Global supply chains have grown reliant on the de minimis exemption for duty-free entry of low-value goods in recent years, particularly in retail and e-commerce. The newly passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (the “Bill”) will...more
The White House has extended the July 9, 2025, deadline for its “pause” on reciprocal tariffs. An Executive Order released on the evening of July 7 extends this deadline to August 1, 2025....more
7/9/2025
/ Biden Administration ,
Court of International Trade ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Judicial Review ,
Popular ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Time Extensions ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) issued an internal agency enforcement policy on May 20, 2025 (the Policy), outlining its approach to English language proficiency (ELP) for commercial motor vehicle...more
6/16/2025
/ Brokers ,
China ,
Commercial Truck Drivers ,
Common Carriers ,
FMCSA ,
Manufacturers ,
Motor Carriers ,
New Regulations ,
Safety Standards ,
Tariffs ,
Transportation Industry
Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs or, colloquially, drones) are increasingly being integrated into supply chains. ...more
6/13/2025
/ Air Cargo ,
Commercial General Liability Policies ,
Commercial Insurance Policies ,
Contract Disputes ,
Contract Terms ,
Corporate Liability ,
Drones ,
Montreal Convention ,
Risk Management ,
Shipping ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry ,
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The White House issued a Fact Sheet and Proclamation addressing Section 232 tariff actions on February 10, 2025. These steps strengthen President Trump’s 2018 tariff actions on steel and aluminum imported into the United...more
6/11/2025
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Presidential Proclamations ,
Section 232 ,
Steel Industry ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
On May 28th, 2025, the Court of International Trade issued a judgment striking down several of the worldwide tariffs imposed by President Trump in the first and second quarters of 2025. ...more
5/30/2025
/ Appeals ,
Canada ,
China ,
Constitutional Challenges ,
Court of International Trade ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Judicial Authority ,
Mexico ,
Permanent Injunctions ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
President Trump announced plans to relax sanctions against Syria during his recent trip to the Middle East, where he visited with the country’s President, Ahmed al-Sharaa. ...more
5/28/2025
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Relations ,
General Licenses ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
ITAR ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Syria ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Treasury
Potential clarity on reciprocal tariff expectations may be emerging after framework trade deals announced with China and the United Kingdom. On May 12, 2025, the White House issued a Fact Sheet and Executive Order (“EO”)...more
5/14/2025
/ China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Trump Administration ,
UK ,
US Trade Policies
The White House issued a new Executive Order (the “EO”) on April 29, 2025, regarding the potential for a “stacking” effect of its 25% Section 232 automobile and parts tariffs, the 25% tariff applicable to non-USMCA imports...more
5/5/2025
/ Aluminum Sales ,
Automotive Industry ,
Canada ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Mexico ,
Section 232 ,
Steel Industry ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
Today the White House released written details for its modification of the “Reciprocal Tariff” program originally announced on April 2, 2025. This most recent Executive Order (the “E.O.”) issued on April 10, 2025, provides...more
4/11/2025
/ China ,
De Minimus Quantity Exemption ,
Executive Orders ,
Hong Kong ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
US Trade Policies
This article was originally published on April 3, 2025. On April 8, 2025 the White House published a new Executive Order announcing an increase of the reciprocal duties applicable to China as of April 9, 2025, and an increase...more
4/10/2025
/ Canada ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Mexico ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
President Trump has declared a national emergency due to the economic and national security risks posed by trade deficits. In response to this emergency, the President invoked the International Emergency Economic Powers Act...more
4/4/2025
/ Canada ,
China ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) ,
International Trade ,
Mexico ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trump Administration ,
US Trade Policies
The White House issued two recent Executive Orders and Fact Sheets directing the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) to initiate investigations under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (each a “Section 232...more
3/5/2025
/ China ,
Executive Orders ,
Government Investigations ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
National Security ,
Section 232 ,
Supply Chain ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Expansion Act of 1962 ,
Trump Administration ,
U.S. Commerce Department
One week remains for clients to submit comments in response to review of potential reciprocal tariffs being conducted by the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”). Comments are due by March 11, 2025. The USTR solicited comments...more
3/5/2025
/ Comment Period ,
Exports ,
Imports ,
International Trade ,
Public Comment ,
Retaliatory Tariffs ,
Tariffs ,
Trade Relations ,
Unfair Trade Practices Act ,
US Trade Policies ,
USTR
Independent Contractor Owner-Operators and the Second Trump Administration: Motor Carrier Expectations for the Road Ahead -
The role of independent contractor owner-operators (ICOOs) in the trucking industry has a long...more
2/21/2025
/ Air Carriers ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Background Checks ,
Credit Checks ,
Criminal Background Checks ,
Employee Credit Checks ,
Employment Contract ,
Executive Orders ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Independent Contractors ,
Labor Regulations ,
Motor Carriers ,
Supply Chain ,
Trump Administration ,
Warehouses
As of 2024 California’s South Coast Air Quality Management District (“SCAQMD”) officially required an initial site report and annual report for all warehouses greater than 100,000 square feet under its Warehouse Actions and...more
Within hours of his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Unleashing American Energy.” This Executive Order contained several provisions that significantly shift current policies and...more
2/3/2025
/ CARB ,
Climate Change ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Electric Vehicles ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Executive Orders ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Infrastructure ,
Tax Credits ,
Trump Administration
California legislators and regulators continue to create various challenges for warehouse owners and operators throughout the Golden State. Two recent developments in particular serve as stark reminders to owners and...more
11/7/2024
/ Building Standards ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Citations ,
Compliance ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Governor Newsom ,
Heavy Equipment ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Violations ,
SCAQMD ,
Setback Rules ,
Warehouses
Combatting forced labor is growing from aspiration of company boards to a mission-critical focus impacting day-to-day operations. Companies with global footprints are not alone in witnessing acute compliance and reputational...more
11/6/2024
/ Compliance ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Imports ,
Modern Slavery Act ,
Multinationals ,
Pending Legislation ,
Popular ,
Rebuttable Presumptions ,
Reputation Management ,
Risk Management ,
Supply Chain ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Withhold Release Orders (WROs)
Global transportation and logistics services can amount to some of the largest expenses, and even the largest single contracts by spend, for enterprises with high traffic volumes. Among mature buyers and sellers of goods the...more
We are now in the era of freedom of contract in the logistics arena. While contracts provide many protections to contracting parties, they can also be used offensively, to affirmatively protect legal rights. There are many...more
11/4/2024
/ Air Cargo ,
Audits ,
Brokers ,
Department of Transportation (DOT) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Federal Maritime Commission ,
Logistics ,
National Security ,
Shipping ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Small Business ,
Supply Chain ,
Transportation Industry
International laws for cargo liability impact the way enterprises procure transportation and logistics services, the contracts under which those services are purchased, the process for claims adjudication, and the liability...more
The Federal Maritime Commission ( FMC) issued its Final Rule on July 22, 2024, establishing its approach to determining what constitutes an unreasonable refusal to deal or negotiate cargo space and vessel space accommodations...more
10/31/2024
/ Exports ,
Federal Maritime Commission ,
Final Rules ,
Good Faith ,
Maritime Transport ,
Market Participants ,
Negotiations ,
Shipping ,
Shipping Cargo ,
Trade Relations ,
Transportation Industry ,
Vessels
U.S. supply chain security is increasingly under threat. The White House’s National Security Strategy describes this moment as an inflection point. Many federal agencies have taken charge in elevating the very concept of...more
10/30/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA) ,
Cyber Threats ,
Cybersecurity ,
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
Infrastructure ,
National Security ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
PHMSA ,
Security Risk Assessments ,
Supply Chain ,
Terrorist Threats ,
TSA
Duty-free imports of low-value goods under the Section 321 program will soon face significant restrictions under rulemaking signaled by the Biden Administration. ...more
9/23/2024
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
De Minimus Quantity Exemption ,
Duty Free ,
Executive Orders ,
Health and Safety ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
National Security ,
NPRM ,
Section 321 ,
Supply Chain ,
Textiles ,
US Trade Policies