Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

European Council | Council Moves to Strengthen the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

The Council today agreed its position on strengthening the carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), the EU’s tool to fight carbon leakage and promote global decarbonisation, ahead of negotiations with the European Parliament. The new framework would extend the CBAM’s scope to new products and close loopholes that may be used to circumvent the system " The EU remains committed to reducing climate emissions both within the Union and globally. Strengthening the CBAM and closing loopholes that can circumvent our rules is...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

GDLSK | USTR Proposes Additional Duties; Sets Deadline for Comments in Section 301 Investigation Related to Forced Labour

The United States Trade Representative (USTR) has published notice of its intent to impose additional duties on products from 60 countries, stemming from its investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 related to forced labor. (91 FR 34272). The USTR initiated the investigation under Section 301 on March 12, 2026, regarding the acts, policies, and practices of 60 countries related to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced with...

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Member News, News

Greenberg Traurig | White House Issues Executive Order Targeting Frontier AI Models

On June 2, 2026, the White House issued an Executive Order that aims to strengthen U.S. cybersecurity infrastructure through AI-enabled defenses while maintaining the administration’s permissive regulatory environment for AI development. The Order imposes a series of short-term action items on federal agencies intended to improve the nation’s posture on cybersecurity and creates a voluntary framework for collaboration between the government and private AI developers. Covered Frontier Model Framework While the Order prohibits creating a mandatory licensing or preclearance requirement for AI models,...

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World Bank | Middle East Conflict Sends Global Growth to Lowest Rate Since COVID-19

The conflict in the Middle East is expected to slow global growth to the lowest rate since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic amid higher energy prices, steeper inflation, and increased borrowing costs , according to the World Bank Group’s latest Global Economic Prospects report.  Global growth is forecast to slow to 2.5% in 2026, down from 2.9% in 2025. Forecasts for two-thirds of economies have been downgraded relative to January of this year.  Global growth is expected to improve to 2.8%...

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Member News, News

Mason Hayes & Curran | Amended Climate Law and RED II – Implications for EU Energy Policy

The EU has set a 2040 EU climate target of a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels. This new target requires the Commission to review other relevant EU legislation to achieve the target. Our Planning & Environment team discuss how, for example, RED II and the Energy Efficiency Directive will need to be amended. What you need to know The EU Climate Law sets a binding objective to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. To achieve this, it set...

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Chapter News, News

ECB | A Tale of Two Energy Crises – Initial Conditions Matter

Blog | The current energy shock is significant and global, but it is also hitting a euro area economy that is more balanced than when Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022. History and analysis show that context matters a lot for how shocks propagate to inflation. Energy prices have risen sharply since early 2026 when war broke out again in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz was closed. This big uptick in energy inflation has in turn driven...

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Member News, Trade & TTIP Related

Barnes & Thornburg | Tariffs Update: The Roller Coaster Ride Continues

Just as some U.S. importers began receiving refunds of duties paid under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), the tariff refund landscape is shifting again due to a threatened appeal by the U.S. government. At the same time, the administration advanced action under other tariff laws that likely will result in new or expanded tariffs; reduced tariffs on some steel, aluminum and copper derivatives; and directed stricter enforcement of the customs laws. As Refunds Are Received, Complications Arise for...

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Chapter News, News

IMF | Understanding Geoeconomics in a Volatile World

How new economics tools explain global power dynamics Throughout history, powerful nations have used economic leverage to bend others to their will. Florence’s Medici banking dynasty shaped Renaissance politics with its financial dominance, and imperial Britain used trade dominance to bind its empire together and wield power across the globe. Today, the United States freezes access to financial markets or urges its allies to impose export controls on essential technologies, and China threatens restrictions on rare earths to expand its...

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Member News, News

Thompson Hine | Federal Court Strikes Down $100,000 H-1B Fee: What Employers Need To Know

On June 8, 2026, a federal court in Massachusetts struck down the $100,000 fee that the Trump administration had imposed on employers filing H‑1B visa petitions. The ruling is a major win for businesses that utilize the H-1B program to hire skilled foreign workers in fields like technology, engineering, healthcare, and finance. BACKGROUND Last September, President Trump issued a Presidential Proclamation titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers. The proclamation required employers to pay a $100,000 fee—on top of existing filing...

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Member News, News

AlixPartners | AI Shopping Agents: Customer Gains, Retailer Gains, and What Retailers Stand to Lose

In our first article in this series, What AI shopping agents will mean for customers and retailers, we outlined six imperatives retailers must act on to stay competitive in a fast-evolving landscape. As of late 2025, Amazon had launched Buy for Me, Google had rolled out agentic checkout with Gemini, and OpenAI’s Instant Checkout had gone live with partners including Etsy, Shopify, and Walmart. 2026 has seen agentic e-commerce go mainstream, with the market expected to be worth $236 billion by...

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