03 Aug
Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Jaguar Freight | Protecting America’s Surf and Turf

In this week’s Roar: Asia-U.S. ocean rates are up, a new world order for supply chains, getting the U.S. and Mexico aligned on China tariffs, the latest on the UP and NS merger, and a U.S.-backed container shipping line. It’s not just fuel costs. The impact of geopolitics on Asia-U.S. ocean shipping rates has been harsh, too. Rates have surged by 234% since February, largely thanks to the Iran conflict and new tariffs. Even though some rates appear to be slightly softening, down...

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03 Aug
Member News, News

Littler | State and Local Governments Battle Over Who’s the Boss of Legislating the Workplace

Local governments often lead on workplace issues like paid sick leave, discrimination, and pay equity. But, how and whether cities and counties can – or even should – legislate the workplace varies across the country, with recent developments highlighting the struggle for supremacy between state and local officials. In Nebraska, after the state revised minimum wage standards established by voters, in May 2026 the city of Lincoln enacted a minimum wage ordinance that uses the standard voters had approved – annual...

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03 Aug
Member News, News

Manay CPA | Can Your Small Business Deduct Inventory When You Buy It?

If you’re an Amazon or Shopify seller, an importer, or run a small manufacturing business, here’s the honest answer: usually, no, not right when you buy it. Even with the friendlier rules small businesses get in 2026, you generally still deduct inventory costs when you sell the item, not when you pay for it. There is a real exception that makes life easier for small businesses, but it doesn’t work the way most people assume. That gap between what...

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03 Aug
Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Ziemba Insights | State of the Strait: A Reprieve? But Far from a Lasting Agreement

As I write, we have entered another reprieve in the conflict with Iran, as President Trump suggested over the weekend that regional lobbying convinced him to start another round of diplomacy to try for a deal. More likely its low approval ratings, continued high refined fuel prices and other political pressure. Market hope springs eternal. Crude oil prices sold off sharply, likely helped by light volumes in early hours of Asian trading, extending some easing from last week when a...

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03 Aug
Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

ITA | Commerce Department Secures Win Following First-Time Duty Evasion Filling with CBP Under Enforcement Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Commerce today highlighted an inaugural successful collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to combat duty evasion under the Enforce and Protect Act (EAPA). For the first time, in August 2025, the Department of Commerce submitted a duty evasion allegation to U.S. Customs and Border Protection under EAPA. On July 30, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined that antidumping duties are being evaded on imports of carbon and alloy steel threaded...

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31 Jul
Member News, News

Bannockburn | Greenback Consolidates after Being Rocked by the US Fed and Japan’s Ministry of Finance

The Federal Reserve’s reluctance to take action despite pledges to respect the inflation target, which has not been met in over five years, put the dollar under pressure. Then yesterday, it appears that Japanese officials may have intervened in the foreign exchange market, and as was the case earlier this year, the Federal Reserve reported checked on prices and indicated they were doing so at the request of the US Treasury.  If true, it illustrates a notable difference between Japan,...

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31 Jul
Chapter News, News

IMF | Rising Global Imbalances Underscore Need to Confront Domestic Distortions

Blog | Sustained rebalancing requires policy action in both surplus and deficit countries Global current account balances increased further in 2025, driven primarily by China, where the current account surplus recorded the largest widening in at least two and a half decades. This was offset by some narrowing in the United States and the euro area. As our latest External Sector Report shows, China’s current account surplus increased by about $300 billion last year, the largest widening in absolute terms since at least...

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31 Jul
Chapter News, News

ECB | Demand or Supply-Driven? How Firms View Inflation Right Now

Blog | Energy prices are surging again, pushing up inflation in the euro area. This ECB Blog post examines whether firms are attributing this to a demand surge or to supply constraints. Two approaches – textual analysis and empirical models – can help make the picture clearer. For central banks, whether inflation stems from demand or supply makes a crucial difference. Demand-driven inflation (sometimes called demand-pull inflation) calls for a firm policy response. Meanwhile, supply-driven inflation (also known as cost-push inflation)...

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30 Jul
Member News, News

Barnes & Thornburg | First Circuit Denies Government’s Request to Stay Decision Striking Down $100,000 H-1B Fee

Highlights On July 24, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit denied the federal government’s motion to stay a lower court order that vacated the $100,000 supplemental fee on certain H-1B visa petitions. The court found the government failed to make a strong showing of likely success on the merits, concluding that the Immigration and Nationality Act does not clearly authorize the executive branch to impose a $100,000 H-1B fee. With the stay denied, the district court’s...

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30 Jul
Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

ING | US Import Ban on New Inverters Adds Fresh Pressure to Clean Power Supply Chain

The new import ban adds medium-term uncertainty to clean power supply chains. Existing approved inverters are unaffected, but new foreign imports will be blocked. The measure could raise costs and further complicate supply chain strategies, but without materially altering the US renewables outlook. The US clean power supply chain, already under strain, is facing another headwind. As solar and battery project developers grapple with tariffs and foreign entity of concern (FEOC) requirements to maintain tax-credit eligibility, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced...

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