President Trump signed the implementing legislation for the USMCA yesterday, making the United States the second of the three countries, after Mexico last December, to sign the agreement. The USMCA will not take effect until 90 days after it is ratified by Canada. The Liberals currently operate a minority government, and while the Conservatives have
Certain Firearms, Ammunition and Accessories To Undergo Export Regulation Update
On Thursday, January 23, 2020, the U.S. Department of State – Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (“DDTC”) and U.S. Commerce Department – Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published new coordinated final rules which will take effect on Monday, March 9, 2020. On that date, the DDTC rule will remove specifically identified firearms, ammunition, accessories
Trump Administration Announces 25% Tariffs on Finished Steel Products and 10% Tariffs on Aluminum Products
In a surprise announcement after hours on Friday January 24, 2020, the White House announced that it plans to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on some steel articles and 10 percent on some aluminum articles starting February 8, 2020 under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. A proclamation issued by the
Petition Summary: Difluoromethane (R-32) from the People’s Republic of China
On January 23, 2020, Petitioner Arkema Inc. filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of difluoromethane (R-32), a hydrofluorocarbon gas, from the People’s Republic of China.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
Based on the product description and production process described in the sections below, this petition requests the following scope language:
The
Trump Administration Expands Iran Sanctions to New Sectors in Recent Executive Order
In a January 10th Executive Order, President Trump expanded sanctions on Iran after a ballistic missile attack on two American military bases in Iraq. Executive Order 13902 expands secondary sanctions on Iran to include “significant” or “material” support transactions between non-U.S. persons and Iran’s construction, mining, manufacturing, and textiles sectors as potentially sanctionable
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Passes Senate
Today, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) passed the U.S. Senate by a vote of 89 to 10. While some Senators expressed disapproval over the deal for various reasons, passage of the USMCA enjoyed a great deal of bipartisan support after Democrats in the House of Representatives negotiated for more labor enforcement mechanisms that earned the endorsement
U.S. and China Sign Phase One Trade Agreement, Signaling Pause in Escalation of Trade War
At a White House ceremony on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He met to sign Phase 1 of the Trade Deal that has been negotiated since May 2019 in order to end any further escalation in the trade war between the two countries. The agreement consists of
Petition Summary: Certain Vertical Shaft Engines Between 225cc and 999cc, and Parts Thereof from China
On January 15, 2020, Petitioner Coalition of American Vertical Engine Producers filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of vertical shaft engines between 225cc and 999cc, and parts thereof from the People’s Republic of China.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The physical characteristics of the covered products, which define the
U.S., EU, and Japan Trade Ministers Issue Joint Statement on Subsidy Reform
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a joint statement with the trade ministers of Japan and the European Union (EU) following a meeting between the three ministers on January 14, 2020. The joint statement announces the three economic powers’ frustrations with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) current countervailable subsidy measures and their
Commerce Initiates Investigations on Forged Steel Fluid End Blocks from China, Germany, India, and Italy
On January 9, 2020, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) initiated the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations of imports of forged steel fluid end blocks from China (CVD only), Germany, India, and Italy. For more detailed information, please refer to the Department’s Factsheet.
The investigations will now proceed to the next step,