News Articles

DDTC

Advisory Opinions From DDTC – What Are They?

The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) that administers and enforces the ITAR also issues Advisory Opinions (AO). What the heck is an AO? If you come from a Customs compliance background you know about Customs rulings and may have applied for some. An AO is sort of like a Customs ruling in that it is a written interpretation of the regulations.

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DAO

Integrating DAOs and DUNAs with Stablecoin Ecosystems

We have analyzed Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and how the GENIUS Act will permit regulation of payment stablecoins in prior articles. This article examines how decentralized organizations interact with stablecoin ecosystems and the synergies between organizational and payment infrastructure innovation.

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Haiti

Renewal of Haiti HOPE/HELP and AGOA Trade Preferences Up to Senate

In its usual fashion, Congress has allowed the tariff preferences for Haiti under the United States-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to expire on September 30, 2025. Two bills passed the House with bipartisan majorities on January 12, 2026, to renew the tariff preferences retroactively to the date of expiration and then extend them to September 30, 2028. Both bills are now in the Senate Finance Committee awaiting action. This article examines the current status and likely outcomes of Senate review.

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Section 232 Automotive

Self-Declaring Under the Section 232 Automotive and MHDVP Programs

The October 17, 2025 Presidential Proclamation 10984 Adjusting Imports of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles, Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicle Parts, and Buses into the United States included a provision to self-declare certain auto and truck parts and components as being subject to the tariffs with certain requirements.

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Mercosur

Mercosur Update

Let’s rewind to December 6, 2024. A deal more than 25 years in the making, covering over 700 million people and a combined GDP approaching $22 trillion, became realized. Since then, the agreement has made notable institutional progress while encountering renewed legal and political resistance that will shape its path to implementation. What’s happened recently?

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BRICS

BRICS: An Update and a Challenge

Has BRICS finally produced an alternative to the “petrodollar” after twenty years? And does it live up to the hype? Depending on where you look online, key details are being left out. So, let’s slow down and review what’s actually happening.

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EU and India

After Two Decades of Failing to Come to an Agreement “The Mother of All Deals” is Done – Kudos to India and the EU

As of 1/27/2026, India and the EU have finalized a free trade agreement described by both sides as the “mother of all deals” that slashes tariffs, opens markets, and creates a combined economic region of roughly two billion people. This FTA stands as one of the most consequential global trade realignments in years, driven in part by U.S. tariff pressure and a shift in strategy toward diversifying one’s supply chains.

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Davos Canada

Hot Topics in International Trade – The Davos Speech by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney The Middle Powers Playbook and a Global Trade Realignment in the Making

For whatever reason, if you missed the spectacle created by President Trump on the world stage recently in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum, you really need to pay close attention now to the fall out. Top business executives in global economies were watching and probably also wondering just who the hell was going to stand-up to the U.S. pressure campaign, and that’s where Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stepped up to the mic and delivered a speech that sent shockwaves across continents.

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GENIUS Act

Agencies Request Comments on GENIUS Act Implementation

The GENIUS Act has authorized several regulatory agencies to issue regulations to develop the first comprehensive federal regulatory framework governing payment stablecoins in the United States. The statute directs multiple federal financial regulators to implement a coordinated supervisory structure governing issuance, reserve management, redemption rights, anti-money laundering compliance, custody, and market structure.

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Taiwan

The Taiwan Question – What are investors thinking after Trump’s Beijing summit?

United States President Donald Trump met with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China at a summit in Beijing in mid-May. The two leaders spoke for about two hours behind closed doors, discussing the trade relationship between the world’s two largest economies, the emergence of artificial intelligence, and energy cooperation. But it was a pointed comment from Xi about Taiwan that hinted at an unresolved issue that may make or break global relations. 

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IEEPA Refunds

What a “Mess”: IEEPA Refunds and the Emerging Wave of Consumer Litigation

When the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated certain tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump, it did more than reshape trade policy. The decision triggered a complex series of questions regarding tariff refunds, consumer rights, and corporate liability – questions whose effects continue to be felt far beyond the trade community, reaching businesses and households across the US.

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Section 232 Iron

Section 232 and Iron: What CBP’s New Guidance Means for Your Imports – The Difference Between Steel and Iron Has Never Mattered More

We are operating in one of the most volatile trade environments in recent memory. Tariff policy is shifting faster than most compliance programs can absorb. In that context, CBP’s March 15 guidance on Section 232 content value is not just a technical update. It brings meaningful clarity and importers who move quickly may find real money on the table.

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301 Tariffs

Section 301 Tariffs: A New Phase in U.S. Trade Policy

The resurgence of Section 301 tariff investigations marks a pivotal shift in U.S. trade policy. Following the Supreme Court’s invalidation of tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has turned to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 as a more durable legal pathway to reimpose and potentially expand tariff measures.

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AI Legislation

AI Legislative Framework Proposed by the White House

On March 20, 2026, the Trump Administration announced that it, “is committed to winning the AI race to usher in a new era of human flourishing, economic competitiveness, and national security for the American people.“ The White House issued a new comprehensive national legislative framework that addresses six key objectives.

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IEEPA

Supreme Court Clarifies Separation of Powers in IEEPA Tariffs Decision

In the final analysis, this case stands as one of the most important separation of powers decisions in the economic domain in U.S. history. It clarifies that tariffs are a form of taxation reserved to Congress, embeds the major questions doctrine in trade law, and reasserts the structural boundary between legislative and executive authority.

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