Though the USMCA has been ratified by Mexico, the trade agreement still faces a vote in Canada and, perhaps more concerning, the US. Under the Trade Promotion Authority (“TPA”), both houses of US Congress must vote in favor of the
International Trade Law Compass
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What Do CBP’s Proposed New Verification Requirements Mean for Customs Brokers?
In an August 14, 2019 Notice of Proposed Rule Making, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) announced its intent to increase requirements on licensed customs brokers to verify the identity of the importers with whom they transact. CBP reports…
USTR Announces Delays to Portions of Section 301 List 4
On August 13, the Trump Administration announced the “next steps” in implementation of the approximately $300 billion in additional tariffs set to go into effect September 1. This fourth round of Section 301 tariffs (known as “List 4”) was originally…
Recent CFIUS Enforcement Hints at Its Priority Industries and Concerns
The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)* recently cleared several investments and acquisitions involving foreign actors, giving businesses a small glimpse into which investment characteristics the interagency committee may be favoring in its clearance process.
With last…
Section 301 (China) Product Exclusions Update: Customs Guidance for U.S. Importers
It has been almost a year since the first round of Section 301 China tariffs went into effect on July 6, 2018. Since that time, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has reviewed thousands of product exclusion…
The USMCA: Where do we stand?
On November 30, 2018, the United States, Canada and Mexico took the first steps toward a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)—now dubbed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). However, the USMCA still faces the hurdles of ratification by the…
Sanctions Compliance Directly Impacts Executives
In OFAC’s guidance document that was released last week, OFAC made it clear that it will consider using its enforcement authority against the individuals involved in a sanctions violation, not just the entities. OFAC recognized that individual employees, particularly those…
Federal Circuit Squeezes Customs’ Wrench Classification
In a recent opinion, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the US Court of International Trade’s (CIT) determination of the classification of certain hand tools imported by Irwin Industrial Tool Company (“Irwin”) as “pliers”…
Updates to the Cuba Restricted List
On April 24, 2019, the U.S. Department of State published an update to its List of Restricted Entities and Subentities Associated with Cuba (Cuba Restricted List) adding five additional entities to the list.
On June 16, 2017, the President signed…