On June 8, 2021, the White House published a set of reports on the 100-day interagency reviews conducted pursuant to Executive Order 14017, which assessed supply chain risks and vulnerabilities for several supply chains, including those relating to semiconductor manufacturing and advanced packaging, and made policy recommendations to address those risks.
On June 9, 2021, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) issued a final rule, effective June 8, amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to reflect the formal termination by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of its participation in the Arab League Boycott of Israel (the “Amendment”). This means that certain requests for information, action or agreement from the UAE will no longer be presumed to be boycott-related if made after August 16, 2020.
Shelter-in-place or stay-at-home orders have been prevalent throughout the United States since March 2020 as state and local governments have sought to protect their citizens from the spread of the COVID-19 virus while at the same time reopen their economies in accordance with phased reopening plans. Georgia and Illinois extended their state-wide orders and/or the duration of the current phase of their reopening plans. While Michigan, Oregon, New York and Pennsylvania. have eased restrictions, mask requirements and/or advanced to the next phase of their reopening plan.
On June 8, 2021, the White House published a set of reports on the 100-day interagency reviews conducted pursuant to Executive Order 14017 “America’s Supply Chains”. The Reports were accompanied by a White House Fact Sheet summarizing the key findings, expressing support for some of the policy recommendations, and announcing additional Biden Administration measures directed at strengthening the resilience of the country’s supply chains.
In a 8-1 decision issued last week, the U.S. Supreme Court seemingly brought an end to a 15-year lawsuit brought against Nestlé and Cargill by Malian citizens who claim to have been enslaved as children on the companies’ cocoa plantations located in the Ivory Coast. Specifically, the plaintiffs alleged that Nestlé and Cargill knew the cocoa plantations used child labor, and aided and abetted the human rights abuses that they and other child laborers endured by providing financial and operational support to the plantation farmers.
On June 23, 2021, Office of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection 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.
On June 24, 2021, the White House announced that US Customs and Border Protection has issued a Withhold Release Order on silica-based products made by Hoshine Silicon Industry Co., Ltd., a company located in Xinjiang, and its subsidiaries.
This week’s discussion will cover the following key developments: new charges in 1MDB case, FARA reform proposals, possible new Russia sanctions, cyber SEC enforcement: latest SEC disclosure controls and procedures enforcement case, and a new SEC cyber enforcement sweep.
On 5 April 2021, the US Court of International Trade 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).
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 and outbound investment and tech transfer.