Uncategorized

Subscribe to Uncategorized

On March 22, 2018, in response to the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) investigation into Chinese trade practices under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, the Trump Administration announced plans to 1) impose additional 25% tariffs on various Chinese imports, 2) initiate a new WTO dispute against China, and 3) limit Chinese investments …

Proper service of process is vital in litigation involving foreign sovereigns, including litigation to obtain an enforceable judgment. Recently, the Fourth Circuit held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not permit service of process by mail to a foreign government’s embassy in the United States. In Kumar v. Sudan, the Fourth Circuit vacated …

Notwithstanding the uncertainty associated with the upcoming change in Administration, we decided to push forward with issuing the second edition of Steptoe’s Government Contractor Supply Chain Toolkit. Version 2.0 of the Toolkit (available here) provides an update on various federal rules and developments imposing supply chain requirements on federal contractors and subcontractors. The updated Toolkit includes:

  • Updates on newly issued employment requirements, such as rules addressing the “Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces” and “Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors;”
  • A snapshot of the major – and fast evolving – cybersecurity requirements;
  • Other regulatory updates on human trafficking, counterfeit parts, subcontracting limitations for contracts set aside for small businesses, and the expanded scope of the SBA’s Mentor-Protégé program for all “small” businesses; and
  • Recent civil and criminal enforcement activities by the federal government arising from supply chain risks, including in the areas of illegal kickbacks, counterfeit parts, and the Trade Agreements Act.

…
Continue Reading The Government Contractor Supply Chain Toolkit 2.0

On April 14th the WTO issued a decision that will significantly affect multilateral initiatives on tax transparency, including the work of the Global Forum.  In its decision in Argentina – Measures Relating to Trade in Goods and Services, the WTO Appellate Body ruled that a set of defensive tax measures maintained by Argentina are…