The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) is continuing its project to revise and update the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Some of the changes are editorial and some are substantive. If you are affected by the ITAR or think you might be, you will need to stay on top of the changes because some (or all) may affect you.
Regenerative Finance (ReFi) is a growing Web3 field that offers an opportunity to rethink how we approach finance, investing, and sustainable economic development. ReFi takes a holistic approach to finance and development, considering the environmental, social, and economic impacts of financial decisions, and aims to create a regenerative economic ecosystem rather than following a primarily extractive approach.
You’ve probably heard about the many recent changes to the “Buy America” and procurement rules, starting with Executive Orders in the late 2010’s under then President Trump, several sessions of Congress, and modifications by President Biden. These changes have prompted questions from importers.
After several years of review by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”), the Customs Broker community, and the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Council, CBP unveiled
It seems like it was a couple decades ago, but it was only about 5 years that I was last in Hong Kong on business.
When goods are imported into the United States, the importer-of-record (IOR) must, with reasonable care, file an entry (CBP Form 3461) and entry summary (CBP Form 7501), or the electronic equivalents, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). These documents are the IOR’s preliminary and final declarations about the nature and circumstances of the import transaction, and they tell the story of the transaction through more than forty data elements.
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has recently begun placing more of an emphasis on Made in the USA (“MUSA”) labeling violations. A MUSA violation occurs
In November 2022, Mexican Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard and U.S. Special Presidential Envoy John Kerry announced at COP27[1] in Sharm el-Sheikh important steps forward to address the
On October 21, 2022, the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (The DOC) published its Final Scope Ruling on Malaysian Processed Quartz Slab. The DOC
On October 28, 2022, on the eve of the mid-term elections, a bill was introduced in the House that, unless you are an export control/compliance nerd, most would not have given it any thought. This bill, H.R. 9241, called the “Prioritizing National Security in Export Controls Act of 2022” was introduced by Representative Jim Banks, (R-Indiana) and co-sponsored by Robert Wittman, (R-Virginia), and Gregory Steube, (R-Florida).
INTRODUCTION This article will review the options the White House has outlined for regulation and oversight of the digital assets sector, based upon a set
U.S. industries supplying Chinese facilities with products, equipment, software, and technology used in semiconductor development and production are subject to regulatory controls under the Export
Enter any of the more health-oriented grocery stores in the U.S., like Whole Foods, and you’ll see aisles upon aisles of supplements —everything from multivitamins
China Tariffs are here to stay – for now. The Biden Administration continues to defend the Trump-era tariffs on goods from China with little guidance as domestic inflation climbs steadily. Meanwhile, 2022 has been a busy year for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”). The agency was instructed by the Court of International Trade to provide further written justification for the Section 301 Actions for Lists 3 and 4a in the wake of the agency’s obligatory four-year review of each tariff action.
The Maritime Port Authority (MPA in Singapore) is currently in the process of building the Tuas Port, which will be the biggest port in the world with a capacity of 60 million TEU’s (twenty-foot equivalent units) once it is fully completed in 2040. PSA, the company taking the lead in the construction has implemented a four-phase process, with the first phase officially opening this September 2022, with three berths being operational.
In Antidumping (AD) investigations, the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) typically selects only a limited number of exporting entities for review, with these exporters referred to as “individual” or “named” respondents. Selection of these respondents is based on U.S. Customs and Border Protection Data, and in most cases due to limited DOC resources, will consist of only a few of the largest exporters.
Joe Compliance has an export control issue involving definition of some of the terms being used. Joe goes to the website of the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (pmddtc.state.gov) and clicks on “Review the ITAR.” He opens Part 120 where the definitions are found.
According to the science of composition, a semiconductor is a material which, when subject to light, heat or a specific electrical voltage may be transformed into a conductor. Semiconductors are used to produce memory sticks, PC cards, smart cards, microchips, microprocessors, transistors, compact flash, start media, among many other items.
In response to the Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets[1] issued on March 9, 2022, both the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the Treasury Department (Treasury) have recently issued reports analyzing the possible design and feasibility of creating a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).[2] The reports make clear that significant technical issues and major policy considerations need to be addressed for the U.S. to develop a CBDC.
The legality of the Section 301 Actions for List 3 ($200 Billion Trade Action) and 4a ($300 Billion Trade Action) continues to be contentiously disputed before the Court of International Trade. The mass action, In re Section 301 Cases, No. 21-00052, encompasses claims of over 6,500 Plaintiffs that argue the Section 301 Duties, enacted under the Trade Act of 1974, are illegal.
The United States Trade Representative (USTR) recently released a list of Section 301 exclusions that would be extended through May 31, 2025. Within the Notice, the USTR explained that extending these exclusions will support efforts to shift sourcing out of China, or provide additional time where, despite efforts to source products from alternative sources, availability of the product outside of China remains limited.
China’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in Mexico has seen substantial growth in recent years, reflecting a strategic alignment with global economic shifts and regional trade dynamics. This trend positions China as one of the fastest-growing sources of foreign investment in Mexico, with the majority of investments flowing into the manufacturing sector.
Digital assets, including blockchain and cryptocurrency protocols and companies, have been in a defensive posture for much of 2022, 2023 and 2024. The collapse of crypto exchange FTX and numerous enforcement actions taken by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) have forced the sector to retrench and upgrade their abilities to meet the higher standards of securities laws.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a driving force behind global economic growth and development, acting as a lifeline of funding for nations around the world. Imagine a company from one corner of the globe setting up shop or acquiring a business in another – that’s FDI in action.
中国在墨西哥的外国直接投资 (FDI) 近年来显着增长，这反映了中国与全球经济格局转变和区域贸易动态的战略性协调。这一趋势使中国成为墨西哥增长最快的外国投资来源国之一，其中大部分投资流向制造业。
Scientists have discovered a new planet which they say could potentially support human life. Gliese 12b is a rocky planet just 40 light years away from our own with its size between Venus and Earth. The planet was discovered by an international team, in collaboration with NASA and the European Space Agency using data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS). Gliese 12b falls into what astronomers call a “goldilocks zone,” with an average temperature of 107 degrees Fahrenheit, which is common in summer in various parts of earth. It makes on ponder…are we not alone? Scientists are also on the verge of discovering how to bend space and travel in quantum leaps with warp speed. Can you say “intergalactic trade”? I know you can, with fond memory of Fred McFeely Rogers, better known as Mister Rogers. We love the science behind global trade compliance which is what we do at BLG.
Your product originated in China and now Customs has detained your shipment at the U.S. port citing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act as the reason. Keep in mind you are considered guilty until proven innocent which is an uphill climb. Don’t take too long deciding what to do as storage and then demurrage fees could pile up.
In our decades of experience within international trade there is one thing we have yet to encounter: a transshipment via planet of origin Mars and that’s about the only thing we haven’t seen. We love the science behind global trade compliance. Global Trade Compliance is what we do at BLG.
In this Hot Topics podcast, Bob Brewer intenviews Robert Stein, VP Braumiller Consulting on International Trade De Minimis. The full term is de minimus non carat lex which means the law does not concern itself with something so inconsequential. The de minims threshold was raised to $800 to relieve businesses of administrative burden but U.S. customs is looking at how the provision is being misused by exporters, especially China, to get around forced labor and fentanyl.
Hot Topics in International Trade. BLG VP Marketing Bob Brewer sits down with Robert Stein, VP Braumiller Consulting Group and discusses the recent bridge collapse via the Dali at the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
