Welcome to our Virtual Global Trade Conference, a virtual offering for all our clients and friends worldwide. Baker McKenzie's international trade compliance lawyers from around the world discussed the major developments impacting international trade, in nine one-hour sessions which took place from 13 to 15 July 2021.


Session 1: Overview & Trade Policy Landscape

Speakers: John Rood (Former U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy), John McKenzie, Rod Hunter, Sunny Mann, Pablo Bentes

Topics discussed:

  • Globalization in an era of geopolitics
  • Biden Administration trade policy 6 months in
  • CFIUS and international foreign investment regulation developments
  • The evolving foreign investment regime landscape
  • World Trade Organization: Prospects and Key Priorities
  • America's Supply Chain Focus: Supply Chain Executive Order, ICTS Executive Order, NDAA s. 889 and Buy American initiatives

Session 2: Export Control Developments

Speakers: Janet Kim, Paul Amberg, Alex Lamy, Alison Stafford Powell, Ben Smith

Topics discussed:

  • Emerging and foundational technologies: implementation of the mandate of the ECRA
  • New military and military intelligence end-user/military end-use export control requirements
  • Huawei-specific "foreign direct product" rule and related licensing for 5G
  • BIS Entity List proliferation and implications
  • Hong Kong: Update on the implications of the changed status of Hong Kong
  • European and UK export control developments
    • Implications of BREXIT and divergence of regulatory approaches and requirements
    • New UK guidance on technology exports, cloud computing and remote access
  • Encryption amendments and Wassenaar Amendments implementation

Session 3: Economic Sanctions

Speakers: Alison Stafford Powell, Alex Lamy, Ben Smith, Kerry Contini, Sylwia Lis

Topics discussed:

  • Burma/Myanmar
  • Iran - Prospects for US rejoining the JCPOA
  • Russia
    • Major new Russia-focused sanctions authorities for Specified Harmful Foreign Activities
    • NordStream II
    • CBW sanctions
    • Implications of designation of the FSB as a NPWMD sanctioned party
    • European sanctions
    • Russian response
  • Venezuela
  • Belarus
  • EU/UK Sanctions developments and prospects post-BREXIT
  • New UK global anti-corruption sanctions

Session 4: Spotlight on China Trade Developments - Part 1

Speakers: Alison Stafford Powell, Kerry Contini, Aleesha Fowler, Eunkyung Kim Shin, Andrew Rose

Topics discussed:

  • Sanctions against China
    • China-related Entity List Sanctions
    • OFAC sanctions programs used against China
    • Investment Restrictions in certain Chinese Military Companies - EO 13959 and EO 14032
    • Hong Kong Autonomy Act implementation
    • European Union, UK sanctions against China
  • Trade compliance and ESG Risks and mitigation in China-related supply chains
    • State Department Advisory
    • CBP withhold release orders
    • Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Laws
    • California Transparency in Supply Chains Act
    • Section 307 of the Tariff Act and CAATSA provisions on North Korean labor
  • Semiconductor and Advanced Packaging initiative (BIS)

Session 5: Spotlight on China Trade Developments - Part 2

Speakers: John McKenzie, Ivy Tan, Weng Keong Kok, Vivian Wu, Iris Zhang

Topics discussed:

  • Implementation of the Chinese export control law
  • MOFCOM's new export control compliance program guidelines
  • China’s Encryption Law and Announcement 63: import and export restrictions
  • MOFCOM’s Order No. 4: Implementing China’s Unreliable Entity List System
  • MOFCOM’s "Blocking" Regulation: Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extra-Territorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures and China's response to US and foreign sanctions
  • Implementation of China’s National Security Law in Hong Kong
  • Status and Prospects for the U.S.-China Phase One Trade Agreement

Session 6: Import and Customs Developments

Speakers: John McKenzie, Alison Stafford Powell, Christine Streatfeild, Gene Tien

Topics discussed:

  • Customs Valuation
  • First sale and the CIT decision in U.S. v. Meyer
  • Transfer pricing and customs valuation
  • Section 301 Developments
  • Challenge to China lists 3-4: HMTX case status
  • The Ireland/Northern Ireland Border Issue
  • USTR product exclusion procedures
  • Country of origin analysis (USMCA and "products of China" for section 301 purposes)
  • Digital Services Tax Developments and Section 301 investigations
  • ICTS - Developments Towards Protecting the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain (EO 13873) and Protecting American's Sensitive Data (EO 14034)

Session 7: Export Control and Economic Sanctions Enforcement

Speakers: Alison Stafford Powell, Terry Gilroy, Jess Nall, Helena Engfeldt, Tristan Grimmer, Sam Kramer

Topics discussed:

  • Leading Cases: Lessons Learned
  • Export Control and Economic Sanctions Enforcement Trends
  • Expectations of Regulatory Authorities (DoJ, OFAC, OEE)
  • Ransomware - Trade compliance and data privacy issues in ransomware attacks
  • Focus on cryptocurrency and blockchain issues in sanctions compliance cases

Session 8: Trade Agreements Developments

Speakers: John McKenzie, Adriana Ibarra-Fernandez, Paul Burns, Jenny Revis, Ivy Tan

Topics discussed:

  • USMCA: What we have learned in the past 18 months
  • Comprehensive Pacific Partnership: Prospects for US participation
  • The challenge of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
  • Prospects for a US− UK Free Trade Agreement
  • European Union − UK Free Trade Agreement
  • Various UK trade agreement initiatives
  • Transpacific Partnership (without the United States)

Session 9: Trade Developments - Rest of the World

Speakers: John McKenzie, Brian Cacic, Junko Suetomi, Weng Keong Kok, Alessandra Machado, Virusha Subban

Topics discussed:

  • Canada
  • Japan
  • ASEAN
  • Brazil
  • South Africa

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