On December 23, 2021, President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) into law. The Act creates a rebuttable presumption that “any goods, wares, articles, and merchandise mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China” (or by an entity included on … Continue Reading
After multiple top European officials’ visits to Kyiv, the United States (US) Government dispatched two Cabinet-level officials to Ukraine, marking the return of American officials to the country and a re-opening of the US Embassy, since the conflict with Russia started in late February. The United Kingdom (UK) also announced its Embassy was re-opening in … Continue Reading
For the first time, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) will make its existing financing programs available to export-oriented domestic manufacturing facilities and infrastructure projects. The Make More in America Initiative was unanimously approved by the EXIM Board of Directors in April 2022, and had support from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), … Continue Reading
The United States (US) Congress moved to isolate further Russia and Belarus these past two week, as the US Government also increased bilateral pressure with the imposition of additional sanctions and restrictions. The United Kingdom (UK) Government also moved in concert these past two weeks with the US and European Union (EU) in ratcheting up … Continue Reading
The United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK) continued to ratchet up additional pressure on Russia this week, while the European Union (EU) and UK appear to have different opinions on how best to continue to coordinate the pressure campaign against Russia. The UK and US aligned this week with high-level visits to India, part … Continue Reading
While the President of the United States (US), Joe Biden, appears to be willing to increase rhetoric against the President of the Russian Federation (Russia), other Western allies are less willing to join in increasing tension with Russia on this front. By Sunday, the US Secretary of State appeared to downplay President Biden’s Friday remarks … Continue Reading
Moderated by Stephen Lerner and hosted by the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI), a multidisciplinary team from our firm engaged in a wide-ranging discussion about the crisis in Ukraine. Topics included geopolitics, the global economy, sanctions and trade compliance, supply chains, the legal response from Moscow, and other business critical issues. Watch the webinar recording here.… Continue Reading
More countries joined the United States (US) this past week in calling for Russia’s “most-favored nation” status to be revoked at the World Trade Organization (WTO). The European Union (EU) approved a fourth tranche of sanctions against Russia, as the bloc prepares yet another potential round of sanctions. Furthermore, the United Kingdom (UK) designated an … Continue Reading
Transatlantic partners continue to ratchet pressure this week on the Kremlin responsive to the Russian Federation’s continued conflict with Ukraine. The United States announced its immediate ban on Russian oil and gas exports (and seafood and alcohol products); the United Kingdom (UK) Government stated it would phase out Russian energy by the end of the … Continue Reading
With military troops from the Russian Federation and aligned forces moving further into Ukraine, efforts were attempted – but failed – to establish ceasefire agreements that would allow Ukrainian civilians to evacuate Mariupol and Volnovakha, cities that faced heavy fire from Russian forces this week. European countries and the United States (US) reacted negatively to … Continue Reading
In the early hours of 22 February, at the direction of the Kremlin, Russian Federation military forces crossed Ukraine’s borders from multiple fronts, beginning an assault that appears to be an effort to seize control of the country via the capital, Kyiv. Western allies – the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK) and European Union … Continue Reading
While Russian officials claimed early this week a withdrawal of some of its forces from Ukraine’s borders, the United States (US) quickly asserted it saw no such evidence, with one official stating intelligence reflected another 7,000 Russian troops have joined over 150,000 estimated troops already near Ukraine’s borders. US and European leaders continued to meet … Continue Reading
The United States (US) Government continues to warn of an imminent Russian attack on Ukraine. While diplomacy remains the preferred option, US intelligence suggests Russia’s military is poised to roll into Ukraine from multiple fronts. Officials from the United Kingdom (UK), the US and European Union (EU) engaged Russian counterparts this week, seeking a diplomatic … Continue Reading
While the situation between Russia and Ukraine remains a focus for transatlantic trade partners, the rhetoric this week appears to have been pared back. Nevertheless, a group of Senators in the United States (US) may soon have an agreement on a sanctions bill to address Russia’s aggression. Sanctions legislation was introduced on 31 January in … Continue Reading
The United States (US) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) submitted their responses to Russia’s security demands this past week, which the Russian Foreign Minister indicated gave hope of a dialogue on secondary questions, not the fundamental issues. With the White House suggesting Russia could re-invade Ukraine in February, media reports reflect Ukraine’s President has … Continue Reading
Russia and Ukraine remain a focus for officials from the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), with the US Secretary of State dispatched to Europe this past week. Notably, a bipartisan US Senate delegation visited Ukraine this week, with one Senator suggesting the US Government is vetting potential effects … Continue Reading
Amid increased tension between the Russian Federation (Russia) and Ukraine, diplomatic talks between the United States (US), European countries, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia concluded this week, with US officials saying they are taking stock of the discussions, while Russian officials indicated talks were a “dead end.” These past few weeks and … Continue Reading
Officials from the United States (US) spent this past week preparing for this coming week’s diplomatic talks with their counterparts from the Russian Federation, amid tension over Russia’s military build-up at Ukraine’s border and unrest in Kazakhstan that saw Russian paratroopers deployed at the behest of the Kazakh government. European and US officials will be … Continue Reading
Transatlantic partners are closely tracking the Russian Federation’s (“Russia”) military build-up at Ukraine’s border, continuing to issue warnings against a possible incursion. Officials from the United States (US, or USA) briefed the media on the situation on Thursday, just ahead of the US Christmas holiday break. The US Government also released its annual report on … Continue Reading
Russia’s military build-up at Ukraine’s border continues to dominate the attention of transatlantic partners, with officials from the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and the European Union (EU) continuing to warn Russia to de-escalate the situation. In America, the US Congress wrapped up its legislative work for 2021, with Democrats not quite getting … Continue Reading
This past week, the Government of the United Kingdom (UK) started outlining its agenda for 2022, with a focus on digital trade, among other priorities, in the broader framework of establishing a “network of liberty.” The latter point overlaps with the Government of the United States of America (US, or USA), which hosted a virtual … Continue Reading
The past two weeks saw the emergence of a new coronavirus variant – designated “Omicron” – that was first noted by officials in South Africa, who quickly reported it globally. While countries around the world – including the United States of America (US or USA) – restricted travel to and from nations in southern Africa, … Continue Reading
Officials from the European Union (EU), United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) participated in the final week of the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Scotland. The Summit concluded with the publication of the Glasgow Climate Pact, which maintains the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to … Continue Reading
The United Kingdom (UK), European Union (EU) and the United States (US) focused this past week on climate change and global supply chain disruptions, with the UK hosting the 26th United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which continues into this week. Transatlantic leaders started the week in Rome, attending the Group … Continue Reading
