On February 27, 2020, President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum declining to impose Section 232 tariffs on imports of titanium sponge. While concurring with the findings of the Department of Commerce’s Section 232 report that imports of titanium sponge threaten to impair national security, the president declined to take action in the form of
Trade Remedy/Enforcement
Another U.S. Importer Files Complaint Against Trump Administration’s Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Derivative Product Tariffs
Huttig Building Products, Inc. (Huttig) has become the latest U.S. importer to file a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s recent Section 232 tariffs on certain steel and aluminum derivative products. In a complaint filed at the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT), Huttig argues that the president’s January 24, 2020 Proclamation imposing a 25…
USTR Announces Additional Section 301 Tariff Exclusions for Certain Imported Chinese Products on List 2
For only the fourth time, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a Federal Register notice announcing Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain imported Chinese products appearing on List 2. These products have been subject to Section 301 tariffs since August 23, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced additional import duties on…
USTR Announces Additional Section 301 Tariff Exclusions for Certain Imported Chinese Products on List 3
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a Federal Register notice announcing additional Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain imported Chinese products appearing on List 3. These products have been subject to Section 301 tariffs since September 24, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced additional import duties on Chinese goods with an…
USTR Revises and Increases Tariffs in WTO Dispute Award Against EU Concerning Large Civil Aircraft Subsidies
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced in a forthcoming Federal Register notice that the United States will increase the tariffs imposed on aircraft imported from the European Union (EU) from 10% to 15% on March 18, 2020. These tariffs resulted from an October 2019 ruling by a World Trade Organization (WTO)…
U.S. Importer Files Complaint Challenging Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum Derivative Products; Parties Agree to Injunctive Order on Importer’s Goods Only
PrimeSource Building Products, Inc., a U.S. importer of various steel derivative products, filed a complaint (subsequently amended) in the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) on February 4, 2020, arguing that President Donald Trump’s Proclamation No. 9980 is unlawful and unconstitutional. This proclamation expanded the implementation of steel and aluminum tariffs under Section 232 of…
USTR’s Report Lambastes WTO’s Appellate Body for Failing to Follow WTO Rules and Agreements
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released its Report on the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO), providing an in-depth assessment of the Appellate Body’s alleged “failure to comply with WTO rules and interpret WTO agreements as written.” In a press release, USTR Robert Lighthizer stated, “For more than 20…
China to Reduce Tariffs on Imports of U.S. Goods Valued at $75 Billion
China’s Ministry of Finance has announced that retaliatory tariffs it implemented on a range of U.S. goods in response to the U.S. government’s Section 301 tariffs will be reduced February 14, 2020 on certain products from 10 percent to 5 percent, and on others from 5 percent to 2.5 percent. China first implemented these retaliatory…
President Trump Touts USMCA and “Phase One” China Deal in Third State of the Union Address
In his State of the Union address to Congress last night, President Donald Trump spoke of the “great American comeback” and claimed that “[t]he years of economic decay are over. The days of our country being used, taken advantage of, and even scorned by other nations are long behind us.” His prepared speech focused briefly…
USTR Announces Additional Section 301 Tariff Exclusions for Certain Imported Chinese Products on List 3
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has published a Federal Register notice announcing additional Section 301 tariff exclusions for certain imported Chinese products appearing on List 3. These products have been subject to Section 301 tariffs since September 24, 2018, when President Donald Trump announced additional import duties on Chinese goods with an…
