Trade Agreements

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Companies can design their international supply chain to reduce customs duties and other expenses by sourcing goods originating in a Free Trade Area. The United States has trade agreements ranging from the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement ("USMCA") and the U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic FTA ("CAFTA-DR") to bilateral agreements with South Korea, Australia, Chile, Singapore, Jordan, Israel, Moroco, Bahrain and other countries. Companies exporting to customers who may be seeking to claim preferences under these agreements must establish compliance systems to gather the necessary information and document the origin of their products. Similarly, importers need to have the required documentation or knowledge to support a claim for duty-free entry.

Barnes/Richardson lawyers have helped many companies establish and defend compliance systems for FTAs. This experience includes very complex programs including automotive rules of origin, averaging, fungible materials, and other details of the rules of origin. We have also worked with companies undergoing governmental verifications of the status of their goods.

Sep. 16, 2025: Steel and Aluminum Derivatives Open for *More* Additions (Somehow)
Sep. 16, 2025: USTR Opens Comments for 2026 USMCA Review
Sep. 16, 2025: Commerce Issues Interim Auto Parts 232 Inclusion Process Information
Sep. 15, 2025: Implementing Some Tariff-Related Elements of the U.S.-Japan Agreement
Sep. 12, 2025: U.S. Tariff Focus in the Limelight of Mounting Russia Sanctions Debate
Sep. 8, 2025: Another Friday Surprise: Reciprocal Tariff Coverage Modified
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S. Seeks Expedited Writ of Certiorari from SCOTUS on IEEPA Tariffs Case
Sep. 5, 2025: 500% Tariffs & Other Sanctions Looming on Russia And Its Trading Partners
Sep. 5, 2025: U.S.–Japan Trade Deal Clarified to 15% Inclusive, Retroactive Tariff
Sep. 5, 2025: Mexico Considering Increasing Non-FTA Tariffs
Sep. 2, 2025: BIS Ending Validated End User (VEU) Program
Aug. 29, 2025: Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Rules Against IEEPA Tariffs
Aug. 21, 2025: US and EU confirm Trade Framework in Joint Statement
Aug. 19, 2025: High-Priority Sectors Added to UFLPA Enforcement
Aug. 18, 2025: CBP Touts (Some) Dumping Evasion Wins
Aug. 15, 2025: New AD/CVD Petitions on High Purity Dissolving Pulp from Brazil and Norway
Aug. 15, 2025: Commerce Adds 407 (!) HTS Codes to 232 Derivative Annexes Starting Monday
Aug. 14, 2025: U.S. Eyes Content Percentage for "Transshipment" Enforcement
Aug. 11, 2025: Trump Extends China Tariffs by 90 Days
Aug. 11, 2025: Creatively Ambiguous Japan Deal has Unstacked 15% Baseline
Aug. 8, 2025: Indications of Steel and Aluminum Quotas for EU in Trade Deal
Aug. 6, 2025: Additional 25% Tariffs on Indian Imports Announced
Aug. 1, 2025: New Round of Global Tariffs: A Round Up
Jul. 31, 2025: Copper 232 Coverage Issued Through Customs
Jul. 30, 2025: Gird Your Wires: Copper Tariffs Coming August 1st
Jul. 30, 2025: Brazil Gets Its Own IEEPA Tariffs
Jul. 30, 2025: De Minimis Window to Close August 29
Jul. 29, 2025: Boston Train Cars Detained by Customs for Forced Labor Allegations
Jul. 28, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Agreement Framework with the EU
Jul. 23, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Deals with Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan
Jul. 16, 2025: USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigation on Brazil
Jul. 15, 2025: Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigations into Drones and Polysilicon Imports
Jul. 8, 2025: President Trump Spills the Tea on Copper Tariffs
Jul. 2, 2025: Trump Announces Trade Deal With Vietnam
Jul. 1, 2025: Canada Changes Course on Digital Services Tax
Jun. 25, 2025: AGOA, GSP Others Likely Losers in ‘Big, Beautiful Bill"
Jun. 17, 2025: Trump Administration and UK Sign Trade Deal
Jun. 16, 2025: Customs' Guidance on Aluminum Imports: Know the Country of Smelt and Cast or Pay 200%
Jun. 12, 2025: U.S. and China in a Trade Deal with Details to Follow
Jun. 9, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Rise, Change, and Maybe Expand
Jun.3, 2025: Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs on the Rise
Jun. 2, 2025: CIT Clarifies Scope Referral Requirement in EAPA Cases
May 30, 2025: Tariffs Back on For a While Probably, Maybe
May 22, 2025: Skirting the Law: UFLPA Compliance and Subsidiaries
May 15, 2025: Another Customs "Clarification" Excludes Feeder Ships from In-Transit Vessel Exemption
May 13, 2025: White House Announces Trade Deal With China (UPDATE)
May 12, 2025: Commerce Initiates Section 232 Investigation on Aircraft, Engines, and Parts

View Archive

Jan. 22, 2025: Webinar: What We Know After the Inauguration
Sep. 9, 2024: McPherson to Co-Moderate Export Enforcement Discussion
January 20, 2020: USMCA: An Overview
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
May 4, 2017: BRC Partner Lawrence Friedman to Speak at Upcoming PERT Event
March 3, 2014: BRC Partner Quoted in Korean Orange Juice Investigation
June 18, 2013: Barnes/Richardson Attorney Authors Article on U.S.-EU Free Trade Agreement
May 5, 2008: Canada Adopts NAFTA Disassembly Rule
January 14, 2008: The Role of Trade in the 2008 Elections
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
October 12, 2007: NAFTA Certificates of Origin: Supporting Document Requirement
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
July 13, 2007: CBP Commissioners Speak on Cargo Security
May 1, 2007: Reducing Customs Duties: Strategies for Importers
By: Lawrence M. Friedman
January 11, 2007: Country Brief: Oman
January 11, 2007: Country Brief: Jordan
November 20, 2005: Country Brief: Morocco
March 17, 2005: Country Brief: Australia
November 19, 2004: Country Brief: Chile
November 18, 2004: Country Brief: Panama
November 18, 2004: Country Brief: Bahrain
May 1, 2004: "Who's Who" in Customs and International Trade Law
By: David G. Forgue
March 10, 2004: The U.S.-Singapore Free-Trade Agreement
November 19, 2004: Country Brief: Singapore
June 10, 2003: United States and Singapore Sign Free Trade Agreement
January 1, 2003: NAFTA Rules of Origin

Andean Pact CO
Carribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act CO
GSP Guidebook (February 2007)
H.R. 1830 - Andean Trade Preferences Extension
U.S. Preferential Trade Agreements and Programs Synopsis
Trade Deals Going South
CBP Memo on System Changes for US-Australia FTA
US-Australia FTA Implementation Information
US-Bahrain FTA Final Rule
US-Bahrain FTA Interim Rule
Guidance on MPF and Duty Preference Programs
2007 Customs Year in Review
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Dominican Republic
U.S.-Chile Sample CO
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Amendment to the U.S. Dominican Republic-Central America FTA
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Bahrain Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Chile Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Guatemala
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: DR-CAFTA for Honduras and Nicaragua
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act of 2006
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Jordan Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Morocco Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Oman Free Trade Agreement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Implementation Instructions: Singapore Free Trade Agreement
WTO Proposal for Trade Liberalization in Environmental Goods

African Growth and Opportunities Act
WTO Antidumping Information
Canada and the NAFTA (Dep't of Foreign Affairs)
Dispute Settlement Under NAFTA
Investor-State Arbitrations under NAFTA
NAFTA Information (Canada Border Services Agency)
NAFTA Information (US)
NAFTA Secretariat
Organization of American States
U.S. Dep't of Commerce Trade Compliance Center
AGOA Info
Canada-Chile Free Trade Agreement
Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement
Federal Revenue & Customs of Brazil
Free Trade Area of the Americas (Canadian)
Free Trade Area of the Americas (OAS)
Free Trade Area of the Americas (Official)
Guide to the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement
Southern Africa Trade Law Center
Trade Agreements Database
U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement (Final Text)
U.S.-Bahrain FTA Final Text
U.S.-Bahrain FTA Resources
U.S.-Central America-Domincan Republic FTA USTR Resources
U.S.-Central America-Dominican Republic FTA (Final Text)
U.S.-Chile FTA Final Text
U.S.-Chile FTA USTR Resources
U.S.-Colombia FTA Final Text
U.S.-Colombia FTA Resources
U.S.-Israel FTA Background
U.S.-Israel FTA Final Text
U.S.-Jordan FTA Final Text
U.S.-Jordan FTA Resources
U.S.-Korea Free Trade Resources
U.S.-Morocco FTA Final Text
U.S.-Morocco FTA Resources
U.S.-Panama FTA Resources
U.S.-Singapore FTA Final Text
U.S.-Singapore FTA USTR Resources
United Nations
USTR FTA Negotiations
World Trade Organization