On January 15, 2021, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice that announces the U.S. Trade USTR’s determination to make a technical amendment to a previously granted exclusion and the extension to that exclusion. The product exclusion amendment announced in annex A of the notice will apply from September 24, 2018 to August 7, 2020. The product exclusion extension amendment announced in annex B of the notice…
On January 15, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD) published in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket DARS–2019–0063] adopting as final, with changes, an interim rule amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement sections of the National Defense Authorization Acts for Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 related to the procurement of covered telecommunications equipment or services. Specifically, the rule prohibits the use of telecommunications equipment or services from certain Chinese entities…
On January 12, 2021, Global Affairs Canada announced that the Hon. François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade announced measures related to the human rights situation in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Canada is gravely concerned with evidence and reports of human rights violations in the People’s Republic of China involving members of the Uyghur ethnic minority and other minorities within the…
On 10 January 2021, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (“MOFCOM”) promulgated the Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-territorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures (the “Blocking Rules”), which came into effect the same day. The Blocking Rules were formulated in accordance with the PRC National Security Law, and aim to (amongst others) counteract the impact on Chinese companies and citizens caused by unjustified extra-territorial application of foreign legislation and other relevant measures…
On December 30, 2020, CBP issued CSMS #45318223 – GUIDANCE: Section 301 Modifications and Product Exclusion Extensions from China Duties (9903.88.62, 9903.88.63, 9903.88.64, 9903.88.65), which provides guidance for the USTR exclusions granted in a Federal Register notice published on December 29, 2020. It follows: The purpose of this message is to provide guidance regarding the modification of the Section 301-China action and the extension of product exclusions from additional duties on certain medical-care products to…
On December 23, 2020, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) amended the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), in further implementation of Executive Order 13936 (EO 13936), to remove provisions that provide differential and preferential treatment for exports, reexports, and transfers of items to Hong Kong as compared to China. As a result of these changes, Hong Kong will be removed as a separate destination on the Commerce Country Chart and in other places in the EAR, which…
On December 22, 2020, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) published a final rule (“Final Rule”) in the Federal Register adding 77 entities and individuals to the Entity List, including several prominent Chinese multinationals (together, the “Designees”). The Final Rule took effect on December 18, 2020. On the same day, BIS also published FAQs related to its recent expansion of the foreign-produced direct product rule (the “Huawei FPDP Rule”). Entity List Designations In press statements (here and here) released with the…
On December 23, 2020, the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by adding a new “Military End User List” (MEU List) as supplement no. 7 to part 744 of the EAR. The final rule adds 102 entities to the MEU List, which will consist of Chinese, Russian, and Venezuelan entities that the US Government has determined are “military end users” for purposes…
On December 23, 2020, the US Trade Representative (USTR) posted on its website an advance copy of a notice of product exclusion extensions and additional modifications to be published in the Federal Register. In prior notices, the USTR modified the action in the Section 301 investigation of China’s acts, policies, and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property, and innovation by excluding from additional duties certain medical-care products needed to address the COVID-19 outbreak. On…
On December 3, 2020, the Department of Defense announced its third list of “Communist Chinese military companies” operating in the United States, pursuant to Section 1237 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1999, as amended (“Section 1237”). The practical impact of the announcement is that these four companies become subject to Executive Order 13959, which restricts US investment in these companies. The first and second lists also issued pursuant to Section 1237 are found here and here. The…