Welcome to the September 2024 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and...more
9/17/2024
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Anti-Subsidies ,
Canada ,
Child Labor ,
China ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
ECCNs ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Enforcement ,
Export Controls ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Forced Labor ,
Fraud ,
Imports ,
ITAR ,
Manufacturers ,
Popular ,
Risk Mitigation ,
Section 301 ,
Solar Panels ,
Steel Industry ,
Surtax ,
Tariffs ,
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ,
US Trade Policies ,
USTR ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Whistleblowers
Just in case you were starting to get comfortable with last year’s massive raft of regulations on the advanced computing, supercomputer, and semiconductor industries in China, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry...more
On October 28, 2022, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry (BIS) issued FAQs on the new semiconductor regulations. The FAQs are short and relatively clear (thank you!) even if they were released on a Friday...more
On Friday, October 7, 2022, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) released an interim final rule containing an enormous set of export controls that will likely damage the Chinese semiconductor, advanced computing, and...more
10/11/2022
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
China ,
Corporate Counsel ,
ECCNs ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Federal Register ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
License Applications ,
Manufacturers ,
Military End Use ,
MOFCOM ,
Popular ,
Rulemaking Process ,
SDN List ,
Semiconductors ,
Software ,
Technology
The subpoena issuance suggests that the Biden Administration will continue the US Government’s assertive approach to China.
The US Department of Commerce, on March 17, 2021, issued subpoenas on multiple Chinese companies...more
3/19/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Foreign Policy ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
National Security ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department
Companies should be prepared to conduct additional due diligence for any transactions involving entities in the countries enumerated in this rule.
In an interim rule published on, January 15, 2020, the Department of...more
3/17/2021
/ Biological-Weapons ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Chemical Weapons ,
China ,
Cuba ,
Due Diligence ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Entities ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Iran ,
North Korea ,
Nuclear Weapons ,
Russia ,
Syria ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
Venezuela
Changes are afoot for key industry sectors with complicated global supply chains.
“As this pandemic has made clear, we can never again be in a position where we have to rely on a foreign country that doesn’t share our...more
3/1/2021
/ APIs ,
Batteries ,
Biden Administration ,
CFIUS ,
China ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Defense Sector ,
Energy Sector ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Controls ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
Minerals ,
Personal Protective Equipment ,
Popular ,
Public Health ,
Risk Management ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry
The Information and Communications Technology and Services (ICTS) Rule, if implemented by the Biden Administration, would significantly impact companies that have an international nexus in a number of different sectors,...more
2/2/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Cuba ,
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) ,
Digital Service Providers ,
Executive Orders ,
FCC ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
Interim Final Rules (IFR) ,
Iran ,
National Intelligence Agencies ,
North Korea ,
Popular ,
Russia ,
Sensitive Personal Information ,
Software ,
Supply Chain ,
Telecommunications ,
Venezuela
In his last days, President Trump takes a swipe against companies identified by the Department of Defense (DoD) as Communist Chinese military companies by prohibiting US persons from investments.
On November 12, 2020,...more
11/18/2020
/ China ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Foreign Investment ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
National Security ,
PCAOB ,
Proposed Rules ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
The US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule amending the license review policy for items on the Commerce Control List that are controlled for national security (NS) reasons and are...more
Target areas are telecom, information security, and sensor items that can be used for censorship, surveillance, detention, and use of force.
On October 6, 2020, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and...more
There is a risk that garments made from cotton produced by XPCC could be subject to a Customs and Border Protection withhold release orders.
Fashion and luxury goods companies need to be concerned about the recent...more
8/26/2020
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Entity List ,
Exports ,
Forced Labor ,
Imports ,
Retailers ,
Supply Chain ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
The new regulations prohibit government agencies from entering into, extending, or renewing a contract with contractors if they use any equipment, system, or service that uses certain Chinese telecommunications equipment or...more
8/14/2020
/ Breach of Contract ,
China ,
Compliance ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
FIRRMA ,
Huawei ,
Interim Rule ,
National Security ,
NDAA ,
New Regulations ,
Public Safety ,
System For Award Management (SAM) ,
Telecommunications
On Monday, June 29, the Departments of Commerce and State announced that they were following through with changes to treat Hong Kong like China for exports of military and dual-use goods.
The Department of Commerce announced...more
Rumors have circulated through the export community for months, and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has finally acted. In a final rule published April 28, 2020, BIS is removing License Exception Civil End-Users...more
In yet another action on April 28, 2020, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule imposing stricter license requirements on a wide range of exports, reexports and transfers to China, Russia, or Venezuela...more
On January 15, 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu Hu signed the long-awaited US-China Trade Agreement after nearly two years of a trade war that has resulted in crippling tariffs on almost $500 billion worth...more
1/24/2020
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Exports ,
Imports ,
Section 301 ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Agreements ,
Trade Relations ,
Trade Wars ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
Parties seeking changes to the proposed list of tariff subheadings or to lower duties should take advantage of this comment period.
Why is USTR proposing additional duties on French imports?
Under Section 301, USTR can...more
12/5/2019
/ China ,
Comment Period ,
Digital Services Tax ,
Exclusions ,
France ,
Globally Harmonized System ,
International Tax Issues ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Section 301 ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Wars ,
Trump Administration ,
USTR
Under this new evaluation process, Commerce can prohibit companies from engaging in a wide variety of transactions and order them to cease using the information technology or telecommunication system in question even if it is...more
12/3/2019
/ China ,
Comment Period ,
Congressional Oversight ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Digital Services ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Adversaries ,
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ,
Information Technology ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Prohibited Transactions ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department
In another blow to Huawei, on August 7, 2019, the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) issued an interim rule amending the Federal...more
8/27/2019
/ Bank Fraud ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
China ,
Criminal Conspiracy ,
Department of Defense (DOD) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Federal Contractors ,
FIRRMA ,
General Services Administration (GSA) ,
Huawei ,
Interim Rule ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
Money Laundering ,
NASA ,
NDAA ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
Telecommunications ,
US Trade Policies ,
Wire Fraud