Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Greenberg Traurig | FCC Bans Import of Foreign Drones and Critical Components

On Dec. 22, 2025, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) expanded its Covered List, effectively implementing a sweeping ban on the import of new models of drones and critical components produced outside of the United States. The action has a broad scope and applies to all foreign drones and critical components, regardless of country of origin and who seeks to procure them. The FCC subsequently provided clarification on Jan. 7 and 21 regarding the scope of its December decision. Background The FCC...

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Member News, News

Wilson Sonsini | Reforms to UK Data Protection and Privacy Laws Come into Force

On February 5, 2026, key reforms to the UK’s data protection regime came into force, effectuating a departure from certain aspects of the EU regime and underscoring an emerging divergence between the UK and EU frameworks. These changes introduce new flexibility in areas such as cookie consent, automated decision-making (ADM) and processing of data for scientific research purposes, while raising the bar for compliance in areas such as the handling of data relating to minors. Key Reforms As discussed in our...

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Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

ECB | Lower Inflation, Weaker Activity: What Foreign Import Tariffs Mean for the Euro Area

Import tariffs imposed by other countries tend to lower euro area inflation and weaken growth. However, the sectors most exposed are also the most responsive to interest rate changes. This means that monetary policy can help offset disinflationary pressures and support activity.   Tariffs are a tax on trade. The immediate impact falls on the country imposing them, as import prices rise and trade volumes fall. But trading partners can also be affected. On the one hand, higher import costs reduce...

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Chapter News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

European Parliament | EU-US Trade Legislation: MEPs to Resume Work on Turnberry Proposals

Bernd Lange, chair of Parliament’s International Trade Committee and standing rapporteur for the US, has issued the following statement regarding the EU-US trade deal. Following a Wednesday afternoon meeting of the committee’s shadow rapporteurs (i.e. political group representatives responsible for work on the legislation linked to the implementation of the Turnberry deal), Bernd Lange (S&D, Germany) said: “A majority of shadow rapporteurs of the International Trade Committee have today decided to resume work on the two Turnberry legislative proposals. A vote could...

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Chapter News, News

European Commission | Commission Notifies Meta of Possible Interim Measures to Reverse Exclusion of Third-Party AI Assistants from WhatsApp

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, setting out its preliminary view that Meta breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third party Artificial Intelligence (‘AI') assistants from accessing and interacting with users on WhatsApp. Meta's conduct risks blocking competitors from entering or expanding in the rapidly growing market for AI assistants. The Commission therefore intends to impose interim measures to prevent this policy change from causing serious and irreparable harm on the market, subject to Meta's reply and rights...

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Chapter News, News

ECB | The Digital Euro: Strengthening Europe’s Payments Ecosystem

Speech by Piero Cipollone, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the event “The digital euro in Cyprus” Nicosia, 6 February 2026 It is a pleasure to be in Cyprus today. I would like to thank Governor Patsalides and the organisers for inviting me. Cyprus’s Presidency comes at a pivotal moment for Europe. In a global environment defined by rapid change, strategic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the Presidency’s priority, “Autonomy through security and competitiveness”, captures Europe’s ambition to strengthen its independence by...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Troutman Pepper Locke | US Launches Critical Minerals Strategy and New ‘Reciprocal Trade’ Deals

The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) recently announced three major trade and economic initiatives that the administration describes as part of a broader strategy to address large and persistent U.S. trade deficits, concerns about reciprocity in bilateral trade relationships, and other unfair trade practices, while deepening economic and national security cooperation and reinforcing Western Hemisphere supply chains. On January 29, a U.S.-El Salvador Framework for an Agreement on Reciprocal Trade was announced, which includes commitments to improve market access, regulatory...

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Member News, News, Trade & TTIP Related

Thompson Hine | President Trump Imposes Additional Tariff on Countries That Sell Oil to Cuba

On January 29, 2026, President Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14380 to impose an additional ad valorem duty on goods from countries that directly or indirectly sell or otherwise provide oil—that is, crude oil or petroleum products—to Cuba.  Although the executive order, which took effect on January 30, 2026, appears broad in scope, it clarifies that the Secretary of Commerce will determine which countries directly or indirectly sell or otherwise provide oil to Cuba and convey that information to the Secretary of State,...

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News, TRIA News

EXIM | Week in Review: Project Vault and the U.S. Strategic Critical Mineral Reserve

Washington, D.C. - The Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) capped a pivotal week marked by major milestones underscoring its role as a frontline economic tool to support domestic manufacturers from supply shocks, support U.S. production and processing of critical raw materials, and strengthening America’s critical minerals sector. On Monday, February 2, EXIM, in coordination with the White House, announced the launch of Project Vault, an unprecedented and uniquely American decentralized approach to strengthen U.S. critical minerals supply chains. Backed...

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Member News, News, Uncategorized

AlixPartners | Five Scenarios that Change the 2026 Retail Game

Uncertainty is baked into the 2026 outlook for retail, which remains one of the most disrupted industries. For all the predictions over how the industry will change, a state of permacrisis makes it challenging to act decisively—no one knows where tariff policy or geopolitical conflict will land months from now—but retailers cannot wait for the next shoe to drop. Many pundits and prognosticators make bold and often binary predictions for the retail market ahead.   Our point of view is that...

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