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John K. Veroneau

John Veroneau is a Chambers-ranked international trade lawyer and co-chairs the firm’s International Trade Practice Group. Having served in senior positions in both Executive and Legislative branches, he provides legal and strategic advice to clients on a broad range of international trade and other public policy matters.

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Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Regarding the Trump Administration’s Push to Secure Supply Chains in the United States/New Interagency Effort Aimed at Expanding Sectors, Measures

By Christopher Adams, Trisha Anderson, Susan B. Cassidy, David Fagan, Peter Lichtenbaum, Timothy P. Stratford, John K. Veroneau, Jonathan Wakely and Claire Y. Kim on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
It has been publicly reported that discussions are underway within the Trump Administration for a coordinated interagency initiative to remove key industrial supply chain dependencies from overseas, especially China, and redouble efforts to secure such supply chains in the United States. While this initiative proceeds alongside ongoing efforts to secure supply chains in sectors such … Continue Reading

Companies Should Understand USMCA’s Labor Obligations as They Are Significant and Likely to Be Enforced

By Shara Aranoff, Cindy Owens, John K. Veroneau and Kate McNulty on Posted in Trade Agreements
Because labor-related obligations in existing U.S. trade agreements are general and largely hortatory, few enforcement actions have been taken with regard to these obligations. The labor obligations in the Agreement between the United States of America, the United Mexican States and Canada (“USMCA” or “Agreement”), however, are specific and likely to be enforced. In fact, … Continue Reading

Reprieve in U.S.-China Trade Tensions: U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports to stay at 10 percent for 90 days; China to purchase U.S. goods

By Christopher Adams, John K. Veroneau, Timothy P. Stratford and Victor Ban on Posted in China, Trade Agreements
On December 1, during a working dinner meeting in Buenos Aires following the G20 Summit, U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to temporarily ease trade tensions as both sides continue negotiating over longer-term solutions to U.S. concerns about bilateral economic relations. According to a White House press release, for a … Continue Reading

Postcard-sized agreements could solve trade disputes

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
While overshadowed by other remarks during the recent Group of Seven meetings, President Trump suggested that trade agreements could be “much simpler” and that they should eliminate all barriers to trade. The president’s instincts that trade agreements could be both simpler and more comprehensive are correct. Paradoxically, simpler agreements could go further than existing lengthy agreements in … Continue Reading

USTR Finds China’s IP Practices Cause at Least $50 Billion in Harm: Proposed Tariffs and Investment Restrictions Ratchet Up U.S.-China Trade Tensions

By Victor Ban, Christopher Adams, Marney Cheek, Alan Larson, John K. Veroneau and Covington Team on Posted in China, International Strategy, Trade Agreements
March 22, 2018 Earlier today, the administration announced its findings that China’s theft of U.S. technologies and intellectual property (“IP”) have caused at least $50 billion in harm to the U.S. economy per year. In response, President Trump issued an order announcing its intent to impose additional tariffs on Chinese imports, curtail Chinese investment in … Continue Reading

Administration Announces Procedures for Product-Specific Exclusions from Steel and Aluminum Tariffs

By John K. Veroneau and Jay Smith on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
On March 19, 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce published procedures for seeking product-specific exclusions from the tariffs on steel and aluminum announced on March 8, 2018. According to these procedures, an exclusion may be granted only if (1) a particular product is not produced in the United States “in a sufficient and reasonably available … Continue Reading

Next Up: Section 301: Companies and Global Markets Should Prepare for the Risk of Rising U.S.-China Trade Tensions

By Ashwin Kaja, Christopher Adams, Marney Cheek, Alan Larson and John K. Veroneau on Posted in China, International Strategy
Following the recent U.S. announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the United States is now poised to implement trade sanctions against China stemming from an investigation of that country’s intellectual property (“IP”) practices. Such sanctions, which could include significant and maybe even unprecedented … Continue Reading

Administration submits notice of NAFTA renegotiation

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
On May 18, 2017, newly-confirmed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified Congress that President Trump intends to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The Trump Administration has indicated that it will request public input on the “direction, focus, and content” of these negotiations, and will publish notice in the Federal Register regarding … Continue Reading

Trump moves on aluminum under Section 232; Steel investigation update

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in Trade Agreements
Just one week after launching a national security investigation of steel imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, President Trump has announced plans to institute a similar investigation regarding aluminum. In a memorandum of April 27, 2017, President Trump announced that the Secretary of Commerce had initiated an investigation under Section … Continue Reading

Suniva Requests Global Safeguards For U.S. Solar Industry Under Section 201

By Jay Smith, Victor Ban, Shara Aranoff and John K. Veroneau on Posted in Trade Agreements
On April 26, 2017, the U.S.-based solar manufacturer Suniva, Inc. filed a petition for global safeguards with the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”). In particular, Suniva requests the imposition of tariffs on solar cells and the establishment of a minimum price for solar modules imported into the United States. The petition was filed under Section … Continue Reading

Trump Moves on Steel Under Section 232

By Peter Lichtenbaum and John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
On April 20, 2017, President Trump issued a memorandum announcing that the Secretary of Commerce had initiated an investigation to determine the effects of imported steel on national security. The investigation was initiated under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. I. Conduct of Section 232 Investigations Under Section 232, Secretary … Continue Reading

Trump, Xi Kick Off Economic Relationship

By John K. Veroneau, Timothy P. Stratford and Ashwin Kaja on Posted in China, International Strategy, Trade Agreements
On Friday, April 14, the U.S. Department of Treasury published a widely anticipated semi-annual report detailing the foreign exchange practices of America’s major trading partners. Although he regularly called for China to be labeled as a “currency manipulator” as a candidate, President Donald J. Trump and his administration declined to use the occasion of this … Continue Reading

The President’s Long-Forgotten Power To Raise Tariffs

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Tax Reform
President-elect Trump’s expressed interest in possibly raising tariffs on imported goods has prompted considerable effort in trying to understand the scope of Presidential authority to raise tariffs. While the Congress has primary authority to set tariffs and the U.S. has made extensive international commitments to not raise tariffs, President-elect Trump will have a degree of … Continue Reading

A call for 50 percent tariffs on U.S. imports of aluminum

By John K. Veroneau and Shara Aranoff on Posted in Trade Agreements
The United Steelworkers union (USW) on April 18 filed a petition with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) for the U.S. to invoke a global safeguard under Section 201 of U.S. trade law and impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on primary unwrought aluminum. This proceeding could have significant impacts on global aluminum producers … Continue Reading

Next steps for TPP Deal

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in Congressional Action, Trade Agreements
Yesterday, the twelve countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) announced that they have reached an agreement. While this represents a significant milestone after more than five years of intensive negotiations, there is still a long road ahead before this agreement can enter into force for the United States – from releasing text to the … Continue Reading

Keeping TPP Hopes Alive

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in Congressional Action, Trade Agreements
Last week’s House vote on Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which passed 219-211, was no doubt confusing to many of our trading partners.  While a majority of the House supported TPA, as a majority of the Senate had last month, the TPA bill was politically and procedurally linked to another bill that would assist workers harmed … Continue Reading

Congress: Don’t dismiss neutral dispute settlement for US investors

By Marney Cheek and John K. Veroneau on Posted in Congressional Action
Recent calls by anti-trade groups to abandon investor-state arbitration (often referred to as “investor-state dispute settlement,” or ISDS) ignore the modern reality of the global economy and conjure images of Chicken Little’s warnings that the sky is falling. Investment flows exceeded $1.45 trillion globally in 2013. Of the billions of dollars in cross-border investments in … Continue Reading

Trade Promotion Authority: post mid-term election

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
The President has constitutional authority to negotiate trade agreements.  But when the agreements call for changes in US laws, they must be implemented through the Congress.  Such legislation is typically considered under special procedures known as “fast track” or Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) whereby Congress agrees to consider the agreement within a limited period of … Continue Reading

Reciprocity Should Drive US-Cuba Normalization

By John K. Veroneau on Posted in International Strategy, Trade Agreements
Much has been written about current US-Cuba economic relations and whether the embargo should be ended.  However, little has been written about what principles should shape US policy when the tectonic plates of US-Cuba relations eventually begin to shift — whenever that might be.  A study released last week by the Peterson Institute for International … Continue Reading
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