The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is proposing changes to the Section 301 Tariffs on certain imports from China and the public has until Friday, June 28, 2024 at 11:59 PM EST to comment. The USTR is proposing...more
On April 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of State announced the United States and Japan have agreed to extend the maximum period of stay for Japanese exchange specialists to 36 months on a J-1 visa. Under the previous...more
Canada’s Fighting against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chain Act went into effect on January 1, 2024, and the first annual filing is due on or before May 31, 2024. Any company doing business in Canada must file by...more
With the ever-expanding reach of U.S. sanctions resulting in the blocking (freezing) of accounts and assets, more individuals, corporations and institutions are having to hold and account for these accounts and assets. The...more
The recent announcement of a new Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) in North Carolina is a timely reminder of the many benefits provided by FTZs. FTZs are geographically designated and secured areas that, for legal purposes, are...more
I’ve always felt called to participate in pro bono legal service projects over the past 30 years, and I’ve been privileged to work in law firms that value pro bono time. This past year I’ve had an opportunity to oversee pro...more
Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays a crucial role in the global economy, and the United States has long been an attractive destination for international investors. To accurately gauge the impact and trends of FDI, the US...more
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Updates:
As previously reported in earlier client alerts, the United States has long prohibited the importation of goods made through forced labor. With respect to China, a...more
A Proposed Rule amending the Buy American Act (“BAA”) of the Federal Acquisition Regulations (“FAR”), designed to benefit U.S. manufacturers, proposes to immediately increase the threshold needed to be considered a “domestic...more
As Chinese companies establish subsidiaries, partnerships, and joint ventures in the United States, as part of strategic plans to shift all or some portion of their manufacturing to the US, they should be aware of legal...more
Under increasing scrutiny by the United States and other countries, China is being held to task for its treatment of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Using terms like “genocide” and “crimes against humanity” the US Government is...more
One of the enduring legacies of the Trump Administration may be the retaliatory tariffs of up to 25% on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese imports. The consensus in the trade community is that a Biden Administration...more
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is wrapping up a comment period regarding a proposed, substantial change to the H-1B nonimmigrant visa program. The H-1B program applies to employers seeking to hire non-immigrant...more
For decades the United States has prohibited the importation of merchandise mined, produced or manufactured, wholly or in part, in any foreign country, by forced or indentured labor – including forced child labor. Such...more
The United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement (USMCA) goes into effect today, replacing the 25 year old NAFTA treaty. Updating NAFTA was one of the highest priorities of the Trump administration; USMCA eventually garnered...more
President Trump signed H.R. 7010 – the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (“PPPFA”) – into law on June 5, 2020. The PPPFA makes several sizable changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”). This brief alert...more
The Small Business Administration has released much-anticipated guidance regarding forgiveness of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. This client alert is provided on May 26, 2020 and, as all participants in this loan...more
In answer to a question hanging over the PPP loan program since its inception, the SBA on May 18 offered a safe harbor to borrowers who did not originally count its foreign employees, and those of its affiliates, in its loan...more
For the many small and mid-size businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, the recent CARES Act and other legislation adopted in earlier March 2020 offers businesses various resources for support to sustain business...more
Effective Monday, March 30, 2020 at 5:00 PM and continuing for an initial period of thirty (30) days, Governor Cooper recently announced a state-wide Stay At Home Order...more
Before your company determines it is in an Essential Critical Industry (ECI), think twice. There are already reports of some employers who are abusing the hastily-written descriptions of ECI, falsely claiming to be an ECI...more
The recent quarantine announcements in California and New York both exempt “critical infrastructure sectors.” These critical infrastructure sectors are defined here and the categories are reprinted below. Companies should...more
The US Small Business Administration has added COVID-19 to the list of disasters triggering federal disaster loan assistance. As of March 18, 2020, neither North Carolina nor South Carolina is an eligible area for such...more
As anticipated, two recent Disaster Declarations (NC00115 and GA00116) have extended eligibility for the SBA Disaster Loan Program to the following counties. Note that contiguous counties in South Carolina, Tennessee,...more
Announced on January 15, 2020, the 91 page Phase One trade agreement between the United States and the People’s Republic of China entered into effect on February 14, 2020. That agreement calls for structural reforms and...more