In a radio interview, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that France will retaliate against the U.S. if the U.S. imposes Section 301 tariffs on French goods due to the French Digital Services Tax (DST) investigation. The French DST levies a 3 percent tax on revenues for providing “digital interface” services and “targeted advertising”
International Trade Law: 2019 Year in Review & 2020 Outlook
As we kick off a new year, Husch Blackwell’s International Trade and Supply Chain team offers an analysis of events that shaped the international trade landscape in 2019 as well as insight into what international trade issues are on the horizon in 2020 in a recently published white paper.
The “International Trade Law: 2019
December 2019 Trade Law Update
In Husch Blackwell’s December 2019 Trade Law Newsletter, you’ll learn about the following updates in international trade and supply chain law.
- USMCA Passes House, Setting Stage for Vote in the Senate in 2020
- U.S.-China Reach “Phase One” trade agreement
- USTR Announces New Round of Product Exclusions
- USTR to Expand List of EU Imports Subject
Opportunity to Request Administrative Review
On January 2, 2020, Commerce announced in the Federal Register the opportunity to request an annual administrative review for products that are currently subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. As part of this annual review process, Commerce intends to select respondents based on U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) data for U.S. imports during the
USTR Requesting Comments on Extending March 2019 Section 301 List 1 Product Exclusions
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it is seeking comments from interested parties on whether or not to extend previously granted Section 301 exclusions for another year. The List 1 exclusions, which were originally granted on March 25, 2019, are set to expire on March 25, 2020, but USTR is considering
Commerce Department Extends Comment Period for Foreign Adversary ICTS Rule
As we discussed in a recent client alert, the U.S. Department of Commerce recently issued a proposed rule (the “Proposed Rule”) which intends to give the U.S. Secretary of Commerce the authority to block, unwind or modify information and communications technology or services (“ICTS”) transactions involving “foreign adversaries” if the Commerce Secretary determines that such transactions threaten U.S. critical infrastructure, the U.S. digital economy or U.S. national security. There were many aspects of the Proposed Rule which were unclear, but the U.S. Department of Commerce indicated its willingness to consider comments from the public which were received on or before Friday, December 27, 2019.
U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) Passes House, Setting Stage for Vote in the Senate in 2020
The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“the USMCA”) passed the U.S. House of Representatives on December 19, 2019, by a vote of 385 to 41. In order to be fully ratified by the United States, the USMCA must now be approved by the U.S. Senate, which has a total of up to 30 session days after the House
Petition Summary: Fluid End Blocks from the People’s Republic of China, Germany, India, and Italy
On December 19, 2019, Petitioners FEB Fair Trade Coalition, Ellwood Group, and Finkl Steel filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping on imports of Fluid End Blocks from Germany, India, and Italy and countervailing duties on imports of such products from the People’s Republic of China, Germany, India and Italy.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
Petition Summary: 4th Tier Cigarettes from the Republic of Korea
On December 18, 2019, Petitioner Coalition Against Korean Cigarettes filed a petition for the imposition of antidumping duties on imports of 4th Tier Cigarettes from the Republic of Korea.
SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION
The physical characteristics of the covered product, which define the scope, are as follows:
The merchandise covered by this investigation
USTR to Expand List of EU Imports Subject to Tariffs Awarded in WTO Aircraft Dispute
On December 12, 2019, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced in a Federal Register notice that they are reviewing the action taken as a result of the Large Civil Aircraft dispute with the European Union. USTR is requesting comments on whether any products currently subject to additional duties should have those