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01/07/2021 –
November 2020 Textile and Apparel Import Report
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01/06/2021 – As of January 1, 2021, most textile, apparel, and leather products imported into Turkey will be subject to risk assessment through Turkey's Risk-Based Trade Control System (TAREKS). See the
Communique on the Inspection of Some Textile, Clothing and Leather Product (2021/18) published in Turkish.
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12/18/2020 –
Limitation of Duty-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Haiti Under the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA), as Amended by the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act (HOPE)
For the period December 20, 2020 through December 19, 2021, the annual quantitative limit of the Haiti HOPE Value-Added program is 337,967,087 square meters equivalent (SME).
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12/16/2020 – The
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative requests comments regarding its Special 301 Review, to identify countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property (IP) rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on IP protection. Public comments are requested by January 28. The 2021 Special 301 Report will be published on or about April 30, 2021.
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12/04/2020 – On November 9, the
EU published a list of $4 billion of U.S. products subject to retaliatory tariffs following its WTO dispute case alleging subsidies to Boeing. Included among the non-aircraft goods now subject to a 25 percent levy are travel goods and cotton.
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11/16/2020 – Starting January 5, 2021, suppliers of articles and complex objects (made of several articles) containing substances of very high concern (SVHC) on the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) Candidate List (200+ substances) in a concentration above 0.1% weight by weight (w/w) must submit information on these articles to a new database under the authority of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). On Thursday, November 19th, from 4-8am EDT, the ECHA will publish a demo covering this issue on their homepage and allow time for Q&A. For more information, see TCGM announcements.
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10/26/2020 – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a new fraud reporting platform for consumers. Go to
Report Fraud for more information or to submit reports to the FTC about scams, frauds, and bad business practices, including deceptive labeling practices. The new site replaces the FTC Complaint Assistant.
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10/19/2020 – On October 1, Indonesia initiated a safeguard investigation on imports of articles of apparel and clothing accessories (HTS codes 6101, 6102, 6103, 6104, 6105, 6106, 6109, 6110, 6111, 6117, 6201, 6202, 6203, 6204, 6205, 6206, 6209, and 6214). For more information, see the investigation notice on the
Indonesian Trade Security Committee (KPPI) website and the WTO website.
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09/18/2020 –
Limitations on Duty and Quota-Free Imports of Apparel Articles Assembled in Beneficiary Sub-Saharan African Countries under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA).
The new AGOA caps are for the one-year period from October 1, 2020-September 30, 2021.
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08/25/2020 – The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) is seeking input for a new investigation on COVID-19 related industry sectors and particular products. The investigation,
COVID-19 Related Goods: The U.S. Industry, Market, Trade, and Supply Chain Challenges, was requested by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on September 11, 2020. The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record no later than 5:15 p.m. on October 2, 2020.
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07/17/2020 –The Department of Commerce, along with the Departments of State, the Treasury, and Homeland Security, issued a business advisory to highlight risks and considerations for businesses with supply chain exposure to entities engaged in forced labor and other human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China. Find more information and see the advisory here.
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07/14/2020 – Following the Section 301 Investigation determination that France’s Digital Services Tax (DST) is unreasonable or discriminatory and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce, the U.S. Trade Representative announced that additional duties of 25 percent will be applied to certain products imported from France. Application of the additional duties on certain handbags and other products will be suspended for a period of up to 180 days, ending on January 6, 2021. See the notice of action
here.
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04/21/2020 – The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) issued a temporary rule allocating certain scarce or threatened materials for domestic use, so that certain personal protective equipment (N95 and other selected respirators, PPE surgical masks, and PPE gloves and surgical gloves) may not be exported from the United States without explicit approval by FEMA. See Federal Register notice
85 FR20195. Details on certain exemptions were published in 85 FR22021.
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04/14/2020 – On March 23, 2020, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) solicited
comments and announced that the Trade Policy Staff Committee would hold a public hearing on a proposed U.S.-Republic of Kenya trade agreement. Consistent with guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerning COVID-19, USTR is cancelling the public hearing. USTR is extending the deadline for written comments.