News Blog

Tax Truces, Trade Troubles, and Sustainable Logistics Innovations

Uncover the complexities, challenges, and creative solutions shaping our ever-evolving global landscape. From extended tax truces to fresh sanctions threats, and from payment delays to pioneering sustainability initiatives, prepare to be captivated by the dynamic narratives that lie within. US and European Countries Extend Truce on Digital Taxes Until Mid-2024 The United States and five…

solar panel

The Catch-22 of the US Solar Boom: Opening the Indian Market to Banned Chinese Products

The rapid growth of the solar industry in the United States has paved the way for new opportunities, not only domestically but also in international markets. However, as the US solar boom opens a $2 billion Indian door for imports, a new predicament emerges. A closer look reveals that some of these products originate from…

China and Japan Car Exports

China Comes Close to Overtaking Japan as the World’s Largest Car Exporter

In the competitive world of global automotive trade, China has come tantalizingly close to dethroning Japan as the world’s largest car exporter. While it fell just shy of achieving this goal in 2023, China’s impressive growth highlights its emergence as a major player in the automotive industry. In this blog, we will explore the factors…

Trade Growth Outlook

Global Soft Landing in Sight, Raises 2024 Economic Growth Outlook

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently released an updated economic outlook, signaling a positive development for the global economy. The report forecasts a soft landing and an uplifted growth outlook for 2024. This upgrade comes alongside improved prospects for the two largest economies, the United States and China, citing a faster-than-expected easing of inflation as…

BIS Sanctions Export to Russia
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The New Foreign-Direct Product Rule for Third-Country Exports to Russia

Sanctions imposed on Russia by the BIS The February 24 sanctions imposed on Russia by the BIS have put in place a vastly expanded definition of the foreign-direct product rule, which will pose significant compliance challenges. In the following transcript George Thompson details which products are affected by the new rule and how it will…

USDOC
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The Unverified List: What it Means to Exporters, Re Exporters, and In-Country Transferors

The Unverified List The Commerce Department’s listing of foreign companies subject to restrictions on all items included in the Export Administration Regulations, has received increased attention as a result of the recent addition of 33 Chinese industrial and technology companies to the list. The following transcript from George Thompson‘s video, explains what the Unverified List…

Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Items Out of the U.S.
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Sentenced to Federal Prison – Smuggle Items Attempt Out of the U.S. Without the Required Export License

Owner of Maryland Export Business Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Items Out of the U.S. Without the Required Export License Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge George L. Russell, III today sentenced Jorge Orencel, age 65, of Silver Spring, Maryland, to six months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised…

The Foreign-Direct Product Rule
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The Foreign-Direct Product Rule

The Foreign-Direct Product Rule is a provision of the Export Administration Regulations The following transcript from George W. Thompson, explains the criteria under which some foreign products are subject to the EAR and are thereby within the scope of export controls even if they have no physical U.S. origin content. Hello again, this is George…

New Export Controls to Combat Malicious Cyber Activities
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U.S. Department of Commerce Implements New Export Controls to Combat Malicious Cyber Activities

Key Points On March 7, 2022, new U.S. export controls applicable to “cybersecurity items” took effect based on an interim final rule published by BIS on October 21, 2021 (the “Cyber Rule”). The controls under the Cyber Rule are complex because they restrict exports intended for malicious cyber activities and to certain countries and governments, but…

Export Controls Aircraft Private and Public
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Commercial and Private Aircraft Exported to Russia in Apparent Violation of U.S. Export Controls

The U.S. Commerce Department, through its Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), publicly identified commercial and private aircraft that have flown into Russia in apparent violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).  In so doing, BIS is notifying the public that providing any form of service to these aircraft requires authorization. Absent such authorization, any…

ITAR or EAR? Know Before You Export!
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ITAR or EAR? Know Before You Export!

ITAR or EAR A United States manufacturer of electronic test and measurement equipment and software mistakenly exported ITAR-controlled software under the EAR instead, resulting in a Consent Agreement and civil penalty of $6,600,000. In the following transcript George W. Thompson, International Trade Attorney discusses the consequences of this error and how it could have been…

Court image with text Electrical Engineer sentenced

Electrical Engineer Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export to China Semiconductor Chips with Military Uses

A California man was sentenced today to 63 months, or more than five years, in prison for his role in a scheme to illegally export integrated circuits with military applications to China the required filing of electronic export information. As part of his sentence, the Judge ordered Shih to pay $362,698 in restitution to the…