International Trade

The United States is becoming involved in an increasing number of trade disputes. Nearly every industry is affected – food, pharmaceuticals, steel, even bicycle parts. For many domestic companies, stricter enforcement of U.S. trade remedy laws is good news. So are stronger dispute settlement procedures under the WTO and various bilateral agreements. Both create new opportunities for companies to enlist the government to protect their interests. However, export-dependent companies risk being hurt by foreign trade barriers or as the targets of foreign retaliation for imposition by the U.S. of trade restrictions of its own.

Our services focus on three areas.

• Representation: We represent domestic and foreign parties before agencies that administer U.S. trade laws on matters affecting imports (such as antidumping, countervailing duty and Section 337 proceedings) and relating to foreign trade practices (such as Section 201 and Section 301 cases). In addition, we represent trade client interests before the U.S. Court of International Trade and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
• Counseling: We counsel clients on the direction of U.S. trade law. This service generally involves devising a trade policy position that serves our client's interests, then persuading government decision makers of the policy's soundness. We also work with policy makers to further client interests in matters under WTO jurisdiction and various bilateral agreements.
• Advising: We advise clients on the wide range of other international trade-related matters, including U.S. anti-boycott laws, the foreign assets and transactions controls administered by the U.S. Treasury Department, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, customs regulations, foreign trade zones, the Generalized System of Preferences and export controls on both military and dual-use goods and technology.