China

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 merging of Hong Kong with China with respect to Hong Kong’s treatment under the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) is now reflected in the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security’s Hong Kong recordkeeping guidance.  On February 19, 2021, BIS updated its Hong Kong recordkeeping FAQs to make that guidance consistent with the final rule BIS issued on December 23, 2020 implementing Executive Order 13936 (the “E.O.”).  The E.O. was signed in the wake of U.S. objections to Chinese government national security legislation imposed on Hong Kong in 2020, which outlaws any act of “secession,” “terrorism,” or “collusion” with a foreign power.

On February 2, 2021, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced the initiation of antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations on pentafluoroethane (R-125) from China. The petitioner in this case is Honeywell International, Inc. See our previous post summarizing the petition for details on the scope of the investigations and for lists of the

On January 13, 2021, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued a region-wide Withhold Release Order (“WRO”) against cotton products and tomato products originating from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (“Xinjiang”) in China. The WRO also applies to all products made in whole or in part from Xinjiang cotton and tomatoes, regardless of where those downstream

On December 11, 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), through the U.S. Department of Justice, filed a civil action in the U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”) in New York, United States v. Winland International, Inc. et al.  The government alleges false statement to avoid paying the correct antidumping (“AD”) rates and instead declaring inappropriate combination rates apply, as well as undervaluation of the goods, certain types of tires.  Fourteen individuals, as well as the company are named in the civil case at the CIT.  The press release of the U.S. Department of Justice states that the alleged violations total at least $6.5 million in lost import duty deposits.

On December 29, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced its final determinations in the antidumping (“AD”) and countervailing duty (“CVD”) investigations of imports of wood mouldings and millwork products from Brazil (AD only) and China (AD and CVD). Commerce made a negative final determination in the Brazil investigation, while its determinations for the China investigations were affirmative. See the fact sheet for a summary the final cash deposit rates and margins.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) has issued a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to add 77 entities to the Entity List.  This rule took effect on Friday, December 18, 2020 when BIS made a copy available for public inspection on the Federal Register website.

As a