On October 19, 2020, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the USTR had directed US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to continue to block future timber imports from Inversiones La Oroza SRL (Oroza), a Peruvian exporter, based on illegally harvested timber found in its supply chain. The current CBP denial of entry order against Oroza was set to expire this month. This marks the third time that the Trump Administration has…
On October 19, 2020, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States and Brazil signed a new Protocol relating to Trade Rules and Transparency. This Protocol updates the 2011 Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation (ATEC) with three new annexes comprising state-of-the-art provisions on Customs Administration and Trade Facilitation, Good Regulatory Practices, and Anticorruption.
On October 20, 2020, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) published in the Federal Register a general notice [CBP Dec. 20-17] that the Executive Assistant Commissioner, Office of Trade, of CBP with the approval of the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, has determined, pursuant to 19 U.S.C. 1307 and 19 CFR 12.42(f) that stevia leaf (Stevia rebaudiana) extracts, or glycosides classified under subheading 2938.90.0000, Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS), that are mined,…
On October 19, 2020, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice advising the public that, pursuant to delegated authority, the USTR is requiring the Chief Counsel for Advocacy of the Small Business Administration (SBA Advocacy) to delay submission of the report to Congress on the economic impacts on small businesses of the United States-Kenya trade agreement until negotiations conclude. The Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act…
On October 19, 2020, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register an invitation for applicants [Docket Number USTR-2020-0039] for a 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 USMCA Party. The United States annually renews its selections for the roster. The USTR invites applications from eligible individuals wishing to…
On October 16, the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that exporters can request six-month extensions of export licenses that are set to expire on or before December 31, 2020. According to BIS, this is being done to “cut[] red tape and mak[e] it easier for exporters to drive our Nation’s economic recovery in the wake of the pandemic.” Exporters can request the extension by emailing [email protected] The original license will be…
On October 16, 2020, CBP issued CSMS #44451479 – GUIDANCE: Section 301 Tranche 1 – $34B Action Extension of Product Exclusions from China, which is reproduced in pertinent part below: Background On October 5, 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published Federal Register (FR) Notice 85 FR 62782 to extend through December 31, 2020 certain product exclusions previously covered by the October 2, 2019 notice (see 84 FR 52567) for Section 301 duties on China (Tranche 1 – $34B Action). This product…
On October 16, 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 an Order suspending the right to introduce certain persons into the United States from countries where a quarantinable communicable disease exists. This Order is based on the CDC Director’s determination that introduction of aliens, regardless of their country of origin, migrating through Canada and…
On 15 October, the EU imposed Designated Party controls on six individuals and one entity in Russia under the EU’s Chemical Weapons sanctions regime for their alleged involvement in the poisoning of Alexei Navalny with a nerve agent in August 2020. The EU separately designated one Russian individual under the Libya sanctions regime, for alleged breaches of the UN arms embargo against Libya. These individuals and entities are now subject to a travel ban and…
On October 15, 2020, US Customs and Border Protection issued CSMS #44437979 – GUIDANCE: Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBPTA) Renewal with Procedures for Retroactive Duty Refunds., which is reproduced below: The purpose of this guidance is to inform the Trade of the renewal of the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) and to provide information on the procedures for requesting a refund of duties paid during the lapse. CBTPA Renewed On Saturday, October 10,…