The Newly Appointed USTR Katherine Tai, Who is She, and What Does This Mean for World Trade?

By Brandon French, Associate Attorney, BLG On March 18, 2021, the Vice President, Kamala Harris, appointed Katherine Tai as the United States Trade Representative (USTR). This came after the Senate confirmed Tai by an overwhelming 98-0 vote. Before her appointment as the USTR, Tai served as the chief Democratic trade counsel for the House Ways […]
The Loneliest Rule: A Practical Examination of GIR 4, the Harmonized System’s Least Frequently Applied Rule

Originally published in the June 2020 issue of the Global Trade and Customs Journal. Read the entire article here.
Twenty-Five Years of Reasonable Care Under US Customs Law

Read the entire article here.
Section 301 Duties on Digital Services Tax – What is That All About?

What is a Digital Services Tax (DST)? A DST is a tax on revenue a company generates from digital services provided to customers in different countries. The services include advertising, data transfer and online selling.
What are the possible risks that the RCEP represents in commercial terms for Mexico?

On November 15, 2020, after 8 years of negotiations, one of the largest Free Trade Agreements in the world was signed. It is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
Why the Meyer Decision isn’t a Lemon: Modern Use of “First Sale”

A March 1st decision out of the CIT has caused a stir in the global trade industry because of the CIT opinion’s apparent uncertainty of the applicability of the “first sale” rule in transactions with non-market economy manufacturers and the broader implications of that uncertainty.
A Post COVID Surge, and a Variety of Port Issues

There are reasons to be optimistic about the economies of the world bouncing back from the pandemic in 2021, and at the same time, the major push to restock the world’s supply of goods has been met with a variety of problems.
A Meeting of the Minds Between China and the U.S. Perhaps in the Near Future? When Pigs Fly

One would think, if from another planet, or part of the world that is sheltered completely from global information on economies, that a crisis like a worldwide pandemic could bring two superpowers together in battle to fight a common enemy.
Exporting to Russia? Things Just Got (More) Difficult

Exporting to Russia is already a challenge. There are OFAC sanctions arising out of the Ukraine/Crimea situation, Military End User controls, and the usual export licensing requirements.
A Primer on U.S. Sanctions and Export Controls

The U.S. sanctions and export controls is complex and can be easy to overlook certain fundamental considerations with respect to restriction.