Member News

CLA | Unemployment Aid Fraud Skyrocketed in 2020 … Is it Time to Review Your Cyber Risks?

Key insights During the pandemic, there’s been an uptick in fraudulent unemployment claims. The CARES Act introduced changes to unemployment benefits to help those in need during the pandemic, and some criminals have found ways to capitalize on the situation. Consider steps you can take to help protect your organization and your personal identification information. Nationwide, state unemployment agencies have been inundated with fraudulent benefit claims during the pandemic. The CARES Act increased the unemployment benefit amount and expanded opportunities...

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Member News

AlixPartners | 2021 Container Shipping Outlook

Carriers have a chance to break the cycle. Will they take it? For at least 30 years, the container shipping industry has been in a recurring boom-and-bust loop. During times of strong macroeconomic growth, shipping rates skyrocketed. Using these profits, container ship operators would invest in new, ever-larger vessels. With each boom comes a bust, and without fail, the economy would slide into a downturn, demand would plunge, rates would tumble, and operators would find themselves burdened with heavy debt and...

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Chapter News

EU Commission disburses further €9 billion under SURE to seven Member States

The European Commission has disbursed today €9 billion to seven EU Member States in the fifth installment of financial support to Member States under the SURE instrument. This is the second disbursement in 2021. As part of today's operations, Czechia has received €1 billion, Spain €2.87 billion, Croatia €510 million, Italy €3.87 billion, Lithuania €302 million, Malta €123 million and Slovakia €330 million. This is the first time that Czechia has received funding under the instrument. The other six...

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Trade & TTIP Related

USTR Announces Conclusion of WTO Quota Negotiations with the European Union

March 8, 2021 | WASHINGTON – The Acting United States Trade Representative, María Pagán, today announced the conclusion of negotiations with the European Union (EU) on adjustments to the EU’s WTO tariff rate quotas (TRQ) as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.  The agreement, after two years of negotiations under WTO procedures, will determine how to split TRQ quantities between the EU-27 and the United Kingdom (UK). “I am pleased that we have concluded these negotiations with...

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Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

Trade policy: a lever of the EU as a geopolitical global player

HR/VP Josep Borrell Blog Post | Recently, Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis presented a new trade strategy at the College of the European Commission. EU trade policy can be an important foreign policy instrument: we should leverage our trading power to promote EU interests and values and build a fairer and more sustainable form of globalisation. On 17 February, the European Commission approved a new EU trade strategy, prepared by my colleague Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis in charge of trade, in cooperation with the European...

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Member News

IPTI | Update on U.S. & European Property Tax Issues: March 2021

The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep its members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). UNITED STATES Empty Office Buildings Squeeze City Budgets as Property Values Fall At a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen last month, Jeff Williams, the mayor of...

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Member News

Marks Paneth | President Biden Signs into Law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Overview of Key Provisions Affecting Individuals and Businesses A $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package was signed into law by President Biden on Thursday, March 11, 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), as amended by the U.S. Senate, follows the nearly $4 trillion in COVID relief enacted in 2020. The ARP includes provisions designed to accelerate activities to combat the virus and distribute vaccines, fund various programs and provide economic support to a variety of stakeholders including individuals,...

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Member News

Tradewind | What Lessons has COVID-19 Taught Buyers and Suppliers

The onset of COVID-19 caught many business owners off-guard. Raw material shortages, delivery challenges, and obtaining financing for supply chains were some of the difficulties companies had to face. Ultimately, buyers and suppliers learned that to overcome these hurdles, they need to work collaboratively. By working with the right supply chain finance company, international companies can support collaboration and streamline operations for an entire supply chain, resolving immediate cash flow challenges that could drastically impact a business. This article discusses...

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Chapter News

Horizon Europe’s first strategic plan 2021-2024: EU Commission sets research and innovation priorities for a sustainable future

Today, the European Commission adopted the first strategic plan for Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme worth €95.5 billion in current prices. The strategic plan is a novelty in Horizon Europe and sets the strategic orientations for the targeting of investments in the programme's first four years. It ensures that EU research and innovation actions contribute to EU priorities, including a climate-neutral and green Europe, a Europe fit for the digital age, and an economy that works for...

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Chapter News

IMF | Rising Market Power—A Threat to the Recovery?

The crisis has hit small and medium enterprises especially hard, causing massive job losses and other economic scars. Among these—less noticeable, but also serious—is rising market power among dominant firms as they emerge even stronger while smaller rivals fall away. We know from experience and IMF research that excessive market power in the hands of a few firms can be a drag on medium-term growth, stifling innovation and holding back investment. Such an outcome could undermine the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis,...

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