U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) issued a forced labor finding on March 29, 2021 against Top Glove Corporation Bhd. (Top Glove), a Malaysian manufacturer of disposable gloves, a product which has been in high demand during the pandemic. As a result, port directors may seize certain disposable gloves of Top Glove’s at U.S. ports
The United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced the continuation of certain Section 301 investigations related to digital services taxes (“DSTs”) and the termination of certain others. USTR originally initiated Section 301 DSTs investigations covering several countries on June 2, 2020 in response to those countries’ implementation or consideration of DSTs, which are taxes on revenues
On March 30, 2021, MTD Products, Inc. (“Petitioner”), filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping and countervailing duties on imports of certain walk-behind snow throwers from the People’s Republic of China.
According to media reports, a massive 400-meter container ship operated by Evergreen Marine Corp. in Taiwan, the Ever Given, became stuck in the Suez Canal after apparently running aground due to high winds from a sandstorm. As a result, potentially hundreds of ships cannot pass on either side of the Suez Canal
Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo recently announced that the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) had served subpoenas on multiple Chinese companies that provide information and communications technology and services (“ICTS”) in the United States pursuant to Executive Order 13873 (“EO 13873”). While it is unknown which companies were served or how many, Commerce’s recent action
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) published a notice of product exclusion extensions on March 10, 2021 to extend exclusions from additional Section 301 tariffs for certain medical-care products from China. USTR has extended these product exclusions from March 31, 2021 to September 30, 2021. The product exclusions were previously extended and modified
On March 18, 2021, Katherine Tai was confirmed as the U.S. Trade Representative. Tai will be the first woman of color in this role.
Tai’s nomination hearing focused on a worker and labor-centric trade policy as well as a return to multilateralism, which we believe will include more active participation in the World Trade Organization.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) issued final rules amending the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) by implementing new export controls on Burma (Myanmar), and adding four entities linked to the recent coup to the Entity List. These final rules effective March 8, 2021 come less than a month after President
Solar panels are once again in the news due to several recent developments. Due to various trade remedy actions taken over the course of the past few years, solar panels are 45% more expensive in the United States than in Europe and Australia and 50% more expensive in the United States than the global average.
In a joint statement released by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”), the U.S. and European Union (“EU”) have agreed to temporarily suspend the additional tariffs from the Large Civil Aircraft Dispute. Goods imported from EU countries, including dairy products and liquors, will temporarily not be subject to the additional 25 percent