On December 23, 2025, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced new tariffs on Chinese semiconductors under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Notably, the USTR set the initial rate of these tariffs at 0%. This will increase on June 23, 2027 to a rate that will be announced in the future.
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Shifts in U.S. Trade in Asia: Key Agreements from President Trump’s October 2025 Asia Trip – Part II: East Asia
Capping off a highly eventful week in Asia at the end of October, President Donald J. Trump has further reshaped the landscape of U.S. trade with the Asia-Pacific region through a series of new agreements. This latest round of negotiations includes new reciprocal trade deals and market access commitments across Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China,…
Shifts in U.S. Trade in Asia: Key Agreements from President Trump’s October 2025 Asia Trip – Part I: Southeast Asia
Capping off a highly eventful week in Asia, President Donald J. Trump has further reshaped the landscape of U.S. trade with the Asia-Pacific region through a series of new agreements. This latest round of negotiations includes new reciprocal trade deals and market access commitments across Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, South Korea, and Japan. Some…
Striking Russian Oil and The Ripple Effects
As Russian Energy Week concluded last week, Western governments strike to the heart of Russia’s energy sector with sanctions packages to cut of revenue that funds Russia’s continued war against Ukraine. Three significant packages were announced in October 2025: the U.S.’s sanctions targeting the Russian energy sector, the UK’s latest sanctions against the Russian oil industry,…
Not Only Tariffs on Trucks: Trump Administration’s Proclamation Amends the Tariff Landscape on Automobiles, Steel, and Aluminum
On October 17, 2025, the Trump Administration released a significant proclamation imposing new Section 232 duties on medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) (such as trucks); MHDV parts; and buses. These changes further expand tariff coverage over sectors critical to U.S. industrial capacity and national security, and bring a few new complexities to both importers and…
Not Your Usual Monday: BIS Adopts 50 Percent Rule for Entity List, MEU List & Related EAR Controls
Update (November 2025): BIS suspended implementation of the Affiliates Rule for one year, temporarily reversing the extension of Entity List and MEU-related controls to foreign affiliates that are 50% or more owned by listed entities. In a final rule effective November 10, 2025, BIS stayed the interim rule’s amendments to the EAR until November 9,…
Keeping an EAR Out for Syria: BIS Reduces Export Controls
The pace of U.S. regulatory changes regarding Syria continues to increase. Building on our previous posts (“Syria-ous Changes for Middle East Business?” and “Unpacking the U-Turn: What the Syria Sanctions Repeal Really Means”), we describe below the recent developments that have resulted in significant easing of export controls.…
“Lost in Transposition” – Commission Targets 18 Member States Over Sanctions Enforcement Gaps
Key Takeaways
- On July 24, 2025, the European Commission opened infringement procedures against 18 Member States for failing to fully transpose Directive (EU) 2024/1226 by the May 20, 2025 deadline.
- The Directive harmonizes criminal offences and penalties for violations of EU sanctions, including asset freeze breaches, arms embargo violations, and circumvention schemes.
- Penalties include prison
…
Tariff Update: Reciprocal Tariffs and Other Recent Changes
On August 7, 2025, President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs fully came into effect. The overall U.S. effective tariff rate has now risen to an estimated 18.6%, which is the highest rate since 1934. Several countries continue to negotiate the applied tariff rates.…