Under the leadership of President Trump, the US has adopted a new trade policy that may lead to the adoption of trade measures on imports from the EU. Given the importance of the US/EU trade relationship and the EU’s stated commitment to a free trade environment, the EU has said that it will adopt measures … Continue Reading
In recent days, the Biden administration’s reliance on export controls to curb China’s AI advancements has come under increasing scrutiny, particularly following the release of China’s DeepSeek R1 chatbot. This development raises concerns that prior U.S. restrictions have failed to slow China’s progress while potentially undermining U.S. global competitiveness in AI hardware and computing ecosystems. … Continue Reading
On 12 December 2024, the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR) was published prohibiting products made with forced labour on the EU market. This is the definitive and legally binding version of the FLR. As detailed in an earlier client insight, the prohibition on products made with forced labour, as set out in the FLR, and the resulting obligations and associated checks and enforcement, will only enter … Continue Reading
On December 17, 2024, American Active Anode Material Producers, a trade association consisting of domestic manufacturers of certain active anode materials, filed petitions with the US Department of Commerce (DOC) and the US International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking the imposition of antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on imports of such materials from China. The … Continue Reading
President-elect Trump’s foreign policy is beginning to take shape, based on pre-inaugural diplomacy and his appointments to date. Uncertainties abound, from unexpected world events—such as a sudden regime change in Syria—to Trump’s mercurial nature, the congressional confirmation process, and how his team settles into producing policy.… Continue Reading
On June 28, 2024, in a 6-3 decision in Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo, the Supreme Court overturned the Chevron doctrine, a decades-old precedent that largely pressed federal courts to defer to federal agency interpretations of ambiguous statutes under their jurisdiction. The full implications of this decision merit ongoing attention and preparation for a changed … Continue Reading
On April 11, 2024, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), a multi-agency committee administered by the U.S. Treasury Department, released a proposed rule (“Proposed Rule”) to amend the CFIUS regulations.[1] The Proposed Rule seeks “to enhance the Committee’s identification and resolution of national security risks” by expanding the scope of information … Continue Reading
On March 1, 2024, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) officially announced the initiation of a new factfinding investigation into the global rice market. The investigation, titled “Rice: Global Competitiveness and Impacts on Trade and the U.S. Industry” (Investigation No. 332-603), was requested by US House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means Chair Jason … Continue Reading
While many have focused in recent months on the US enforcement of the forced labor import ban (19 U.S.C. 1307) and the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) (Public Law No. 117-78), the EU is working on its own set of regulations prohibiting products made with forced labor from entering the EU market. A proposal … Continue Reading
In a February 5, 2024 letter to the US International Trade Commission (ITC), US House of Representatives Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (Republican-Missouri) requested that the ITC conduct a Section 332 investigation into the global rice market. The ITC will institute the investigation in the coming weeks, and it could be the first … Continue Reading
In recent years, the U.S.-China bilateral relationship has hit historic lows, marked by notable events like the Chinese spy balloon incident in February and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan in 2021. However, there is reason for optimism as we have witnessed a significant shift in dynamics over the past few … Continue Reading
On Wednesday, September 20, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade held a long-anticipated hearing titled “Reforming the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) to Safeguard U.S. Supply Chains and Combat China.” In their separate opening statements, both Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith (R-NE) and Subcommittee Ranking Member Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) highlighted the evolving landscape of … Continue Reading
In September 2023, select leaders participating in the G20 Summit announced plans to develop the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). The project aims to develop two integrated corridors – one connecting India to the Arabian Gulf, and one connecting the Arabian Gulf to Europe – with new ship-to-rail transit networks, undersea telecommunication cables, and a … Continue Reading
On March 9, President Biden revealed his annual budget proposal for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024. The Budget requests both discretionary and mandatory resources to “out-compete China and advance American prosperity globally.”… Continue Reading
Balloon Incident Underscores U.S.-China Competition Concerns The Chinese surveillance balloon incident may elevate the issue of China competition in the public consciousness and galvanize bipartisan support, particularly in the House, for addressing aspects of the U.S.-China bilateral relationship.… Continue Reading
Last Week: GOP To Review Export Controls Enforcement, Citing China Concerns House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC) Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) asked U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo for documents on the implementation of certain export controls. “The United States needs a whole-of-government approach to protect sensitive and military-useful technology from foreign adversaries, such as the People’s … Continue Reading
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: A New Standard of “Influence?” Last week, the House of Representatives passed the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act (H.R. 22), which would prohibit the Department of Energy (DOE) from selling petroleum products from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to any entity that is “under the ownership, control, or influence … Continue Reading
118th Congress Begins with Focus on China. Last weekend, House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was elected Speaker of the House. In his first speech, McCarthy said Republicans will “address America’s long-term challenges: the debt, and the rise of the Chinese Communist Party.”… Continue Reading
This week Republicans filed a flurry of bills focused on China. While they may be seeking to push these proposals as policy riders in the omnibus government spending package, more likely they reflect continuing interest by congressional Republicans to legislate on US-China policy and relations at least as aggressively in the 118th Congress as they … Continue Reading
The House voted 350-80 to pass the compromise defense authorization bill on Thursday. The 4,000-plus page package would authorize $857.9 billion in fiscal 2023 defense spending, $45 billion more than requested by the White House. The Senate is expected to consider the legislation next week. Why it matters: The proposed boost to defense spending underscores … Continue Reading
Under an interim rule published in the Federal Register on Friday, September 9, 2022, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS) is loosening restrictions on the sharing of specific technology with blacklisted firms, to maintain the United States’ lead in setting international standards. Under that rule, no license will be required to export certain … Continue Reading
Note: Our next report will circulate in September, after the summer break. Amid the global food crisis, the Russian Federation (Russia) and Ukraine reached an agreement that was signed in Turkey to allow Ukraine’s grains to ship to global markets; Ukraine awaits sign from the United Nations (UN) that ship passage is guaranteed for the … Continue Reading
