On June 12, 2024, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced new sanctions and export control restrictions on Russia and Belarus. These measures have significant implications for companies that do business with or in these regions, as they may face new licensing requirements, limitations, or prohibitions
Tariffs/Trade Policy
APHIS Announces Implementation of Phase VII of the Lacey Act’s Import Declaration Requirement
On May 31, 2024, the Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) published a Federal Register notice announcing the seventh phase of the Lacey Act’s import declaration requirement, adding enforcement of Phase VII will begin on December 1, 2024. Known as “the United States’ oldest wildlife protection statute,” the Lacey Act (16…
USTR Announces Tariff Increases and Seeks Comments on Proposed China Section 301 Tariff Actions
On May 28, 2024, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) posted in the Federal Register a request for comments regarding its proposed modifications to certain tariffs related to the Section 301 investigation of China’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Technology Transfer, Intellectual Property, and Innovation that was initiated in 2018 and resulted…
BIS Updates Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariff Exclusion Process by Removing 12 GAEs
On May 17, 2024, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a Final Rule revising the Section 232 tariff exclusion process for imported steel and aluminum products. These changes, effective July 1, 2024, are intended “to refine the framework under which exclusions from the tariffs on steel and aluminum can be requested…
Biden Administration Releases China Section 301 Four-Year Review Report and Announces Tariff Updates to Counter China’s Unfair Trade Practices
- The Section 301 tariff actions have been effective in encouraging China to take steps toward eliminating its unfair practices, but it has not eliminated many of its forced technology transfer-related acts, policies and practices.
- Products currently subject to Section 301 duties will remain subject to the existing additional duties.
- The USTR will implement
BIS and OFAC Expand Export Controls and Sanctions on Iran for Aggression Toward Israel and Military Support for Russia
On April 18, 2024, the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury announced combined export control restrictions and economic sanctions against Iran for its attack on Israel on April 13, 2024. These actions are intended “to degrade and disrupt key aspects of Iran’s malign activity, including its UAV [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles] program and the revenue the…
USTR Releases 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released on March 29, 2024, its annual National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE Report) that addresses the status of foreign trade and investment barriers to U.S. exports worldwide. This is the U.S. government’s major annual report on the barriers to U.S. exports of goods…
Commerce Finalizes Major Overhaul of U.S. Trade Remedy Regulations
On March 25, 2024, the Department of Commerce published new regulations in the Federal Register formalizing major changes to U.S. trade remedy regulations, 19 C.F.R. part 351, which include noteworthy clarifications and new provisions. The extensive changes were first proposed in May 2023 (see Update of May 15, 2023), and follow a public…
USTR Releases President Biden’s 2024 Trade Policy Agenda and 2023 Annual Report
On March 1, 2024, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published President Biden’s 2024 Trade Policy Agenda and 2023 Annual Report. This year’s agenda aims to further the cause of worker-centered trade policy, enhance the resilience of supply chains, and promote fair and sustainable trade practices. Below is a summary of…
BIS Implements Additional Sanctions Against Russia and Belarus
Effective January 25, 2024, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) again expanded export controls and sanctions against Russia for its continuing aggression against Ukraine and Belarus for its complicity in such activities. In a Final Rule, BIS is expanding the scope of the Export Administration Regulations’ (EAR) Russian and Belarusian…

