On October 2, 2019, the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) published a list of E.U. products which will be subject to additional duty rates of 10% or 25% ad valorem, effective October 18, 2019. The application of the additional tariffs is specific with regard to tariff provision and country of origin. A link to the list of products, countries and additional tariff rates is available here: https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/301Investigations/EU_Large_Civil_Aircraft_Final_Product_List.pdf Should you have questions about this development and possible implications for your business, contact our office to...

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By Floris ten Have, Partner,  Amsterdam | Stibbe Current Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager may face even greater challenges in the next European Commission. President-elect Ursula von der Leyen has not only nominated Vestager for a second term as Commissioner for Competition, but has also asked her to coordinate the European Commission's digital agenda. As a result, Vestager may soon be tackling digital issues through competition enforcement whilst also proposing additional regulation to deal with these (and related) issues pre-emptively. Tech companies may therefore...

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October 2019 FX OutlookTrade, central bank policy, and Brexit dominated the investment climate in September. The US-Chinese trade conflict stopped escalating.  Although face-to-face talks are planned in October and the list of exemptions from the punitive tariffs has increased (US soy and pork, for example, are now exempt as are 10 components of Apple’s Mac Book Pro from China), the tensions remain high.  The conflict is more than about more than trade.  It is also about market access, unfair subsidies,...

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By Joanna Massey, President & CEO, JDMA Inc. For the first time ever, we have five generations in the workforce. Not surprisingly, this is leading to a lot of misunderstandings and miscommunications. We may all be speaking the same language, but we have very different attitudes, opinions and lifestyles. It makes it difficult to navigate relationships in the corporate world, which is why companies hire me to give a talk to employees and management teams about these differences—what they are, why...

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The Toy Association joined an intimate dinner conversation on September 24, arranged by the European-American Chamber of Commerce New York featuring Pierre Moscovici, the European commissioner for economic & financial affairs, taxation & customs. Commissioner Moscovici provided insights about the achievements of the outgoing EU Commission and reflected on key priorities under the next mandate in terms of the Economic and Monetary Union deepening, fiscal policy, structural reforms, and corporate taxation. The Toy Association’s president & chief executive, Steve Pasierb, attended as...

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"We all have to accelerate our efforts. Reduce our emissions, increase our carbon sinks. We cannot afford to wait for others to move first. The climate crisis calls for leaders, not just followers." - President Niinistö on Twitter On Monday, 23rd September, President Sauli  Niinistö spoke at the Climate Action Summit, hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. On Tuesday, 24th September, President Niinistö delivered Finland’s National Statement at the Opening of the General Debate of the UN General Assembly.On Wednesday, 2nd October 2019, President Niinistö will meet...

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