Member News

Littler | U.S. Department of State is Expected to Implement Pilot Program for Visa Stamp Renewals

During a recent interview with Bloomberg Law, Julie Stufft, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, announced that the U.S. Department of State will launch a pilot program later in 2023 offering visa stamping renewal options domestically for H and L visa beneficiaries and other temporary visa holders.1 The State Department has not yet announced the mechanism or process to renew visa stamps under this pilot program. Visa stamping is a crucial process that authorizes...

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Chapter News

Digital Services Act: Commission sets rules on supervisory fees for very large online platforms and very large online search engines

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Commission is empowered to impose a fee on providers under its supervision, which is expected to be levied for the first time in autumn 2023.  The Commission has now set the detailed rules and procedures for such supervisory fees to be levied. The delegated regulation aims to provide legal certainty to the service providers designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) or Very Large Online Search Engines (VLOSEs) under the DSA. It specifies...

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Member News

Fenwick | US Imposes New Sanctions and Export Controls on Anniversary of War in Ukraine

On February 24, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) expanded the scope of trade control measures targeting Russia on the one-year anniversary of that country’s invasion of Ukraine. These measures include an expansion of export controls on common industrial and commercial items provided to Russia and Belarus, the addition of nearly 90 Russian and third-country companies to the Entity List,...

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Member News

Jaguar Freight | Weekly Roar: Is this long COVID?

In this week’s Roar: the supply chain’s mark on inflation, U.S. port rankings, falling air cargo demand, more reshoring, and positioning supply chains for success in 2023. In theory, since the supply chain is repairing itself, the benefits of that recovery should be felt downstream. Consumers should be catching a break from all the inflated costs that came with COVID and the snarl it made of logistics and transportation. But not so fast. Because despite an apparent turnaround for the...

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Chapter News

Consumer protection: WhatsApp agrees to comply fully with EU rules, informing users better and respecting their choices on contract updates

Following a dialogue with EU consumer protection authorities and the European Commission (CPC network), WhatsApp committed to being more transparent on changes to its terms of service. Moreover, the company will make it easier for users to reject updates when they disagree with them, and will clearly explain when such rejection leads the user to no longer be able to use WhatsApp's services. Also, WhatsApp confirmed that users' personal data are not shared with third-parties or other Meta companies...

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Brexit News

Vulcan Insight | The Windsor Framework – a “Decisive Breakthrough”

After months of negotiations and weeks of rumours that the EU and UK were on the brink of a deal, Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced this week that an agreement “in principle” on the Northern Ireland Protocol had been reached. Following weeks of technical talks, which were kept very secretive with no leaks emerging ahead of the announcement, the so-called “Windsor Framework” was announced on 27 February. The newly announced Windsor Framework, which has been agreed...

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Chapter News

Next step in FTC’s Green Guides review: A closer look at “recyclable” claims

The word “recyclable” shows up in a lot of environmental claims for consumer products, but what do people understand the term to mean? Does that perception reflect the current state of recycling practices? And have there been changes in perception or practices that might suggest updates to the FTC’s Green Guides? Those are some of the topics on the table at Talking Trash at the FTC: Recyclable Claims and the Green Guides, a half-day workshop scheduled for May 23,...

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Member News

CLA | Cash is Power – Are you Putting Yours to Use?

Gone are the days of having cash and other liquid investments on our balance sheets earning a fraction of a percentage point. As many of our readers are experiencing, and an observation we’re noticing with the majority of our clients, is that cash reserves in transportation & logistics businesses are at an all time high. Profitability, government aide, and strong used equipment market has had a tremendous impact on companies’ balance sheets, enabling them to build cash reserves for...

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Brexit News, Chapter News

A new way forward on the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland: political agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework

Today, the European Commission and the Government of the United Kingdom reached a political agreement in principle on the Windsor Framework. This constitutes a comprehensive set of joint solutions aimed at addressing, in a definitive way, the practical challenges faced by citizens and businesses in Northern Ireland, thereby providing them with lasting certainty and predictability. The joint solutions cover, amongst other things, new arrangements on customs, agri-food, medicines, VAT and excise, as well as specific instruments designed to ensure that...

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Chapter News

EU HR/VP Josep Borrell Speech | The world is demanding a just peace for Ukraine

This week we marked one year of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. At the UN, an overwhelming majority of 141 members voted for a just peace for Ukraine. With only 7 countries voting against, it showed, once more, how isolated Russia is. In a briefing to the Security Council, I also underlined the EU’s track record of promoting peace not just in Ukraine but around the world. Many countries look to the EU as a reliable partner with strong multilateral...

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