On Thursday, February 13, 2025, President Trump signed a memorandum entitled “Reciprocal Trade and Tariffs.”  The memorandum stopped well short of immediately imposing a tariff regime and instead directs the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative (USTR), in consultation with other Executive Branch departments and agencies, to take actions to investigate the

On Friday, December 13, 2024, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it has initiated an investigation into Nicaragua’s acts, policies, and practices related to labor rights, human rights, and the rule of law under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. This investigation marks a historic first under Section 301, focusing on

On May 24, 2024, the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that 249 products that were eligible for exclusions from 2018 will no longer be eligible for these exclusions, effective June 14, 2024.  The original expiration date was May 31, 2024, but USTR granted a grace period in order for U.S. importers to adjust their sourcing

On May 22, 2024, the U.S. Trade Representative released a draft Federal Register notice containing the list of imported goods for which it proposes to increase Section 301 duty rates.  USTR also announced that it was considering an exclusion process by which U.S. manufacturers may request that “particular machinery used in domestic manufacturing be temporarily

On December 26, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it will further extend 352 reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions to duties imposed on goods from China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 until May 31, 2024.  USTR imposed Section 301 duties in four tranches or “lists,” and

On September 6, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced that it will extend 352 reinstated exclusions and 77 COVID-related exclusions to duties imposed on goods from China pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.  The USTR imposed Section 301 duties in four tranches or “lists,” and it established a process

On June 22, 2023, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States and India reached an agreement to terminate ongoing  disputes at the World Trade Organization (WTO). Additionally, India agreed to remove retaliatory tariffs implemented against certain U.S. products in response to the U.S.’s institution of Section 232 tariffs on steel and

On November 1, 2022, the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) released the questionnaire it is requesting interested parties to submit for its consideration related to the economic impact of the Section 301 tariffs.  The portal to submit responses to the questionnaire will open on November 15, 2022, and will remain open until January 17, 2023. 

July 6, 2022, will mark the four-year anniversary of the institution of Section 301 tariffs against approximately $370 Billion in imports from China into the United States.  In light of this anniversary, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) is commencing the first phase of its Four-Year Review Process, which will allow representatives of domestic industries which benefit from the trade actions to submit comments on whether or not the Section 301 tariffs should continue.  In a notice to be published in the Federal Register on May 5, 2022 (unpublished version available here), USTR is requesting interested parties to address whether the imposition of the tariffs has been beneficial.  Comments from domestic interested parties must be submitted in a 60-day window prior to the four-year anniversary.  The first round of comments will be accepted between May 7, 2022, and July 5, 2022, for the List 1 tariffs which are set to expire on July 6, 2022.  Comments related to the List 2 tariffs will be accepted between June 24, 2022, and August 22, 2022, as those tariffs are set to expire on August 23, 2022.