On October 24, 2019, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register an invitation for applications [Docket No. USTR-2019-0018] from eligible individuals wishing to be included on the roster of individuals to serve on binational panels convened to review final determinations in antidumping or countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings and amendments to AD/CVD statutes of a NAFTA Party for the period April 1, 2020, through March 31, 2021. The United States…
On August 14, 2019, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published in the Federal Register a final determination concerning the country of origin of mobile device software and server software for purposes of government procurement under the Trade Agreements Act (TAA). Both software products are produced in a four-step process that involves: (1) writing original source code, or modifying open source software code in the United States; (2) writing or modifying source code in…
On August 6, 2019, the International Trade Administration (ITA), Department of Commerce, published in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket No. 180223210–8210–01] that removes the regulations (15 C.F.R. part 315) implementing the Automotive Products Trade Act of 1965, Public Law 89–283 (Act). That statute implemented the 1965 Canada-United States Automotive Products Agreement (Auto Pact). Since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) came into effect in 1994, trade in automotive products between the United…
On July 29, 2019, the Diario Oficial de la Federacion (the official Federal Gazette) published the Presidential Decree approving the Protocol replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement with the Treaty between the United Mexican States, the United States of America and Canada, made in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on November 30 of two thousand eighteen, as well as the six parallel agreements between the Government of the United Mexican States and the Government of the…
On May 19, 2019, President Trump signed Proclamation 9893 of May 19, 2019 on Adjusting Imports of Aluminum into the United States (published in the Federal Register on May 23, 2019) and Proclamation 9894 of May 19, 2019 on Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States (published in the Federal Registeron May 21, 2019), which remove the 10% duties on aluminum and 25% duties on steel for goods originating in Canada and Mexico, while…
On May 20, 2019, the Department of Finance announced that effective today, Canada is lifting its retaliatory countermeasures against the U.S. When the United States imposed unjustified tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum, the Government of Canada stood up for our country’s steel and aluminum workers, industries, and communities – imposing reciprocal, dollar-for-dollar countermeasures against imports of steel, aluminum, and other products from the U.S., to encourage the full removal of the U.S. tariffs. “Canada stood firm…
After extensive discussions on trade in steel and aluminum covered by the action taken pursuant to Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862), the United States and Canada have reached an understanding as follows: 1. The United States and Canada agree to eliminate, no later than two days from the issuance of this statement: a. All tariffs the United States imposed under Section 232 on imports of aluminum and steel…
The entry into force of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) brings with it preferential import tariff rates applicable to CPTPP originating goods. Import tariffs can amount to a substantial increase on the end cost of goods. For businesses operating in a competitive market, preferential tariff rates may afford them a comparative advantage by reducing costs. Under the CPTPP, tariff rate reductions occur automatically after the Agreement has entered into force in a member country’s territory. Accordingly, exporters of most CPTPP originating goods can enjoy preferential tariff rates immediately.
On April 17, 2019, the Trump Administration announced several decisions that mark a significant shift in US policy toward Cuba, most notably by declaring that the United States will no longer suspend Title III of the LIBERTAD Act of 1996, which is also known as the Helms-Burton Act.
On April 18, 2019, the US International Trade Commission (ITC) released its 379 page report, U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: Likely Impact on the U.S. Economy and on Specific Industry Sectors [Inv. TPA 105-003, Pub. No. 4889], as required by the section 105(c) of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (Title I, Pub. L. 114-26; 129 Stat. 320). The highlights of the report are contained in the Executive Summary which states (with emphasis as in the original text):