On June 23, 2021, the Department of Labor published in the Federal Register a notice announcing public availability of an updated list of goods—along with countries of origin—that the Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has reason to believe are produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards (the List). ILAB is required to develop and make available to the public the List pursuant to the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act…
On June 23, 2021, Office of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a notification of continuation of temporary travel restrictions at land ports of entry and ferries between the United States and Mexico from June 22, 2021 to July 21, 2021, unless amended or rescinded prior to that time. For purposes of the temporary alteration in certain designated ports of…
On 21 June 2021, the UK and EU both announced further sanctions targeting individuals and entities linked to Myanmar’s military regime. The EU announced that it was imposing sanctions against an additional 8 individuals, 3 economic entities (Myanmar Gems Enterprise; Myanmar Timber Enterprise (“MTE“); and Forest Products Joint Venture Corporation Limited) and the War Veterans Organisation. All designated persons are subject to asset freezes, with individuals subject to travel bans. EU persons are prohibited from making funds…
On 21 June 2021, the EU and UK announced coordinated sanctions against specified Belarusian individuals and entities. This follows the forced landing of a commercial aircraft in Belarus and subsequent detention of a Belarusian journalist, and suggests that the UK is continuing to align its sanctions regime with key allies following Brexit. The sanctions were further coordinated with the US and Canada. The designated parties will be subject to asset freezes, whilst individuals will be subject to…
In a Joint Statement with the UK, on June 17, 2021, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced, that: The United States and the United Kingdom [today] reached an understanding to resolve a long-standing trade irritant relating to large civil aircraft. This development strengthens our special relationship and builds on the revitalized Atlantic Charter, which affirms our ongoing commitment to sustaining and defending our enduring values against new and old challenges. The framework provides that the…
On June 16, 2021, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a final rule [CBP Dec. 21-09] that amends the CBP regulations to reflect the imposition of import restrictions on certain categories of archaeological and ethnological material from the Republic of Turkey (Turkey). These restrictions are being imposed pursuant to an agreement between the United States and Turkey (the Agreement) that has been entered into under the authority of the Convention…
On 5 April 2021, the US Court of International Trade (Court) issued a significant ruling that overturns a portion of the Section 232 tariffs imposed by President Trump under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. §1862). The decision affects the duties imposed on US imports of steel and aluminum “derivative” products but not the more general steel and aluminum tariffs. The Court found that President Trump missed the statutory deadline…
On 15 June 2021, the UK Government announced that the UK has secured a trade deal with Australia eliminating tariffs on all UK goods and boosting jobs and businesses across the country, in the first major trade deal negotiated from scratch by the Government since the UK left the EU. The announcement said that the main elements of the deal were agreed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at a…
The National Executive issued Decree No. 4,619 of 1 June 2021 (“Decree”),which establishes an exemption of the payment for the Value Added Tax (VAT), Customs Duties and Customs Service Tariff for Determination of the Customs Regime to imports of various goods and merchandise of certain economic sectors. The Decree entered into force on 1 June 2021, and repealed Decree No. 4,604 of 1 May 2021, which established the exemption for the payment of the VAT,…
On June 15, 2021, the White House announced that the US and European Union (EU) have reached an agreement in the 16-year WTO Boeing-Airbus dispute and agreed to address shared challenges from China. The US and EU will suspend tariffs that were authorized by the WTO that are related to this dispute for five years and work together to challenge and counter China’s non-market practices in this sector in specific ways that reflect standards for fair competition. This includes collaboration on inward…