International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters as he flew back a day early from the Group of 7 summit in Canada, called both Japan and the EU tough negotiators, but said there's a chance that a deal can be arrived at with Japan.
Two importers challenging tariffs imposed under the international Emergency Economic Powers Act, Learning Resources and Hand2Mind, petitioned the Supreme Court June 17 to hear their case in a bid to accelerate the resolution of the challenges to President Donald Trump's IEEPA tariffs. The companies, represented by Akin Gump, said the high court should hear the case now in "light of the tariffs’ massive impact on virtually every business and consumer across the Nation, and the unremitting whiplash caused by the unfettered tariffing power the President claims" (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, Sup. Ct. # 24-1287).
The additional in-quota Section 232 tariff rate for British cars will be 7.5% under a deal recently concluded with the U.K., so that the combined most-favored nation and 232 tariff will be 10% as long as imports are under the 100,000 annual tariff rate quota amount, beginning seven days after the June 16 executive order is published in the Federal Register.
The two importers challenging tariffs issued under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act before the District Court for the District of Columbia directly petitioned the Supreme Court to hear their case. The importers, Learning Resources and Hand2Mind, represented by Akin Gump, said the question of whether IEEPA authorizes tariffs "will inevitably fall to this Court to resolve definitively." The companies said they can't wait for the normal appellate process to wrap up, even on an expedited basis, given the "tariffs’ massive impact on virtually every business and consumer across the Nation, and the unremitting whiplash caused by the unfettered tariffing power the President claims." The importers are only asking the high court to review whether IEEPA provides for tariffs and not any of its other challenges to President Donald Trump's IEEPA tariff action, noting that it's the only claim the government says courts have the power to review.
Joshua Kurland, a 15-year trial attorney at DOJ, has joined Hogan Lovells as a partner in the international trade and investment practice, the firm announced. At DOJ, Kurland led the government's litigation efforts in many cases in the Commercial Litigation Branch, including over 250 international trade-related cases. From January 2024 to January 2025, he sered as a trial attorney detailed in DOJ's national security division, covering counterintelligence and export control matters.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register June 16 on the following antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CVD rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
The Commerce Department has published the preliminary results of its antidumping duty administrative review on wood mouldings and millwork from China (A-570-117). In the final results of this review, Commerce will set AD assessment rates for subject merchandise for the companies under review entered Feb. 1, 2023, through Jan. 31, 2024.
The Commerce Department has set new antidumping duty cash deposit requirements for imports of slag pots from China (A-570-196), after finding sales at less than fair value by Chinese producers in the preliminary determination of its AD investigation. Suspension of liquidation and cash deposit requirements take effect for entries on or after June 17.
The Commerce Department has published the final results of a countervailing duty administrative review on utility scale wind towers from Malaysia (C-557-822). The review covered subject merchandise from the exporters under review entered during the period of calendar year 2022.