International TradeRSS

  • May 23, 2013

    DC Circ. Urged To Toss Challenge To OSHA Hazmat Regs

    A union for Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. employees on Tuesday urged the D.C. Circuit to deny an effort to overturn U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration rule revisions that say government-mandated hazardous materials warnings do not preempt personal injury suits.

  • May 23, 2013

    New Bill Saps States Of Chemical Safety Oversight Powers

    Under the chemical safety reform bill unveiled Wednesday, states and cities would give up to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency nearly all of their ability to ban dangerous chemicals or require safety testing, and the little power they did preserve would be prone to challenges from chemical makers.

  • May 23, 2013

    EU Votes To Steer Clear Of Film, TV In US Trade Talks

    The European Parliament voted Thursday to begin talks on a U.S.-European Union free trade agreement, but called for the negotiations not to address the film and television industries.

  • May 23, 2013

    Microsoft Wins Xbox Patent Battle At ITC With Motorola

    The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled Thursday that Microsoft Corp. didn't infringe a patent owned by Google Inc. subsidiary Motorola Mobility when it manufactured the popular video gaming brand Xbox.

  • May 23, 2013

    Dow Sues Rival For Importing Patented Paint Ingredient

    The Dow Chemical Co. on Monday filed a complaint in the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging a competitor operating in Turkey and the Netherlands is importing into the U.S. patent-infringing opaque polymers, ingredients used in paint.

  • May 23, 2013

    EU To Seek Investment Pact With China

    The European Union said Thursday it would seek the permission of its 27 member states to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with China — a trading partner Europe frequently has sparred with in recent years.

  • May 23, 2013

    Canada Rips US After Meat-Labeling Changes

    After the U.S. on Thursday finalized new country-of-origin meat-labeling rules aimed at complying with a World Trade Organization ruling that found the old rules discriminated against Mexican and Canadian exporters, Canada quickly said the U.S. hadn't done enough.

  • May 23, 2013

    FDA Bans Certain Imports From Indian Drugmaker Wockhardt

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday blocked certain imports from India-based drugmaker Wockhardt Ltd. after inspections allegedly turned up violations of good manufacturing practices.

  • May 23, 2013

    MoFo Eyes Singapore For FCPA Practice Growth

    Morrison & Foerster LLP has shifted a top Foreign Corrupt Practices Act partner to Singapore to expand its anti-corruption and bribery expertise for clients in the so-called Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the firm said Monday.

  • May 23, 2013

    Exporter Calls CIT Judge Biased In Fee Ruling

    A China-based magnesium exporter Wednesday said a Court of International Trade judge was biased when he ordered the company to cover a portion of the litigation fees and costs incurred by the U.S. Department of Commerce and U.S. Magnesium LLC in a case challenging anti-dumping duties.

  • May 23, 2013

    US Should Sanction Foreign Cos. For IP Theft, Report Says

    The U.S. response to the rampant theft of American intellectual property, especially by Chinese business and governmental entities, is inadequate, and new measures such as sanctions on foreign companies that use stolen IP are needed, a bipartisan commission said Wednesday.

  • May 22, 2013

    Nintendo Wants Review Of Patent Claim Ruling In Wii IP Row

    Nintendo Co. Ltd. argued Wednesday that the U.S. International Trade Commission’s chief administrative law judge had not properly considered its arguments to invalidate a patent claim by an interactive game company accusing Nintendo's Wii products of infringing three patents.

  • May 22, 2013

    Jordan Cove Wants $7.5B LNG Project Approved By FERC

    Jordan Cove Energy Project LP on Tuesday set the ball rolling on a request for approvals from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for its proposed $7.5 billion liquefied natural gas export facility in Oregon, which will link U.S. and Canadian markets to Asia-Pacific.

  • May 22, 2013

    New Iran Sanctions Gain Traction In House

    The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved stiff new sanctions against Iran aimed at weakening the country's economy and stonewalling its ability to develop a nuclear weapon.

  • May 22, 2013

    Sens. Push ITC Against Import Bans Over Essential Patents

    Sens. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., urged the U.S. International Trade Commission on Tuesday against allowing companies to use their standard-essential patents to block the import of rivals' products, saying that could undermine the standard-setting process.

  • May 22, 2013

    LNG Export Project Could Pollute Water, Park Service Says

    The National Park Service on Wednesday expressed concerns about the potential environmental impact of a proposed eastern Georgia terminal for the overseas export of natural gas, saying the project could lead to increased water pollution and shoreline erosion and harm a protected national monument.

  • May 22, 2013

    Sens. Introduce Bipartisan Chemical Safety Reform Bill

    A bipartisan group of senators on Wednesday introduced legislation to require all chemicals registered for use in the U.S. to be screened for public and environmental safety, saying the current Toxic Substances Control Act falls short on protecting both safety and the needs of industry.

  • May 22, 2013

    US Meat Labeling Rules Unfair, Mexico Says

    The U.S. continues to discriminate against Mexico’s livestock industry with meat labeling requirements previously found to be unfair to foreign exporters by the World Trade Organization, Mexico's agriculture minister said Tuesday.

  • May 22, 2013

    Roku Asks ITC To Toss Patent Suit Over TV Box Controllers

    Streaming video device maker Roku Inc. urged the U.S. International Trade Commission on Monday to dismiss allegations by STMicroelectronics Inc. that it was importing products infringing ST patents, saying there was no domestic industry to protect by banning the imports.

  • May 22, 2013

    $18B Iraq Pipeline To Get Boost From Trade Bank

    The state-backed Trade Bank of Iraq is gearing up to invest in at least one leg of an $18 billion oil export pipeline network connecting to Jordan, according to a Wednesday report.

Expert Analysis

  • What Exporters Need To Do Before Oct. 15

    Grayson Yeargin

    With less than five months to go until the first round of changes instituting the Export Control Reform Initiative becomes effective, U.S. exporters must get their houses in order. From export classifications to licenses to training, companies must start adjusting now, say attorneys with Nixon Peabody LLP.

  • LNG Export Moratorium Has Ended — What Now?

    Joseph Fagan

    The U.S. Department of Energy's recent order ending a nearly two-year moratorium on liquefied natural gas export approvals provides important insight into how the department will consider pending and future export applications. However, it also raises many questions and indicates that the DOE will not back down from its controversial position on its authority, say attorneys with Day Pitney LLP.

  • 4 UK Bribery Act Myths — Debunked

    Eli Richardson

    The U.K. Bribery Act is somewhat complicated. Not surprisingly, therefore, misperceptions have arisen regarding its provisions, especially regarding the requirements, scope and exclusivity of Section 7 corporate liability, says Eli Richardson of Bass Berry & Sims PLC.

  • Rise Of The Machines — Predictive Coding Goes Mainstream

    Michael Moscato

    The pros of using predictive coding far outweigh the cons. Given the heavy pressure on law firms and in-house counsel to reduce discovery costs, as well as the Justice Department's recent stance on the subject, it appears predictive coding will continue to emerge from the obscure world of legal technology to the mainstream of legal practice, say Michael Moscato and Myles Bartley of Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle LLP.

  • Unprecedented FCPA Wake-Up Call For US Broker-Dealers

    Mauro Wolfe

    The extraordinary criminal bribery charges against two registered representatives of a U.S. broker-dealer and a high-level Venezuelan government official highlight that a broker-dealer’s anti-money laundering procedures, as well as oversight of their registered people, should have a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act component if the firm is doing international business, say attorneys with Duane Morris LLP.

  • A Roadmap For Navigating The Revised USML And CCL

    Alexandra Lopez-Casero

    Following six steps will help exporters evaluate the export control classifications of their products under the revised U.S. Munitions List and Commerce Control List, say attorneys with Nixon Peabody LLP.

  • K-V Case Tests Limits Of ITC Jurisdiction

    Eric Fues

    As illustrated by the recent K-V Pharmaceutical Co. case, the U.S. International Trade Commission will likely closely review complaints that could usurp the power of another federal agency and potentially undermine that agency's application of its own rules, say Eric Fues and Mareesa Frederick of Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP.

  • More DOJ Use Of Cooperating Witnesses In Corruption Cases

    Douglas Small

    The emergence of a cooperating witness begins to complete the puzzle of the scheme to defraud and catapults the investigation to new heights. A recent arrest by the FBI in an ongoing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation appears to follow this same modus operandi, says Douglas Small of Berkeley Research Group LLC.

  • 4 Takeaways From 2nd Highest FCPA Penalty

    Guy Singer

    A New York federal court recently entered a final judgment against a former Siemens AG executive for his alleged role in a purported $100 million bribery scheme for Siemens to obtain a $1 billion contract from Argentina. Third-party sham contracts continue to be a prevalent theme in the alleged facts contained in corruption enforcement filings and resolutions, say attorneys with Fulbright & Jaworski LLP.

  • 10 Steps To Effective Anti-Corruption Compliance

    Michael Volkov

    In order to implement the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act resource guide's critical instructions for corporate boards, senior executives and compliance professionals for designing an “effective” anti-corruption compliance program, companies must tackle 10 essential tasks, says Michael Volkov of The Volkov Law Group LLC.