On March 24, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), published in the Federal Register notification of an Order pursuant to section 362 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 265, suspending the introduction of persons into the United States as of 11:59 pm EDT on March 20, 2020. The Order suspends the introduction of certain persons into the United States because the CDC Director…
On March 24, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), published in the Federal Register a notice that announces the issuance of a No Sail Order and Suspension of Further Embarkation on March 14, 2020 for all cruise ships that are not voluntarily suspending operation. With certain exceptions, the Order applies to: All commercial, non-cargo passenger-carrying vessels operating in international, interstate, or intrastate waterways and subject…
On March 24, 2020, Office of the Secretary, US Department of Homeland Security published in the Federal Register a document that announces the decision of the Secretary of Homeland Security to temporarily limit the travel of individuals from Mexico into the United States at land ports of entry and ferries along the US-Mexico border and a separate document temporarily limiting the travel of individuals from Canada into the United States at land ports of entry…
On 20 March 2020, the European Commission announced that it intends to introduce exemptions from customs duty and import VAT for “protective equipment, other relevant medical devices or equipment in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak”, following a request from the Italian government. Relief is to be granted under provisions of the EU’s customs and import VAT legislation granting relief for items “for the benefit of disaster victims”, where they are to be made available…
On March 25, 2019, the US Trade Representative (USTR) will publish in the Federal Register a notice [Docket No. USTR-2020-0014] requesting public comments on possible further modifications to remove duties from additional medical-care products needed to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Section 301 duties have been imposed in four tranches. For each tranche, USTR established a process by which US stakeholders could request exclusion of particular products classified within an eight-digit Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the…
USTR has posted an advance copy of a notice to be published in the Federal Register that announces the U.S. Trade Representative’s determination to grant certain exclusion requests to the $200 Bn action against certain products from China, as specified in the Annex to the notice, and corrects technical errors in previously announced exclusions. The exclusions are reflected in one 10-digit HTSUS subheading, which covers one exclusion request, and 176 specially prepared product descriptions, which…
On March 23, 2020, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice [Docket No. USTR–2020–0011] advising the public that on March 17, 2020, the USTR notified Congress of the Administration’s intent to enter into negotiations with the Republic of Kenya (Kenya) for a U.S.-Kenya trade agreement. The USTR is seeking public comments on a proposed U.S.-Kenya trade agreement, including US interests and priorities, in order to develop…
On 20 March 2020, the Export Control Joint Unit (ECJU) of the Department for International Trade published a Notice to exporters 2020/08: coronavirus (COVID-19) – export licence handling. The notice states that the ECJU is taking measures to ensure minimum disruption to the export licence application process, as well as to the advice they provide. The ECJU has identified processing applications for strategic export licences as a business-critical operation for the Department for International Trade and…
On March 19, 2020, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) published in the Federal Register a document notifying the public of certain updated arrival restrictions. The document announces the decision of the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to direct all flights to the United States carrying persons who have recently traveled from, or were otherwise present within, the United Kingdom, excluding overseas territories outside of Europe, or the Republic…
On March 19, 2020, the US International Trade Commission (USITC) published in the Federal Register a notice that it is temporarily waiving and amending certain of the USITC’s rules that require the filing of paper copies, CD-ROMs, and other physical media in section 337 investigations to address concerns about COVID-19. The procedures for the filing of documents, including the provision of paper copies, CD-ROMs, and other physical media in section 337 investigations is not a…