Tariffs/Trade Policy

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On August 26, 2024, the Department of Finance Canada announced the country would introduce a 100% tariff on Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) and a 25% tariff on certain Chinese steel and aluminum products. The press release, citing “unfair, non-market policies and practices” by China coupled with a “lack of rigorous labour and environmental standards,” thus…

After closing the public docket on June 28, 2024, for comments on proposed tariff increases for certain products subject to the China section 301 investigation, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) issued a July 30, 2024 press release stating that it received more than 1,100 public comments requiring further review and that…

On July 10, 2024, the United States and Mexico jointly announced measures to protect the North American steel and aluminum markets from unfair trade. Both countries will implement policies to prevent tariff evasion on steel and aluminum and undertake efforts to strengthen North American steel and aluminum supply chains. These efforts are intended to prevent…

On June 12, 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced new sanctions and export control restrictions on Russia and Belarus. These measures have significant implications for companies that do business with or in these regions, as they may face new licensing requirements, limitations, or prohibitions…

On May 31, 2024, the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a Federal Register notice announcing the seventh phase of the Lacey Act’s import declaration requirement, adding enforcement of Phase VII will begin on December 1, 2024. Known as “the United States’ oldest wildlife protection statute,” the Lacey Act (16…

On May 28, 2024, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) posted in the Federal Register a request for comments regarding its proposed modifications to certain tariffs related to the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation that was initiated in 2018 and resulted…

On May 17, 2024, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Final Rule revising the Section 232 tariff exclusion process for imported steel and aluminum products. These changes, effective July 1, 2024, are intended “to refine the framework under which exclusions from the tariffs on steel and aluminum can be requested…

  • The Section 301 tariff actions have been effective in encouraging China to take steps toward eliminating its unfair practices, but it has not eliminated many of its forced technology transfer-related acts, policies and practices.
  • Products currently subject to Section 301 duties will remain subject to the existing additional duties.
  • The USTR will implement
…

On April 18, 2024, the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury announced combined export control restrictions and economic sanctions against Iran for its attack on Israel on April 13, 2024. These actions are intended “to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran’s malign activity, including its UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] program and the revenue the…

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released on March 29, 2024, its annual National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE Report) that addresses the status of foreign trade and investment barriers to U.S. exports worldwide. This is the U.S. government’s major annual report on the barriers to U.S. exports of goods…