Member News

The Weekly Vulcan View | Analysis of Latest EU Developments 29 July – 2 August

Key Events This Week Germany refuses to join US Persian Gulf mission Germany has refused a request from the United States to join their mission in the Persian Gulf. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was “out of the question” that Germany would take part. The Germans are in close contact with the French, and Maas views the US strategy of “maximum pressure” as wrong, preferring to rely on diplomacy to deescalate the situation. Tensions have been rising between the United States...

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Member News, Trade & TTIP Related

U.S. Steel Importer Sues Department of Commerce for Denial of Section 232 Product Exclusion Request

By Thompson Hine International Trade  On July 30, 2019, JSW Steel (USA), Inc. (JSW) filed a complaint against the United States and, specifically, the Department of Commerce (Department) for denying its product exclusion requests for certain steel imports that otherwise are subject to a 25 percent tariff under President Donald Trump’s March 2018 proclamation implementing such tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. The complaint seeks declaratory relief from the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) determining that the Department’s...

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Member News

Bannockburn Global Forex Update: August FX Outlook

August 2019 FX OutlookAfter falling against all the major currencies in June, the US dollar rebounded in July.  The Dollar Index finished the month at new two-year highs with the Fed’s suggestion it was engaged in a mid-course correction rather than a sustained easing cycle.  The dollar also appeared buoyed by the extent of the dovishness by the ECB and the heightened risks that the UK leaves the EU at the end of October without an agreement.  Short-term interest...

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Member News

Procedures To Maximize Recovery Of Section 232 And 301 Duties

Tariffs under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 have been imposed on imports since as early as March 23, 2018.  Exemptions from the tariffs are available, and importers should consider implementing strategies to maximize potential recovery of the duties they have paid. Section 232 duties Section 232 duties on importations of steel and aluminum products went into effect on subject products on March 23, 2018 or June 1, 2018,...

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Member News

The Italian Competition Authority’s investigation into Amazon for abuse of its dominance involving internet marketplaces and E-commerce logistic services

By Enzo Marasa | Portolano Cavallo Studio Legale According to the ICA’s preliminary findings, Amazon only granted sellers using Amazon’s own fulfillment and logistics services (FBA) advantages in terms of offer visibility and sales improvement on the Amazon marketplace, in comparison to sellers that are not customers of Amazon’s FBA services and irrespective, to a certain extent, of the merits of the products. As a result, the ICA alleged that Amazon is exploiting a dominant position on the market for...

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Chapter News

IMF Country Focus: Greece – Economy Improves, Key Reforms Still Needed

Greece has now entered a period of economic growth that puts it among the top performers in the eurozone. It must now persevere with efforts to address crisis legacies and pursue needed reforms to ensure continued success, says the IMF in its recent assessment of the country’s economy. As the IMF concludes its latest assessment on the state of the Greek economy, IMF Country Focus sat down with Peter Dohlman, IMF mission chief for Greece, to discuss the report's findings,...

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Member News

Finland’s Programme for the Presidency of The Council of the European Union released

The priorities for Finland’s Presidency are to strengthen common values and the rule of law to make the EU more competitive and socially inclusive to strengthen the EU’s position as a global leader in climate action to protect the security of citizens comprehensively  The European Union faces an increasingly complex and unpredictable global operating environment: great power competition and assertive unilateralism are on the rise, and the international rules-based system and its norms and principles are being challenged. We have also seen the EU’s...

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Member News

Belgian Food Exports Hit Record High In 2018

Never before did the Belgian food industry record greater sales abroad than in 2018. Hardly surprising, when you consider that for us, the quality of our products comes first. Chocolate traditionally continues to do well, but our frozen potatoes and vegetables, along with meat and dairy, are also in great demand internationally. Exports rose by no less than 3.5% in 2018 compared to 2017, a historic record. On a national level, it boasts a turnover of more than 27 billion...

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Chapter News

Migration in Europe

Migration represents challenges and opportunities for Europe. Learn how the EU deals with refugee movements and asylum. The unprecedented arrival of refugees and irregular migrants in the EU, which peaked in 2015, required an EU response on a number of levels. Firstly, policies to handle regular and irregular immigration, and secondly, common EU-wide rules on asylum. The migrant influx also resulted in a need for additional measures and reforms to ensure border security as well as a fairer distribution of...

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Member News

Offit Kurman Affiliates with Horack Talley in Charlotte, NC, Leading Expansion into The Southeast

Offit Kurman, one of the fastest-growing law firms in the mid-Atlantic, is strategically expanding into the Southeast by affiliating with one of Charlotte’s oldest and most respected law firms. Starting September 1, 2019 the attorneys and staff of Horack Talley will be joining Offit Kurman. The affiliation extends Offit Kurman’s geographic footprint to encompass roughly half of the East Coast and lays the foundation for further expansion for the firm. Fifty-one employees of Horack Talley, including 27 lawyers, will become...

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