The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the addition of three Chinese manufacturers to the Uyghur Forced Labor blacklist which, if enforced, could greatly impact the US vinyl flooring industry. China accounts for 63% of all vinyl floor tiling shipped to the United States in the last two years, and Vietnam comes in second at 20%.  Materially all of the PVC in these shipments is sourced from the Uyghur region, including transshipments through Vietnam.

James Bacchus, former chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization penned a piece for the Cato Institute dispelling some of the more egregious myths about the WTO. Worth a …

  The Office of the United States Trade Representative and the National Economic Council today announced the appointment of United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai to the White …

The anthology titled "The Importance of Understanding Allied Perspectives," edited by Gregory C. Allen and published by the Wadhwani Center for AI and Advanced Technologies at CSIS, explores the …

The Export Import Bank of the US (EXIM) board has finalized approval of the funding  for the export of 186 modular steel panel bridges and ancillary bridging equipment, as well as technical …

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced a settlement with Charlotte-based Albemarle Corporation. The global specialty chemicals company will pay over $103.6 million following charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).  A paralell cash settlement of $115 million with the Justice Department brings the company's costs to nearly $220 million.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. has reached an agreement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) following concerns regarding the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). The U.S.-based out-of-home advertising firm will pay over $26 million in relation to the settlement. The concerns arose from interactions with Chinese government officials in the pursuit of outdoor advertising contracts.

The TRIPS Council of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held an "informal thematic session" Thursday to discuss the implications of intellectual property (IP) in the development, distribution, and access to COVID-19 therapeutics and diagnostics.

A government contractor has been charged with espionage. Maryland resident Abraham Lemma, stands accused of gathering and delivering defense information to a foreign entity. The compromised material presumably involves Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa.

The U.S. Department of Commerce seeks public comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the United States during the period January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023. [FR Document: 2023-21193]

FinCEN, a part of the Treasury Department focusing on financial crimes, recently proposed a revision to the beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting rule. The aim of this amendment is to provide an extended deadline for certain newly registered companies to file their initial BOI reports.

FinCEN intends to require individuals to use to obtain a FinCEN identifier, consistent with the final Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting Requirements Rule. Obtaining a FinCEN identifier is voluntary, but the rule requires those seeking to obtain a FinCEN identifier to complete an application and submit it to FinCEN and to update the information provided on the application. Public are invited to comment on: (1) the FinCEN Identifier Application that FinCEN intends to require individuals to use; and (2) FinCEN’s estimate of the burden involved in completing the application.

A government shutdown is set to severely impact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and other trade enforcement bureaus, leaving over 185,000 frontline personnel, spanning from law enforcement, security analysts, to disaster response officials, working without remuneration. Key trade operations – exporters, importers, transportation entities, customs brokers, and all linked to U.S. global trade – are bracing for interruptions. This is especially true if agencies pivotal for trade, such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, and Department of Commerce are affected.

Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich) and ranking Republican John Boozman (Ark) said yesterday they will work together to craft legislation to more closely scrutinize foreign investment by China and other countries in US agriculture. There is clearly bipartisan consensus in both the Senate and House on the need to take a closer look at whether foreign purchases of US farmland and agricultural companies pose a national security risk, the two senators agreed at a committee hearing September 27.

Four Republican House Committee Chairs sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas criticizing the implementation and enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), complaining that not enough has been done to penalize violators, and calling for more resources to be dedicated to enforcement.   

While Ford Motor Company announced on September 25 that it has paused its partnership with world’s leading EV battery maker, Republican lawmakers complain that Ford will not release confidential business information pertaining to its agreement to license Chinese technology.

As a follow-up to the establishment of the “Export Enforcement Five” or “E5” partnership to coordinate on export control enforcement issues in June 2023, the governments of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States have issued joint guidance to industry and academia identifying high priority items critical to Russian weapons systems and urging specific actions to prevent diversion of these items to Russia through third countries.

The United States International Trade Commission (USITC) determined that a U.S. industry is materially injured by reason of certain imports of gas powered pressure washers from Vietnam that the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has determined are sold in the United States at less than fair value.

The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added 28 entities to its Entity List Monday, 24 September. The entities include 11 in China, 5 in Russia, 5 in Pakistan, and others in Finland, Oman, Germany, and the UAE. They have been implicated in activities threatening U.S. national security or foreign policy.

The US Export-Import Bank Board of Directors has approved three transactions in the energy and transportation sectors, the Bank announced Friday. 1. Pre-construction engineering and feasibility studies for the potential development of two nuclear reactors at the Cernavoda nuclear power plant complex in Romania. 2. Export of Wabtec locomotive and locomotive shunter kits to the national railway of Kazakhstan. 3. Repair and upgrade of operating gas turbines in ten locations in Iraq.