Former Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White will join Kelley Drye as a senior international trade adviser starting May 13 in the international trade practice group, the firm announced. White joined USTR in 2021, engaging with nations in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and the Middle East. USTR noted his departure in October, saying he led the enforcement of the USMCA, along with the global deal on sustainable steel and aluminum and negotiations on a critical minerals agreement. Prior to joining USTR, White worked in the office of then-Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., and as chief adviser for international competitiveness and innovation for the Senate Finance Committee.
China on May 7 voiced its opposition to the U.S. reportedly revoking the export licenses that Intel and Qualcomm use to sell certain semiconductors to Huawei (see 2405070081). The Ministry of Commerce said the move violates World Trade Organization commitments, according to an unofficial translation.
Florida resident Yuksel Senbol pleaded guilty on May 8 to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating ECRA and violating the Arms Export Control Act, among other crimes, for her role in fraudulently procuring contracts to supply the Defense Department with "critical military components," DOJ announced.
The following lawsuit was recently filed at the Court of International Trade:
The Court of International Trade on May 6 granted importer van Gelder's motion to set aside the dismissal of its customs lawsuit, which occurred due to a calendaring mistake from the company's counsel. Judge M. Miler Baker reopened the case and reset the deadline to remove the case from the Customs Case Management Calendar to April 30, 2025 (van Gelder v. United States, CIT # 21-00160).
The Court of International Trade on May 8 sent back the Commerce Department's treatment of antidumping duty respondent Assan Aluminyum's raw material costs and hedging revenues due to issues in how the agency addressed the elements contemporaneously in the AD investigation on aluminum foil from Turkey.
Dennis Fitzpatrick, former assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, has joined Whiteford as a partner working on national security matters, the firm announced. Whiteford said Fitzpatrick has experience with proceedings on export controls, sanctions evasion, money laundering and bribery.
Justin Becker, former senior managing associate attorney at Sidley, has joined Baker McKenzie as a partner in the IP litigation and trade disputes practices, the firm announced. Becker focuses on trade remedy proceedings at the International Trade Commission and Commerce Department.
Cambodia formally accepted the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies May 6, moving the total number of countries that have accepted the deal to 73. The WTO requires 37 more to reach the two-thirds threshold needed for full acceptance of the agreement.
Court of International Trade Judge Stephen Vaden is among 13 federal judges who signed a May 6 letter to Columbia University President Minouche Shafik saying they won't hire any Columbia University law students as clerks, starting with the entering 2024 class, as a result of the university's response to the student protests regarding the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Vaden is the only CIT judge to sign the letter.