Commerce Dept. considers whether imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from five countries harm domestic producers. Canada launches its own inquiry into PET resin imports. The U.S. Commerce Dept. International Trade Commission (ITC) announced October 17 the opening of an investigation into whether imports of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin from…
Rising U.S. ethanol exports are facing new tariffs in key markets – first China and now Brazil. Will protectionism reshape the renewable fuels market? U.S. ethanol exports have been hit with a new tariff by top market Brazil. Industry watchers, who keep close tabs on the tariffs, quotas and trade…
President Trump’s executive order authorizes the Treasury Dept. to enforce economic sanctions against foreign companies, financial institutions and individuals that do business with North Korea. A new executive order signed Thursday by President Trump significantly extends the reach of U.S. economic sanctions on North Korea to include persons – that…
Preliminary determination in AD/CVD investigations sets rates as high as 68 percent for duties on biodiesel imports from Argentina and Indonesia. Duties are applied 90 days retroactively to Argentine shipments. The Department of Commerce has determined that exporters of soybean-based biodiesel in Argentina and Indonesia have been supplying their product…
More Venezuelans join the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) list of sanctioned individuals. A new executive order prohibits U.S. dealings in Venezuelan government stocks and bonds. The U.S. continued to ratchet up Venezuela sanctions with the aim of achieving political change by exerting economic pressure on the government. Last month,…
The USTR plan for renegotiating NAFTA is largely about bringing it in line with trade policies developed since 1994. What’s really new: The U.S. states its goal is to reduce the U.S. trade deficit. Talks are set to open August 16. The first round of talks to revise the 23-year-old…
The FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) implements provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Leading businesses are enabling compliance, considering data management and implementing a holistic regulatory strategy. By Myra Reynolds, LCB, CCS, guest columnist The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rule on the Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP)…
Thirteen current and former government officials in Venezuela are designated for sanctions that freeze their U.S. assets and bar U.S. persons from doing business with them. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has added 13 current or former senior officials of the Venezuelan government…
With Argentine Congressional approval, the free trade agreement signed by trade bloc members and Egypt in 2010 will enter into force within a month. Argentina announced it has sent its formal ratification of the Mercosur-Egypt FTA to the regional trade bloc’s headquarters in Asunción, Paraguay. Implementation of the FTA will…
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue yesterday announced the suspension of all imports of fresh beef from Brazil because of recurring concerns about the safety of the products intended for the American market. In the wake of the Brazilian government investigation into alleged bribery of food-sanitation inspectors, some 20…
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