Tag Archives: Department of Commerce

5 Steps to Obtaining an Exemption under President Trump’s Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

By J. Scott Maberry on March 14, 2018 Posted in Import and Customs

If your company is a U.S. consumer of imported steel or aluminum, the new tariffs announced by President Trump on March 8, 2018 are bad news. The good news is that you can petition the government for exclusions of certain products. Formal procedures for such petitions won’t be published until March 19. But there are … Continue Reading

Dinner Table Conversation: How an Offhand Comment May Signal a Shift in the Global Trade of Semiconductors

By Curtis Dombek and Reid Whitten on June 22, 2017 Posted in Antidumping and Countervailing Duties, Free Trade Agreements (FTA), Import and Customs

On June 19, Commerce Secretary Ross mentioned at a Wall Street Journal CFO dinner that the Administration is now considering launching an investigation of semiconductor imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Ross said the specific concern is the threat of China to surpass U.S. semiconductor production.… Continue Reading

Preparing For Heightened Antidumping and Countervailing Duties (AD/CVD) Enforcement Under the Trump Administration

By Lisa Mays on April 6, 2017 Posted in Antidumping and Countervailing Duties

As the Trump administration comes into its third month, we have clues, but must speculate on how that administration will modify Iran sanctions, NAFTA, foreign investment, and tariffs on China. In contrast, recently issued executive orders shed clear light on the Trump administration’s approach to antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD). (See our August 2016 blog … Continue Reading

Espionage and Export Controls: The iPhone Hack Highlights The New World of Warfare

By Fatema Merchant and Laura Jehl on September 1, 2016 Posted in Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Commercial Exports

Last week, researchers at Citizen Lab uncovered sophisticated new spyware that allowed hackers to take complete control of anyone’s iPhone, turning the phone into a pocket-spy to intercept communications, track movements and harvest personal data. The malicious software, codenamed “Pegasus,” is believed to have been developed by the NSO Group, an Israeli company (whose majority … Continue Reading

Havana Hold Your Hand: Reaching Out to Cuban Entrepreneurs

By J. Scott Maberry and Fatema Merchant on January 16, 2015 Posted in Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Commercial Exports, Sanctions

New regulations on Cuba enter into force today, only 29 days after President Obama promised them. The liberalized provisions focus on support for private sector actors in Cuba.… Continue Reading