On November 23, 2022, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a Withhold Release Order (WRO) that mandates CBP personnel at all U.S. ports of entry detain raw sugar and sugar-based products produced in the Dominican Republic by Central Romana Corporation Limited (Central Romana). This WRO followed an investigation that reasonably indicated Central Romana uses forced
Tariffs/Trade Policy
USTR Again Extends Section 301 Tariff Exclusions for COVID-19 Products from China
On November 23, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the further extension of exclusions for numerous products used to combat COVID-19 that are subject to China Section 301 tariffs. The exclusions were scheduled to expire on November 30, 2022, and have been extended for an additional 90 days, until February 28,…
USTR Portal for Accepting China Section 301 Tariff Comments Now Open
As previously reported, on November, 15, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) opened a docket to receive public comments on the continuation of tariffs in the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The questionnaire form provides sections for comments on both…
Government Defendants File Response to Plaintiffs’ Comments on USTR’s Remand Explanation in Section 301 Tariff Refund Litigation
On Friday, November 4, 2022, the government defendants in the ongoing Court of International Trade (CIT) litigation challenging the validity of the China Section 301 tariffs filed their response to the comments of the plaintiff group and amici curiae on the remand explanation of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). In filing their…
USTR Provides Preview of Questions for China Section 301 Four-Year Review
On November 1, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) posted a list of questions interested parties may address in the agency’s ongoing four-year statutory review of the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. While the portal for submitting comments will not…
Updated: CBP Postpones Implementation of UFLPA Region Alert
UPDATE: On November 1, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a message announcing that implementation of its Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Region Alert is postponed until further notice. CBP stated that its Office of Trade “is actively working with impacted users to address concerns” and that a new implementation date will…
USTR Seeks Comments in Four-Year Review of China Section 301 Tariffs
On October 12, 2022, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a notice and request for comments regarding its ongoing four-year statutory review of the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation. The USTR is seeking public comments on the effectiveness of the…
Commerce Section 232 Magnet Import Investigation Concludes Without Tariffs
On September 21, 2022, after a year-long Section 232 investigation, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that rare earth neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet imports threaten national security. The investigation was initiated in September 2021 due to concerns that “critical national security systems rely on NdFeB permanent magnets, including fighter aircraft and…
Plaintiffs in China Section 301 Tariff Refund Litigation File Comments on USTR’s Remand Explanation
On September 14, 2022, the plaintiff group in the ongoing China Section 301 tariff refund litigation before the Court of International Trade (CIT) filed its comments in response to the USTR’s remand explanation. The comments highlight that the CIT offered the USTR a final opportunity to explain its rationale and reasoning as to why it…
USTR to Continue Section 301 Tariffs on China During Four-Year Review Process
On September 2, 2022, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) confirmed, as part of its statutory four-year review process under the Trade Act of 1974, that (1) domestic industry representatives benefiting from the tariff actions in the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property,…
