Perspectives on International Trade & Investment

In the latest installment of Five Questions, Five Answers, Birgit Matthiesen is joined by Leah Scarpelli, a Partner with the firm’s International Trade & Investment Practice.

This week, SAP SE (SAP), the German-based software company, agreed to pay over $200 million to resolve investigations by the US Department of Justice (DOJ) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) into violations of the Foreign Corruption Practices Act (FCPA).

Aluminum is clearly an important material for the industry as there is an objective for making vehicles as light as possible. Aluminum issues may start with Tariff Classification and Country of Origin questions, and can lead to more complex issues, including Section 232 tariffs or other high-tariff trade barriers.

Critical minerals — the lithium, graphite, cobalt, manganese, and other key minerals that are later processed into battery-grade chemicals — represent the essential ingredients in any electric vehicle (EV) battery.

The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in many ways, can be a game changer for many automotive companies. First and foremost, eligibility of products deemed USMCA compliant benefit from zero US import tariffs.

For readers who may not be fully apprised of what these tariffs are, we offer a short summary.

We chose to include a discussion of this important but lesser understood policy area because of the likelihood of their impact — both adverse and positive — on many companies’ procurement and production plans.

The Electric Mobility industry is on track for another exciting year. However, current and forthcoming US agency regulations continue to inject confusion and costs in critical supply decisions, for which legal tools can provide near- and long-term solutions.

Recent government actions illustrate that US-China trade relations will continue to be a focus as the United States enters an election year.

Most foreign nationals living in the United States in temporary status (not green card holders) can only reenter the United States after international travel if they have a current visa in their passport.

On December 29, 2023, the US Glass Producers Coalition (Petitioner), together with the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial Service Workers International Union, filed antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing (CVD) petitions on certain glass wine bottles from China, Mexico, and Chile.

On December 21 President Biden signed the Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) as part of the Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

Recent measures demonstrate that the United States has maintained its commitment to enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

ArentFox Schiff is pleased to announce the election of 16 new partners, effective January 1, 2024.

On July 1, 2020, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was implemented. A clear and significant negotiation objective was to position the North American vehicle and parts industries with a competitive advantage in a fast-growing global marketplace. Now, in its fourth year, Washington is seeking public feedback to determine if this objective is being realized.

Recent guidance from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) reflects its continued focus on corporate compensation structures to promote compliance.

Angela Santos speaks on a panel at the Xplore Sustainability conference.

ArentFox Schiff has been awarded 62 top rankings in the 2024 edition of Best Law Firms® which recognizes firms for professional excellence based on consistently positive ratings from clients and peers.

On October 25, 2023, the American Shrimp Processors Association (APSA) filed antidumping duty (AD) petitions on frozen warmwater shrimp from Ecuador and Indonesia, and countervailing duty (CVD) petitions on the same product from Ecuador, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

James Kim has been invited back to present a webinar to members of the Canadian Transportation Equipment Association (CTEA) on October 25, 2023. The association roster currently tops 500 members representing key companies supplying the North American heavy and medium transportation sector.

James Kim will present on a webinar to the members of the Canadian Transportation Equipment Association (CTEA).

On October 17, the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) filed antidumping duty (AD) petitions on truck and bus tires from Thailand.

On November 9, 2023, the AFS Electric Mobility team will address a plenary session of the Electric Vehicle Tech symposium at the Advanced Design and Manufacturing conference in Toronto, Canada.

Just in case you were starting to get comfortable with last year’s massive raft of regulations on the advanced computing, supercomputer, and semiconductor industries in China, the US Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has dropped another 400-something pages.

Imagine a future where consumers could have their minds read, to tell the tale of how and why they buy goods and services, or even how they think about political decisions.