The Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act (HFCAA), enacted in December 2021, represents a significant shift in how the United States seeks to manage transparency risks tied to foreign corporate issuers. While the law’s immediate purpose is to protect investors by requiring foreign firms listed on U.S. exchanges to submit to audit inspections by the Public […]
Australia’s National Forest Industries Plan, introduced in October 2021, laid the foundation for one of the most ambitious timber traceability efforts seen in recent memory. The Plan’s provisions, calling for full digital tracking of timber origins by November 2022, reflect a growing recognition of the need to balance commercial forestry with sustainability and compliance imperatives. […]
The first round of compliance audits under the EU Regulation on Conflict Minerals, introduced at the start of 2021, has begun to reveal both the strengths and shortcomings of corporate due diligence efforts across sectors. Preliminary findings from late 2021 audits suggest that while many companies—particularly large electronics OEMs—have made meaningful strides in formalizing policies […]
The 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law in early January of that year, introduced a suite of measures aimed at reshaping the strategic landscape for rare earth element supply chains in the United States. These provisions, perhaps overdue in the eyes of some policymakers, reflect growing concern in Washington over the nation’s longstanding […]
In June 2021, Global Affairs Canada released its enhanced due diligence guidance targeting forced labor and child labor risks in supply chains. The guidance primarily focuses on clothing and agricultural imports, given the well-documented vulnerabilities in these sectors. The guidance came at a time when the international scrutiny of Canadian importers was growing, and the […]
The International Trade Council is pleased to announce that the European Council has approved a 5 billion-euro ($5.8 billion) reserve to help EU businesses navigate the short-term effects of Brexit. This fund aims to cover additional costs and compensate losses resulting from the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the 27-nation trade bloc. Brexit has significantly […]
China’s recent application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has been viewed as a significant development by the International Trade Council. The CPTPP was originally established by the US as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. The 2018 agreement was signed by 11 countries including Australia, […]
India’s Ministry of Mines issued its Responsible Minerals Sourcing Guidelines in August 2021, marking a significant step in the country’s effort to align its mineral procurement practices with global expectations on conflict minerals. The guidelines target the responsible sourcing of tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold (3TG minerals), and they are already beginning to influence the […]
The issuance of U.S. Executive Order 14017 in February 2021 signaled a pivotal moment in national industrial policy, mandating a comprehensive review of the semiconductor supply chain to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities. In the months following the Executive Order, both foundries and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been under increasing pressure to map their supplier […]
The EU Taxonomy Regulation, effective as of June 2020, introduced a transformative shift in how large corporations must categorize their economic activities with respect to sustainability. By 2021, as companies began grappling with the operational realities of compliance, supply-chain managers found themselves facing an increasingly complex landscape. The Regulation’s scope, though framed around environmental objectives […]
Australia’s National Waste Policy Action Plan, published in December 2019, marked a significant turning point in the country’s approach to waste reduction and resource recovery. As part of its strategic objectives, the Plan established a clear mandate for consumer-goods companies to engage with circular economy principles, with a strong focus on reducing packaging waste, increasing […]
The passage of the U.S. Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) in February 2021 represented a decisive escalation in legislative efforts to eliminate forced labor from U.S.-bound supply chains. With an effective date of June 17, 2022, the Act established a rebuttable presumption that any goods produced wholly or in part in the Xinjiang Uyghur […]
The enforcement of the EU Directive on single-use plastics from July 3, 2021 marked a turning point in the regulation of packaging materials and their environmental footprint across the bloc. For retailers, the Directive introduced both compliance challenges and opportunities to enhance packaging supply-chain transparency through systematic tracking and disclosure. Retailers were called upon to […]
The passage of the 2020 U.S. Farm Bill in December 2020 introduced significant measures to enhance supply chain traceability for critical agricultural commodities, particularly dairy and soybean products. Among the reforms was a strengthened mandate for transparency in crop insurance data, which aimed to provide greater visibility into indemnity payments, yield trends, and farm-level production […]
2021 Go Global Awards Judging Panel Announced For Immediate Distribution Washington, DC (USA). The International Trade Council (www.tradecouncil.org) is pleased to announce the 2021 panel of judges for the upcoming Go Global Awards. The annual awards program, officially taking place from late July onwards, will see fourteen new judges this year, reviewing applications from […]
The release of India’s Draft National Logistics Policy in December 2020 signaled a significant shift in the country’s approach to modernizing its supply chains, with a strong emphasis on digital integration and transparency. A core feature of the policy was the advancement of open freight data initiatives, aimed at streamlining containerized cargo movements and enhancing […]