USA

More List 1 Goods from Mainland China Excluded from Section 301 Tariffs

18 April 2019

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced a third batch of products to be excluded from the additional 25 percent duty imposed on some US$34 billion worth of imports from mainland China (List 1 goods). These exclusions will be retroactive to 6 July 2018 and remain in place until 18 April 2020. More

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U.S. Trade Remedy Methodology Gets Rare Win at WTO

18 April 2019

In a break with a years-long series of rulings, a World Trade Organisation dispute settlement panel has upheld a U.S. use of zeroing, a controversial methodology used in trade remedy cases that generally results in higher AD and CV duties. The decision will be appealed by Canada, which brought the case to challenge U.S. AD/CV duties on softwood lumber imported from that country. More

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Import Requirements for Fragrant Pears from Mainland China Amended

18 April 2019

APHIS is proposing to authorise the importation of fragrant pears from an additional area of production in mainland China and revise the conditions under which fragrant pears from authorised areas of production in the mainland may be imported into the United States. More

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Five Additional Synthetic Cannabinoids Subject to Import Restrictions

18 April 2019

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has announced that effective 16 April five additional synthetic cannabinoid products are being placed into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act for two years on an emergency basis, with a possible additional one-year extension, followed by permanent listing on schedule 1 through the regular process. More

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FSIS Proposes to Eliminate Dual Declaration Labelling Requirement for Certain Packages

18 April 2019

In response to a petition regarding certain labelling regulations for packages of meat or poultry products, the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service is proposing to amend its regulations to remove provisions that require labelling the net weight or net contents in two different units of measurement on the product label. More

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US$62.5 Million Penalty to Resolve Duty Evasion Charges

16 April 2019

The U.S. Department of Justice reports that a U.S. company has agreed to pay US$62.5 million to settle allegations under the customs penalty statute that it was grossly negligent or negligent when it imported saccharin manufactured in mainland China and transshipped through Taiwan to evade a 329 percent AD duty. More

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Nikakhtar Nominated to Head Export Controls Agency

16 April 2019

The White House on 11 April announced the nomination of Nazak Nikakhtar to be undersecretary of commerce for industry and security. Nikakhtar has already been performing the non-exclusive duties of this position even while still officially holding the title of assistant secretary of commerce for industry and analysis in the International Trade Administration, a different DOC agency. More

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Legislation Introduced or Passed in the 116th U.S. Congress

16 April 2019

From 8 through 14 April 2019, members of the U.S. Congress introduced and/or approved the following international trade-related bills that m//ay have an impact on Hong Kong or mainland China. More

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EU-US Trade Tensions Persist, Yet Hope Remains for Adoption of Bilateral Pact

16 April 2019

On 8 April 2019, the US threatened to impose tariffs amounting to USD 11.2 billion on a range of EU products, as a countermeasure to illegal subsidies provided by the EU to Airbus. The ultimate purpose, in the words of US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, is “to reach an agreement with the EU to end all WTO-inconsistent subsidies to large civil aircraft”. More

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Maine Considering Priority Chemical Reporting Requirement for PFOS

16 April 2019

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection is seeking input by 6 May on a proposal to add perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) to the list of priority chemicals subject to its Safer Chemicals in Children's Products reporting requirement. More

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