News Articles

Taiwan

Taiwan, Invasion & Trade, Part 2

President elect Lai Ching-te’s victory in Taipei ignited tensions across the Taiwan strait and now the geopolitical field waits to see if China will kick off World War Three. I’m only slightly joking, but Beijing has exerted diplomatic pressure on nations maintaining close ties with the island in the past and Taiwan’s decision to remain a democracy will no doubt ramp up China’s reunification process in the coming months. But how will that affect trade relations?

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Forced Labor Prevention Act

Latest Developments with The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and New Leadership at the Department of Homeland Security Signal Heavier Enforcement is Likely

In recent years, the global spotlight has illuminated the grave concerns surrounding human rights violations within China’s Xinjiang region, particularly those impacting the Uyghur population. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) stands as a pivotal piece of legislation designed to address these concerns and to ensure that products imported into the United States are devoid of forced labor originating from the Xinjiang region.

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prior notice regulations

Any Comments on FDA’s New Proposed Rule on Prior Notice Regulations?

On November 1, 2023, FDA issued a proposed rule that would make changes to its prior notice regulations, if the rule is finalized. These changes include requiring the name of the mail service and a mail tracking number to be provided in prior notice for food articles arriving by international mail. In addition, the FDA proposes that food facility registration information and prior notice be submitted within a specific timeframe after receiving certain notices of refusal or hold (“post-refusal” and “post-hold” submissions).

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antidumping

New Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Investigation Initiated Covering Aluminum Extrusions from 15 Countries

On October 4, 2023, A coalition of 14 U.S. aluminum extrusion producers and labor unions filed petitions before the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (Commerce) and the International Trade Commission (ITC) seeking to impose antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) on aluminum extrusions produced in 15 countries and exported to the U.S.

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Legal Framework

Legal Framework Governing IMMEX Operations

As we have previously explained in other articles, an IMMEX is a duty deferral program from the Mexican federal government created in 2006, which stands for Industria Manufacturera, Maquiladora y de Servicios de Exportación (Manufacturing, Maquiladora and Export Services Industry).

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BIS

Overview of BIS’s Interim Final Rules, Export Controls for Advanced Computing, Supercomputing, and Artificial Intelligence

On October 25, 2023, the Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published interim final rules amending the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”) to add/clarify new controls on semiconductor manufacturing equipment (“SME”), advanced computing integrated circuits (“IC”), and computer commodities containing them.

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Xinjiang Exclusions

Challenges Ahead! – Requesting to be Excluded From the Xinjiang Exclusions

In April of this year U.S. Customs & Border Protection (CBP) issued Headquarters Ruling H330077. The ruling was in response to a protest filed by an importer that had a shipment of wearing apparel excluded from entry under a Withhold Release Order (WRO) at the port of Newark, NJ. The wearing apparel was processed from cotton produced in India, made into yarn and fabric in China, and converted to wearing apparel in Cambodia. None of the parties to the transaction were located in the Xinjiang Region of China.

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buy America

OMB Issues Final Rule for Infrastructure Buy America Preferences

The Office of Management and Budget (“OMB”), Made in America Office issued a Final Rule to clarify the Build America, Buy America Act (“BABA”) provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act4 (“IIJA”) and to clarify existing provisions related to domestic preferences. The Final Rule amends Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (“CFR”), subtitle A, chapter I by adding a new Part 184 to support implementation of BABA. OMB also amended 2 CFR 200.322 to clarify existing provisions within part 200. According to OMB, the Final Rule “is intended to improve consistency in the implementation of BABA requirements across the Federal Government.”5 The Final Rule will take effect October 23, 2023.

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Foreign Direct Investment

Foreign Direct Investment Trends in 2024

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.

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China’s FDI in Mexico

机遇与挑战:中国企业赴墨西哥投资

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。

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Uyghur Forced Labor

Forced Labor Questionnaires: Another Helpful Hint

In February 2024, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) began taking a new approach to Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) enforcement—questionnaires. Once again, the solar industry is among the first targets, vanguards among importers, hacking their way through new regulatory growth, hopefully exposing a clear way through for all who follow. Active enforcement mechanisms like questionnaires—and the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force (FLETF) itself—are still evolving.

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Global Trade Network, international trade, BCG

BIS Updates Freight Forwarder Guidance And Best Practices

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has recently published a guidance document on its new website aimed at helping freight forwarders and exporters uphold compliance with U.S. export controls and regulatory requirements. The document emphasizes the significant role that freight forwarders play in securing the global supply chain and preventing the proliferation of illegal exports.

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De Minimis

De Minimis An Ever-Growing Problem of De Maximus ProportionDe Minimis

De minimis is a term that refers to a threshold below which certain goods are exempt from import duties or taxes. However, in the landscape of international trade, it has become a contentious issue for the United States. Those “bad actors”, and even some, not so bad, but willing to take advantage of a loophole have found a way around the tariffs. This so-called loophole of allowing goods with a fair retail value of $800 or less to enter the U.S. without paying an import tariff has become a monster that Customs needs to find a way to deal with conclusively.

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IMMEX Customs

The Importance of Pedimento Codes for the IMMEX Customs Regime

In Mexico, a customs regime is the destination or treatment for goods subject to customs control in accordance with the nature and purposes of a customs operation. Companies with an IMMEX program may perform operations under the so-called customs regime of “temporary importation for elaboration, transformation or repair under a maquila program”. This name by itself implies several facts to consider.

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aluminum extrusions investigation

Aluminum Extrusions II – Scope Modifications Proposed, Dept. of Commerce Questioning Manageability

Since the last update on the AD / CVD aluminum extrusions investigation (dubbed Extrusions II) in what appears to be a response to strong opposition from trade industry groups, legislators, governments, and other interested parties, as well as dubious signals from the Department of Commerce, (Commerce) the Petitioners in the ongoing Aluminum Extrusions investigation have proposed modifications to the scope of the investigation.

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Legal Norms Artificial Intelligence

Evolving Legal Norms for Artificial Intelligence  in the European Union and the United States

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for the last 2-3 years for politicians, technologists, and many people in civil societies globally. The use of the technology has obvious benefits for increasing productivity and value produced by businesses and organizations, along with dangers from misuse, such as deep fake propaganda and serious security risks. Two recent efforts to develop legislation addressing AI technology offer an opportunity to compare and contrast the differing approaches in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US).

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IMMEX Customs

La importancia de los Claves de Pedimentos en el Régimen Aduanero de las IMMEX

En México, un régimen aduanero es el destino o tratamiento que se da a los bienes objeto de control aduanero de conformidad con la naturaleza y propósitos de una operación aduanera. Las empresas con un programa IMMEX pueden realizar operaciones al amparo del régimen aduanero llamado “importación temporal para elaboración, transformación o reparación en programas de maquila”.

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