International trade and international trade disputes were a predominant focus of President Trump and his trade officials throughout 2018. Thompson Hine’s Trump and Trade team has prepared a slide presentation to provide our readers with a broad overview of the most significant trade actions taken by the Trump administration last year. From the renegotiation of
Tariffs/Trade Policy
U.S. Trade Representative Grants First Round of Product Exclusions for U.S. Imports from China Subject to Section 301 25 Percent Tariff
On December 21, 2018, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced its first round of product exclusions for U.S. imports from China receiving a 25 percent tariff increase on July 6, 2018, as part of the Section 301 process. In a December 28, 2018 Federal Register notice, the USTR announced that it…
U.S. Trade Representative Releases Summary of U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement Negotiations
On December 21, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) submitted to Congress and released to the public a summary of the Trump administration’s specific negotiating objectives for its U.S.-Japan Free Trade Agreement negotiations. This follows the USTR’s notification to Congress on October 16, 2018, of the Trump administration’s intention to enter into negotiations (see Trump…
Government Accountability Office to Review Section 232 National Security Tariff Exclusion Request Process
With growing congressional and business concerns over the backlog of Section 232 product exclusion requests and the lack of transparency in the review and decision-making processes of the Department of Commerce (Commerce), U.S. Senators Pat Toomey, Doug Jones and Thomas Carper submitted a letter November 26, 2018, to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a…
USTR Announces Delay of Increase in Duties for Section 301 Third Tranche of Products Imported from China
Following a dinner meeting between the two leaders at the G-20 summit in early December, President Donald Trump announced that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to begin and complete negotiations on certain trade issues between the countries within 90 days. As part of that process, Trump agreed to postpone for 90 days in…
United States and China Discuss Trade at G-20 Summit
At a dinner meeting on December 1, 2018, at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to begin negotiations on changes regarding forced technology transfer, intellectual property protection, non-tariff barriers, cyber intrusions and cyber theft, services and agriculture. Both agreed to seek completion of such discussions…
United States, Mexico and Canada Sign New Trade Agreement
On the sidelines of the international G-20 (Group of Twenty) forum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, U.S. President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto signed today the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), launching the formal process to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). During the signing ceremony,…
China Section 301 Tariffs: Second Tranche Product Exclusion Requests Due by December 18
On September 18, 2018, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the exclusion request process for the Trump administration’s second tranche of products covered under the Section 301 trade action against China for its unfair policies and practices involving forced technology transfers and intellectual property rights. On August 16, 2018, the United States implemented retaliatory tariffs…
USTR Releases Updated Section 301 Report on China’s Policies and Practices Concerning Technology Transfers and Intellectual Property Rights
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released an updated Section 301 report concerning China’s forced technology transfers and infringement of intellectual property rights. This report updates the original March 22, 2018 investigation findings and follows the U.S. government’s imposition of import tariffs on July 6, 2018, August 23, 2018 and September 24,…
CBP Ruling Determines “Substantial Transformation” Requirements Trump NAFTA Marking Rules for Application of Section 301 Tariffs and Trade Remedy Duties
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a significant ruling in September that distinguished between North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) country-of-origin marking rules and the country-of-origin rules applying to products subject to Section 301 tariffs and trade remedy duties. In its ruling, CBP determined that Chinese-origin components imported into Mexico for assembly into an…