Insights on Global Trade Policy

Last week, the International Trade Commission issued its report on the Trans-Pacific Partnership’s overall impact on US trade.

New provisions in the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015 arm the government with new enforcement tools that rights holders can use to bolster intellectual property right (IPR) protection, especially for semiconductor components.

On Wednesday, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) released its economic assessment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, predicting small rises in US employment, GDP, and exports as a result of the agreement over the next 15 years.

On April 26, 2016, United States Steel Corporation filed a massive trade case accusing Chinese steel producers and their distributors of conspiring to fix prices, steal trade secrets and use false labeling to avoid trade duties.

At long last, after two plus years of debate, last week the Senate finally passed the Trade Facilitation and Enforcement Act of 2015 (2015 Trade Enforcement Act).

International trade events continue to occur at break neck speed. The Toronto International Auto Show takes place later this week, on the heels of the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) in New Zealand.

Detroit business leaders understand the value of product innovation and market expansion. For many of these executives, the official release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in November signaled a new opportunity of export growth in a region quickly becoming a consumer powerhouse.

In this episode of Fashion Counsel, Partner Anthony Lupo talks with former Senator Byron Dorgan, Senior Policy Advisor in the Government Relations practice.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has informed a US district court that it may not be proposing regulations requiring energy and mining companies to disclose payments to governments for the extraction of natural resources until spring 2016.

Iran and the United States, along with Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany announced that they have reached an agreement on the key parameters for a Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action regarding the Iran nuclear program in exchange for the termination of certain sanctions.

The US National Contact Point recently issued a Final Statement regarding complaints by two international labor unions that Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan) engaged in conduct inconsistent with the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (OECD Guidelines).

The long-awaited final Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) provisions modifying the Human Trafficking regulations were published on January 29, 2015.

Many companies and other stakeholders have chosen to participate in the United Nations (UN) Global Compact as a means of demonstrating their commitment to integrating universal Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) principles into their business practices.

In 2014, the Departments of State and Commerce implemented final rules that overhauled 11 United States Munitions List (USML) Categories. These changes have affected a wide range of industries.

Canada’s Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development announced an enhanced Corporate Social Responsibility Strategy when it released a report entitled “Doing Business the Canadian Way: A Strategy to Advance Corporate Social Responsibility in Canada’s Extractive Sector Abroad.”

The United States and the European Union imposed additional sanctions on Russia and Crimea.

In a live press conference yesterday, President Barack Obama announced the beginning to a thaw in more than 50 years of chilly relations with Cuba.

On November 7, 2014, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amended its Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to impose license requirements on the export, re-export, or transfer (in-country) of certain items to or within Venezuela when intended for a “military end use”

US Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Office of Regulatory Audit will be hosting a webinar on Thursday, October 9, 2014 from 2:00 pm–3:30 pm Eastern Time to provide an overview of its Focused Assessment (FA) Program.

Import managers and compliance personnel can now be held personally liable in circumstances other than fraud for imports that violate US custom laws.

Investment Services Targeted, Sectoral Sanctions Move Debt Sanctions from 90 to 30 days, Certain Oil Exploration/Production Exports and Services Prohibited

As the crisis in Ukraine intensifies and broadens, more foreign investment is likely to find itself caught in the crossfire. The situation raises novel questions about the application of Ukraine’s many investment treaties in the context of armed conflict and belligerent occupation.

After announcing planned additional sanctions in the energy and military end-use sectors, the European Union and the United States both made good on their promises.

The US Department of Justice recently announced that Fokker Services BV (FSBV), a Dutch aerospace services provider, agreed to forfeit $10.5 million to the United States.