatemala entered a framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. The Agreement aims to strengthen the countries’ economic partnership established in 2006 under the Dominican Republic–Central America–United States Free Trade Agreement (“CAFTA-DR”). While representatives from both countries continue to negotiate and finalize the formal…