Federal Circuit Mandates Court of International Trade Take Action on Tariff Case By John H. Kester The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in V.O.S. Selections, Inc. v. Trump on Monday issued a mandate returning the case to the Court of International Trade to take further action. The order denied a court filing […]
Carriers Impose Surcharges as Iran Conflict Disrupts Shipping Routes By Oliver M. Krischik and John H. Kester Over the course of the weekend, the U.S. and Israel launched strikes against Iran-related targets, and Iran responded by striking against U.S.- and Israel-related targets in the region. The armed conflict and ongoing military actions have […]
District Court Rules Disclosures to AI Tool are Not Privileged or Confidential By Hannah F. Atkinson & John H. Kester More and more businesses and individuals are turning to public artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools like ChatGPT and Claude for analysis and strategic advice. However, reliance on these useful tools is not without risks—particularly when potentially […]
By John H. Kester On Friday, following the Supreme Court’s (“SCOTUS”) ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) did not authorize the President to impose tariffs, President Trump at a press conference announced a new 10 percent “global tariff,” ostensibly based in a different statute: the Trade Act of 1974 (the “Act”). On […]
By John H. Kester The Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”) today held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) did not authorize the President to impose tariffs. Therefore, the Trump Administration’s IEEPA-based duties imposed on China, Canada, and Mexico as well as the so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on tens of countries around the world, are impermissible under […]
GKG Law Wins Six-Figure Attorneys’ Fees Award for NVOCC Against Shipper who Refused to Pay Detention and Demurrage By John H. Kester GKG Law recently won $134,364 in attorneys’ fees and $1,135.76 in litigation costs for its client, a non-vessel-operating common carrier (“NVOCC”), in litigation before the Federal Maritime Commission (“FMC” or “Commission”). GKG Law […]
Importers would be prudent to act quickly to ensure they have a greater chance to obtain a refund should the Trump Administration’s International Emergency Economic Powers Act (“IEEPA”) Tariffs be ruled impermissible by the Supreme Court (“SCOTUS”), which heard oral arguments in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump on November 5. Importers seeking the most conservative […]
Treasury Secretary: Bureau of Industry and Security’s 50% Rule Suspended for One Year By John H. Kester and Oliver M. Krischik Effective November 10, the U.S. will be suspending for one year the so-called “50% Rule” or “Affiliates Rule” that had extended applicability of Entity and Military End-User List restrictions, according to the White House. […]
Drug Enforcement Agency Focused on Fentanyl Precursor Imports By John H. Kester Importers working to ensure compliance with swiftly changing tariffs enforced by Customs and Border Protection would be prudent also to keep another arm of government in mind: the Drug Enforcement Agency (“DEA”). Just as the Trump Administration has pointed to fentanyl as justification […]
U.S. Sanctions President of Colombia and Other Individuals On October 24, 2025 the U.S. Department of Treasury announced that, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), it is imposing individual sanctions against the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, as well as his wife, son, and “a close associate.” As a result of the sanctions, […]