On July 22, 2024, the Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a significant planned extension to its recordkeeping requirements, which will increase the retention period from five to ten...more
In an era where technological prowess and economic security are more entangled than ever, the United States has refined its approach towards restricting outbound investments. As we have been blogging since 2022, the past two...more
6/26/2024
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Investment ,
Notification Requirements ,
NPRM ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Semiconductors ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. Treasury
The U.S. State Department has proposed amendments to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) to increase the fees required for Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) registration. The ITAR requires persons...more
Last year, we published an update on BIS’s foray into prohibiting EAR99 items for export to Russia and Belarus. We noted (somewhat in jest) that kitchen sinks may one day be added. Well, that day has come. Stainless steel...more
6/21/2024
/ Belarus ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
General Licenses ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
Software ,
Technology Sector
The solar industry is starting to get whiplash. Over the past year in particular, the industry has experienced a whirlwind of regulatory changes making solar tariffs some of the most complex tariffs in all of U.S. importing...more
6/19/2024
/ Anti-Dumping Duty ,
Batteries ,
Cambodia ,
China ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Energy Sector ,
Imports ,
Malaysia ,
Manufacturers ,
Popular ,
Section 201 ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Thailand ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Vietnam
Effective April 24, the statute of limitations (“SoL”) under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) and the Trading with the Enemy Act (“TWEA”) has been extended from five to ten years. It would have been...more
On Tuesday, October 17, 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released a package of three rules (the 2023 Rules) targeting the Chinese semiconductor industry. The rules update the substantial semiconductor...more
10/23/2023
/ China ,
Commerce Control List ,
ECCNs ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Semiconductors ,
Software ,
Technology ,
Trade Restrictions
The U.S. antiboycott laws and regulations have been around since the era of disco. In stark contrast to fast-moving sanctions and export controls, we rarely see updates to the antiboycott regulations or enforcement...more
On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) ordering the issuance of outbound investment restrictions. This E.O. comes after nearly a year of anticipation (as we have documented on several occasions...more
8/14/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
CFIUS ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investment ,
National Security ,
Outbound Transactions ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an Executive Order (E.O.) ordering the issuance of outbound investment restrictions. This E.O. comes after nearly a year of anticipation (as we have documented on several occasions...more
8/11/2023
/ Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
National Security ,
Popular ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector
On March 31, 2023, the U.S. Department of Treasury and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released proposed guidance clarifying how manufacturers may meet the critical minerals and battery sourcing requirements for the clean...more
7/3/2023
/ Automotive Industry ,
Batteries ,
Electric Vehicles ,
EU ,
Free Trade Agreements ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Internal Revenue Code (IRC) ,
IRS ,
Japan ,
Lithium Batteries ,
South Korea ,
Tax Credits ,
UK ,
Zero-Emission Vehicles
On May 16, 2023, President Joseph Biden vetoed the Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would have nullified the temporary moratorium on the collection of antidumping and countervailing (AD/CVD) duties on imports of...more
5/19/2023
/ Anti-Dumping Duty ,
Biden Administration ,
Cambodia ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Imports ,
Malaysia ,
Presidential Veto ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
Tariffs ,
Thailand ,
Vietnam
When can an employer use the “national security exception” under U.S. anti-discrimination law to make a hiring decision based on the national origin of the candidate? An often overlooked area of compliance is how to comply...more
4/27/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Defense Sector ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Discrimination ,
Employment Discrimination ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Federal Contractors ,
Foreign Nationals ,
Hiring & Firing ,
Immigration ,
Immigration Procedures ,
ITAR ,
Required Documentation
The Moving Target -
We have been writing since last July about the proposed outbound investment measures that would review and possibly deny proposed outbound investments from the United States to China. Rumors swirled...more
In response to Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, both the United States and the European Union have imposed additional sanctions and further restricted exports to Russia and Iran. These new controls span many...more
2/28/2023
/ Economic Sanctions ,
Entity List ,
EU ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Iran ,
Iran Sanctions ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
SDN List ,
Trade Restrictions ,
UK ,
Ukraine
Occasionally, on our blog, we allow ourselves to indulge in prognostication. Similarly, and also occasionally, we are wrong. Nevertheless, we hope to distinguish ourselves by our candor and admit our misses....more
1/19/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Batteries ,
Biotechnology ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Executive Orders ,
Investment ,
Investment Controls ,
Semiconductors ,
Technology
As we close out a wild year for international trade regulation, after hearing much talk about outbound investment review mechanisms, we may see a final dramatic change before the ball drops...more
12/21/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Relations ,
International Trade ,
Investment ,
Investors ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Technology ,
U.S. Treasury
On November 15, 2022, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) opened its docket (USTR-2022-0014) seeking public comments in its review of Lists 1 and 2 of the Trump-era tariffs on Chinese imports. The tariffs were...more
11/18/2022
/ China ,
Modification ,
Public Comment ,
Questionnaires ,
Small Business ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Act of 1974 ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices ,
USTR ,
Wages
In response to Russia’s illegal declaration of annexations of Ukrainian territory, the United States and the European Union have imposed additional sanctions on Russia. U.S. Response On October 4, 2022, the U.S. government...more
After Mahsa Amini was killed in the custody of “Gasht-e-Ershad” or Iran’s Guidance Patrol, commonly referred to as Iran’s morality police, following an arrest for placement of her hijab, protests have erupted throughout Iran...more
In recent years, a wide array of trade actions pursued by the United States, foreign and domestic policies of the United States and China, reputational risks, and supply chain breakdowns are driving a trend of more and more...more
5/17/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Customs ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Exports ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Manufacturers ,
Mexico ,
Relocation ,
Supply Chain ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies
Updated as of February 25, 2022 -
Key Takeaways of OFAC (Treasury) and BIS (Commerce) Actions -
Major Russian Banks Blocked from the U.S. Financial System. Six major Russian banks — VEB, Promsvyazbank (PSB), VTB Bank,...more
Today, the United States Trade Representative issued a notice informing the importing community about a new Section 301 exclusion process and seeking comments from affected importers. The comment period begins on October 12,...more
If your company is like many, your board of directors may be demanding that you put more effort into environmental, social, and governance issues, which have become known by the now-ubiquitous acronym “ESG.” Those demands...more
10/11/2021
/ Board of Directors ,
Customs ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Ethical Standards ,
Exports ,
Forced Labor ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Sanctions ,
Supply Chain ,
Trade Policy
One point all can likely agree on in these divisive times is that the Trump Administration’s international trade policy has been aggressive. Over the past four years, we have been clinging to our seats on the rollercoaster...more