International Trade Cases

Significant international trade cases involve complex commercial negotiations, substantial documentation for regulatory approvals by relevant foreign bodies, lobbying in D.C, and abroad, and often either litigation or regulatory hearings (again, in D.C. or abroad) to make our client’s case before the appropriate forum.

Some complex international trade cases we have handled include:

• “Super 301” unfair trade practices: case against Japan on behalf of TrusJoist (now division of Weyerhaeuser). Successfully lowered Japan’s 21% tariff on engineered lumber to 3.9%; substantial increase in US exports.
  
  
• Steel industry: Obtained approval from Japan’s Ministry of International Trade for Northwest Steel & Wire (Illinois) to produce in U.S. and export Japanese certified steel. Two-year project funded by Illinois and Trade Adjustment Assistance Act. Stakeholders included Steelworkers Union and Governor of Illinois. Other Steel Industry cases for Oregon Steel, and Tuscaloosa Steel: Obtained coveted Japanese Industrial Standards certification for steel plants in Oregon and Alabama, permitting direct export of U.S.-made steel.
  
  
• Building Products Industry: significant transactions for USG Corporation for Japanese Building Code approvals for USG high-technology materials including Duracrete and other structural materials exported from US. TrusJoist; Simpson Manufacturing Co.
  
  
• Medical Device industry: numerous Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan approvals for U.S.-made devices and factories for dozens of U.S. companies, exporting successfully to Japan from U.S. plants nationwide.
  
  
  • List of Representative Regulatory Approvals
  • Protocol
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• Testing Laboratories Industry:  Negotiated and implemented new administrative procedures in Japan for certification of non-Japanese test labs in broad range of sectors including Ag, forest products, construction materials, medical devices, automobile, consumer products, and electronics. Enabled U.S. labs to certify exports to Japan.
  
  
• Industrial Machinery case: Successfully obtained certification from Japan’s Ministry of Labour and MITI for Fluid Management L.P. (now a division of IDEX, NYSE) to export its complex US-made fluid dispensing industrial machinery; previous such equipment had been required to use Japan-made electrical components. Retained hundreds of Chicago area jobs.
  
  
  • Tom Peters “On Excellence” (pdf)

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