On July 1, 2020, the United-States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) entered into force, replacing the 26-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The U.S. government has taken several steps toward implementation via executive order and proposed regulations, but the legal framework remains a work in progress. One of the most closely watched…
The U.S. government has issued several rules aimed at excluding, and in some cases removing, Chinese-origin equipment from U.S. telecommunications networks. Most of these rules apply to U.S. government networks, but some extend to private sector telecom infrastructure and services with no nexus to the U.S. government. Wireline Competition Bureau…
Since the handover of Hong Kong by the United Kingdom to China in 1997, Hong Kong has enjoyed separate treatment from the mainland by the United States, other countries and international organizations pursuant to the “one country, two systems” model agreed to by the Chinese government. The United States-Hong Kong…
On May 22, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) announced that it will add 33 Chinese companies and institutions to the Entity List. The designations will prohibit the export, re-export, or in-country transfer of items subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). The new…
On May 21, 2020, the U.S. Department of the Treasury published a proposed rule that would revise the mandatory declaration requirement for foreign investments involving a U.S. business that produces, designs, tests, manufactures, fabricates, or develops one or more critical technologies. Currently, a key element of the mandatory declaration requirement…
On May 15, 2020 the Commerce Department announced an amendment to the direct product rule that further restricts the ability of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and its affiliates on the Entity List, such as HiSilicon (collectively “Huawei”), to receive certain foreign-made semiconductor products. The Commerce Department also extended the temporary…
On May 8, 2020, the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) reissued its Geographic Targeting Orders (GTOs) for 12 metropolitan areas. These GTOs are identical to the November 2019 GTOs. The GTOs require title companies and their subsidiaries and agents to collect and report information about certain…
The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a renewed focus on biotechnology and life sciences companies. Non-U.S. investors need to be aware of the potential that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) may have jurisdiction to review, and possibly disallow certain investments in U.S. companies. In particular, new…
Beginning on May 1, 2020, the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) will require a fee for any joint voluntary notice of a “covered transaction” or “covered real estate transaction.” This requirement also applies to (i) voluntary notices filed after CFIUS has completed its assessment of a…
The U.S. government has taken steps to allow the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA) to enter into force on July 1, 2020, replacing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). On April 24, 2020, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) notified Congress that Canada and Mexico had taken additional measures to…