The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was enacted on December 23, 2021, to strengthen the existing prohibition against the importation of goods made wholly or in part with forced labor into the United States and to end the systematic use of forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous [...]
UPDATE 6/17/2022: OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022 SIGNED INTO LAW ON JUNE 16 United States President Joe Biden signed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2022 (OSRA-22) into law on June 16, 2022. SUMMARY OF S.3580 OCEAN SHIPPING REFORM ACT OF 2022 This bill revises requirements governing ocean [...]
As the June 21, 2022, implementation date for the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) approaches, U.S. shippers should already be evaluating forced labor impact on the supply chain. Officials from federal agencies, NGOs, and private sector entities cited several challenges related to the enforcement of Section 307, including [...]
On Monday, May 23, 2022, in Tokyo, Japan, United States President Biden, together with a dozen partner countries representing 40% of the world’s GDP, launched the first non-traditional trade agreement of its kind, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) is a 21st [...]
On Monday, May 9, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the temporary suspension of the 25% Section 232 tariffs on imports of Ukrainian steel for one year. GUIDANCE Effective June 1, 2022, imports of steel articles and derivative steel articles that are products of Ukraine, as referenced in A [...]
As the four-year anniversary of Section 301 tariffs on goods from China approaches, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is asking domestic industry and stakeholders if the penalties should continue or be terminated. Under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the USTR’s investigation of China’s Acts, [...]
The Biden administration is reviewing the impact of the Section 301 tariffs as the four-year anniversary of the duties approaches. Two top economic officials fueled debate by saying the U.S. should consider reducing tariffs on some Chinese imports. Following comments from Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, that most duties [...]
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) recently launched an on-demand video to explain the available public avenues for pursuing demurrage and detention complaints. The 22-minute instructional video clarifies the procedures, timelines, considerations, and outcomes of three Commission processes: reporting a violation by contacting an area representative; finding a commercial solution by [...]
Starting June 29, 2022, U.S. Commerce Department (Commerce) Aluminum Import licensing applications will require both fields of “country of largest smelt” and “country of second largest smelt.” Commerce defines the field for the country of smelt for the largest (and second largest) volume of primary aluminum as the country where the largest volume of new aluminum [...]
Earlier this month, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), through the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), announced it would begin sending letters to companies determined to have previously imported goods produced by forced labor in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Signed into law on December 23, 2021, UFLPA [...]
