U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued five Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) relating to its June 23, 2021 Withhold Release Order (WRO) requiring U.S. ports to detain shipments of silica-based products and materials as well as goods derived from those products manufactured by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd. and its subsidiaries (“Hoshine”). Hoshine operates
Supply Chain
Federal Trade Commission Issues Final Rule on “Made in USA” Claims
On July 14, 2021, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published in the Federal Register (86 Fed. Reg. 37022-35) its final rule for “Made in USA” and other “unqualified U.S.-origin claims” on product labels. The final rule is effective on August 13, 2021.
The final rule codifies a longstanding FTC policy and practice that a product…
White House Releases 100-Day Supply Chain Review of Critical Industries
On June 8, 2021, the White House released its report analyzing the risks associated with supply chains for four key U.S. sectors – semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging; large capacity batteries; critical minerals and materials; and pharmaceuticals and advanced pharmaceutical ingredients. The report, Building Resilient Supply Chains, Revitalizing American Manufacturing, and Fostering Broad-Based Growth,…
President Biden Signs Executive Order to Protect the U.S. Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain
On June 9, 2021, President Joseph Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) to further address the threat posed to the U.S. information and communications technology and services (ICTS) supply chain declared in Executive Order 13873 (the “Telecom Supply Chain E.O.”; see Update of May 16, 2019). The June 9, 2021 E.O. also revoked and…
CBP Issues WRO for Seafood Products Imported from the Dalian Ocean Fishing Company
On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a press release announcing that the CBP had issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) for imports of seafood products from Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd., a Chinese entity, “based on information that reasonably indicates the use of forced labor in the entity’s fishing…
BIS Announces Virtual Forum to Address Supply Chain Risks for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Packaging Industries
On March 26, 2021, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it will hold a virtual forum on April 8, 2021 to allow the public to address policy objectives and concerns over President Joseph Biden’s Executive Order 14017, which seeks to address the need for resilient, diverse and secure…
OFAC Sanctions Additional Chinese Officials for Human Rights Abuses in Xinjiang
On March 22, 2021, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two Chinese government officials for “serious human rights abuses” against ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. In a brief press statement, the Director of OFAC stated, “Chinese authorities will continue to face consequences as long…
CBP’s Advisory Committee Issues Recommendations on Forced Labor as Priority Trade Issue
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has indicated that CBP intends to add forced labor to its list of priority trade issues. The COAC issued draft recommendations on how to “ensure a more holistic U.S. government-wide approach to addressing forced labor.” The COAC Forced Labor Working Group…
BIS Seeking Comments on Risks in the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Packaging Supply Chains
The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a notice seeking public comment on the risks in the semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging supply chains. This request is a direct result of President Joseph Biden’s recent Executive Order 14017 and the need for resilient, diverse, and secure supply chains for critical…
President Biden Issues Executive Order on Securing Critical Supply Chains
On February 24, 2021, President Joseph Biden signed an executive order seeking “to create more resilient and secure supply chains for critical and essential goods.” Noting shortages over the past year of medicine, food and computer chips, the president stated that, “While we cannot predict what crisis will hit us, we should have the capacity…
