Update: On February 1, 2025, President Trump signed three executive orders imposing U.S. tariffs on imports from Canada, China, and Mexico. These new tariffs are in addition to any already-existing duties and tariffs, including antidumping and countervailing duties, Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, and Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-origin
international trade
U.S. imposes tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico; retaliation promised
Update: After a February 3 call with Mexico’s president, President Trump announced on Truth Social that the tariffs on Mexican goods will be paused for one month. He is also scheduled to speak with Prime Minister Trudeau, which could result in the Canadian tariffs being paused. More details to come.
Key takeaways
- U.S. imposes tariffs

Key investigations and enforcement trends for 2025
With U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent return to the White House, major regulatory changes are on the horizon for 2025. On Thursday, January 23rd, we gathered a group of regulatory attorneys from across Reed Smith to provide a one-hour CLE that outlined the key trends to watch for this year. In their latest…
U.S. and UK Intensify Sanctions Against Russia’s Oil Sector in one of the Largest Rounds of Designations Since the Outbreak of the War
On January 10, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced a sweeping set of actions to further reduce Russian revenues from energy, including blocking two major Russian oil producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, and imposing sanctions on a very significant number of oil-carrying vessels, opaque traders of Russian oil located in jurisdictions like Hong Kong and the UAE, Russia-based oilfield service providers, and Russian energy officials. The U.S. Department of State also took steps to block two active liquefied natural gas projects, a large Russian oil project, and third-country entities supporting Russia’s energy exports. Lastly, the United Kingdom also joined the U.S. in sanctioning Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas – which, coupled with the joint Memorandum of Understanding issued by OFAC and OFSI on January 13, is a testament to the increased cooperation between the U.S. and UK authorities. Although there are wind-downs in place for most of these entities, this round of designations is likely to cause major disruptions in the market. We summarize the new restrictions in turn below:Continue Reading U.S. and UK Intensify Sanctions Against Russia’s Oil Sector in one of the Largest Rounds of Designations Since the Outbreak of the War

Gone with the Assad
The sudden collapse of the Assad regime in Syria has led to a rapidly evolving sanctions landscape. Notably, on January 6, 2025, the United States relaxed sanctions on certain transactions with Syria when the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued Syria General License 24 (GL 24), “Authorizing Transactions with Governing…

Trump 2.0: Tariffs and China to take center stage
On November 5, 2024, the United States elected former President Donald Trump to become its 47th president. Following Trump’s re-election, and with Republicans gaining control Congress, U.S. trade policy is expected to undergo several significant changes based on Trump’s previous administration and his campaign promises.
In a recent blog post, our trade team outlines…

BIS seeks comments on a proposed rule prohibiting transactions involving Chinese and Russian vehicle connectivity system hardware and software
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is seeking comments on a proposed rule that would prohibit transactions involving Vehicle Connectivity System (VCS)[1] hardware and covered software designed, developed, manufactured, or supplied by persons owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction of China (including Hong Kong) or Russia. Comments will be due…
UK government launches new agency to strengthen trade sanctions enforcement
Key takeaways

Webinar on Sanction Strategies: Insights on India, China and the Middle East
On Tuesday 23rd July, energy and natural resources partners Sachin Kerur and James Willn, along with international trade partner Leigh Hansson, hosted the highly anticipated webinar “Sanction Strategies: Focus on India, China, and the Middle East.” During this insightful session, the team delved into the latest sanctions decisions, explored the implications for companies in these…

The expiry of the EU State Aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework
Back to a new normal?
As of 30 June 2024, the EU’s Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for state aid measures, which was introduced following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has expired in relation to state aid measures applicable to most sectors. Measures relating to the primary agriculture, fishery, and aquaculture sectors remain covered by…