COP26 has once again placed the United States front and center regarding the global focus to reduce emissions. As of today, the United States remains the second largest emitter of CO2 and the largest of the populous countries on a per capita basis. That being said, emissions in the United States have come down significantly, in total and even more so per capita, over the last few years and global warming has now become a major topic of public...

This month’s newsletter provides an overview of recent changes in Canadian and American immigration including all measures directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the most recent news since the beginning of the pandemic and travel restrictions as of November 23, 2021 Canadians exempt from PCR testing for travel of less than 72 hours as of November 30 Canadians travelling outside the country by air or land for less than 72 hours will be exempt from having to present a negative...

Significant amendments to the Harmonized Tariff Schedules of the United States (HTSUS) will take effect on January 1, 2022.  These changes implement a major revision to the Harmonized System (HS) nomenclature adopted by the World Customs Organization (WCO) known as “HS 2022.”  A complete list of all the HS 2022 amendments published by the WCO is available here.  Proposed changes to the HTSUS are set forth in USITC Pub. 5171 available here.  The final version of the changes to the HTSUS...

As companies  grow and move along their business life cycle, a question frequently arises as to whether the company should have an audit or review performed.  Let’s summarize the differences as well as the pro’s and con’s of both of these two types of assurance services provided by CLA and other CPA firms. Audit An audit provides the highest level of assurance, including an opinion being rendered on the financial statements.  Auditing standards require that the auditor gain an understanding of the...

This holiday season is keeping retailers on their toes. On one hand, the return of somewhat normal operations and expectations that consumers are lighting up the registers are causes for celebration. On the other, getting product on shelves and in customers’ hands has been a slog due to supply chain problems and overburdened postal and delivery services. While you may be forgiven for wanting to quietly nurse your holiday hangover, this is the time to take stock, assess which of the many issues...

The USPTO has decided to delay the effective date of the non-DOCX surcharge fee from January 1, 2022 to January 1, 2023, giving applicants more time to adjust to filing their patent applications in DOCX format. We at PSBN will continue to keep you informed of all further developments on this topic. Read more below!

Panitch Law | USPTO Announces DOCX Requirement for Certain Patent Applications

Compliments of Panitch Schwarze Belisario & Nadel LLP - a member of the EACCNY.

In this week’s Roar, the featured news includes a delay with the LA-LB congestion fee, torrential rain at the port of Vancouver, new hope for the supply chain crisis, foldable shipping containers, and the FMC’s analysis of maritime data sharing. At least for now, shippers don’t have to worry about the $100 daily LA-LB congestion fee since port officials have decided to temporarily delay the charge. Based on a recent article by FreightWaves, this decision resulted from “a 26% reduction in long-dwelling...

Previously published on JDSupra here | The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Tax Act (FATCA) became law in 2010 and is a major development in the taxation of Americans living abroad. FATCA is a tax law that requires U.S. citizens at home and outside of the United States (U.S.) to file annual reports on any foreign account holdings. FATCA is intended to prevent tax evasion by U.S. citizens and residents via the use of offshore accounts. The FATCA rules run parallel to the...