On February 17, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) announced the creation of the Disruptive Technology Strike Force (“DTSF”).
Under the leadership of DOJ’s...more
On February 7, 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that settlements and judgements under the False Claims Act (“FCA”) exceeded $2 billion for the 2022 fiscal year. The 2022 fiscal year also had the...more
This week’s episode covers the “new trend” of suing and challenging OFAC decisions and discusses some recent lawsuits against OFAC. Host Olga Torres is joined by Erich Ferrari, Founder and Principal Attorney of Ferrari &...more
On February 24, 2023, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the White House announced a series of actions that the U.S. and Group of 7 (“G7”) will take to support Ukraine and impose further costs on...more
2/27/2023
/ Biden Administration ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
G7 ,
Humanitarian Assistance ,
Military Conflict ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
Tariffs ,
Ukraine ,
World Bank
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) is conducting a review of the China Section 301 tariffs that were put into place in 2018 under the Trump administration. The USTR is required to review its tariffs...more
On October 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”) announced a major new rule that restricts the ability of the People’s Republic of China (“PRC” or “China”) to obtain advanced...more
In the second of a two-part series on the BIS Office of Export Enforcement, host Olga Torres sits down with former BIS Special Agents Don Pearce and Jim Fuller to discuss what to do when government enforcement agencies come...more
The first of a two-part series, host Olga Torres sits down with Jim Fuller, former special agent, with the Office of Export Enforcement (“OEE”) within the Bureau of Industry and Security, and Don Pearce, former special agent...more
In this episode, host Olga Torres is joined by David Laufman, former Chief of the Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section, “CES,” at the Department of Justice to discuss high-profile sanctions and export enforcement...more
The Foreign Agents Registration Act, FARA, has been making headlines recently, as Washington seeks to crack down on foreign influence in the United States. But the law has a surprising history, and could be in for some major...more
The debate between free trade and protectionism is alive and well, and perhaps fiercer than ever, in the United States and abroad. In this week’s episode, host Olga Torres sits down with Steve Charnovitz, professor at the...more
This week’s episode discusses the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "CFIUS," the U.S. interagency body that reviews foreign investment for national security purposes. Host Olga Torres is joined by Albert...more
This week’s episode looks at the U.S. government’s enforcement of laws that combat forced labor in supply chains, including the newly passed Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, as well as the impact of forced labor compliance...more
This week’s episode looks at the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, and trade relations between the United States, Mexico, and China. Emilio Arteaga, a partner at Mexican trade law firm Vazquez Tercero & Zepeda based out of Mexico...more
This week’s episode covers the latest issues in cross-border trade between Texas and Mexico. Texas-based Customs Broker Adrian Gonzalez of Global Alliance Solutions helps break down the current state of supply chain...more
Today, June 21, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (“UFLPA”) comes into effect. It is the latest – and perhaps strongest – tool in the belt of U.S. regulatory and enforcement agencies to combat forced labor....more
6/21/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Due Diligence ,
Forced Labor ,
Goods or Services ,
Human Rights ,
Importers ,
Imports ,
New Regulations ,
Supply Chain ,
Trade Restrictions ,
US Trade Policies ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) ,
Withhold Release Orders (WROs)
This week’s episode discusses the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), which lays out the cybersecurity standards required of government contractors. Guest Dave Grey, Cybersecurity Consultant with Torres Trade...more
We Are Delighted To Announce The Launching Of The Torres Talks Trade Podcast
During the podcast trade lawyers and subject matter expert guests discuss timely topics on trade and national security in an informal and...more
On May 23, 2022, President Joe Biden, when asked whether the United States would get involved militarily if China invaded Taiwan, answered firmly, “Yes. That’s the commitment we made.” As the world watches the war in Ukraine,...more
6/1/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
China ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Imports ,
Military Conflict ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
SDN List ,
Taiwan ,
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA)
The largest criminal monitorship in U.S. history has ended. On March 22, 2022 a U.S. judge ruled that Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE Corporation had completed the terms of its five-year probation, which began in 2017...more
4/28/2022
/ China ,
Compliance Monitoring ,
Corporate Monitoring ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Embargo ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Policy ,
National Security ,
Regulatory Violations ,
Telecommunications ,
ZTE
As the U.S. and the European Union continue to impose new sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, regulatory authorities continue their pursuit of companies and individuals who violate those sanctions. The...more
4/28/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Corruption ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Financial Transactions ,
Foreign Policy ,
Military Conflict ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Russia ,
Sanction Violations ,
Ukraine
The U.S. Department of Justice ("DOJ") is making it harder on companies that commit corporate crimes. A lot harder.
That’s the message that Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco recently gave attendees at the American Bar...more
1/27/2022
/ Anti-Corruption ,
Compliance ,
Compliance Management Systems ,
Cooperation Agreement ,
Corporate Crimes ,
Corporate Governance ,
Corporate Misconduct ,
Corruption ,
Deferred Prosecution Agreements ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Enforcement Priorities ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Non-Prosecution Agreements ,
White Collar Crimes
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) has made clear that businesses engaging in certain activities involving virtual currencies are subject to registration,...more
1/26/2022
/ Anti-Money Laundering ,
Bank Secrecy Act ,
BSA/AML ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Data Breach ,
Financial Crimes ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Financial Transactions ,
FinCEN ,
Hackers ,
Money Laundering ,
Money Services Business ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Virtual Currency
Civil and criminal penalties levied against U.S. companies for trade violations are just the beginning of the potential unforeseen costs of doing business in the global marketplace. What cannot be quantified are the countless...more
1/26/2022
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Corruption ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) ,
Economic Sanctions ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Exports ,
Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) ,
Foreign Policy ,
Foreign Relations ,
Imports ,
ITAR ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Sanction Violations ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Trade Relations ,
US Trade Policies ,
White Collar Crimes
View PDF Version of Article In recent years, the U.S. Government (“USG”) has taken numerous actions to target forced labor and other human rights violations, with a significant increase in 2020 and early 2021. These include...more
10/27/2021
/ Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Corporate Social Responsibility ,
Customs and Border Protection ,
Entity List ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) ,
Forced Labor ,
Human Rights ,
Human Trafficking ,
Imports ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Supply Chain ,
Withhold Release Orders (WROs)