The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity, even without its trade pillar completed, is moving toward implementation with the establishment of an IPEF Council that will meet annually. The council will consider proposals to negotiate new agreements, enhance trade or economic relations, or amend IPEF; consider other countries' interest in acceding to IPEF; and adopt its rules.
Members of the European Parliament this week disagreed on the best path forward for new EU-wide supply chain due diligence rules, although an official with the Belgian presidency said it believes the EU can reach a compromise before the end of the current parliament’s term in April.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
If the EU can’t agree to new corporate supply chain due diligence rules, European companies will instead face a growing, complex patchwork of national due diligence laws that will strain their compliance departments, leaders of two Dutch nonprofits said in an opinion piece this week for the Business and Human Rights Resource Center.
The European Council and Parliament reached a deal on a new set of rules to ban imports suspected of being made with forced labor, including how the ban will be enforced and how the bloc will investigate and penalize violations.
EU member countries this week couldn't agree to new rules requiring companies to conduct specific due diligence on their supply chains to address various environmental and social concerns, including forced labor risks (see 2312150057) and 2202230073).
A bipartisan group of 11 House members urged the Biden administration on Feb. 16 to impose Global Magnitsky Act sanctions on seven Chinese companies for allegedly using Uyghur forced labor to provide seafood to U.S. markets.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case you missed them. You can find any article by searching for the title or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., pressed the Treasury Department on Feb. 14 to consider sanctioning Chinese online store Temu over allegations it uses forced labor to make its garments. During a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Luetkeyemer noted that Temu aired a commercial during the Feb. 11 Super Bowl, reflecting its growing presence in the U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson testified during the hearing that he would “take on board" the congressman's concern but could not comment on any potential sanctions activity by his department. Temu didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
Bridget McGovern, former assistant secretary for trade and economic security at DHS, joined Squire Patton as a partner in the public policy practice, the firm announced. McGovern will focus on national security and trade issues, including reviews by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. She worked for over two years at DHS, where she served as an agency representative to CFIUS and helped implement the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List.