LEGL 4900 Test 3
entry process
"clearing customs" for imports - must know tariff classification, customs value, country of origin
kirksaeng v John Wiley
- Cornell student buys cheaper Thai textbooks an resells to US students - Supreme Court said this is fine and the company cannot control where the textbooks go after sell
nissan motor USA v us
- FTZ subzone - Nissan imported machinery to be tested and either accepted or returned, but US wanted to tax bs it was not "merchandise" - courts agreed it was taxable
ADC v Hungary
- ICSID arbitration creeping expropriation - ADC invests in an airport, Hungary expropriates the airport and investment of ADC is taken - ICSID handles dispute and says damages should be based on compensation at time of award and not at time of investment (ADC won)
US v zhi yong guo
- IEEPA violating EAR - Guo is Chinese and paid his friend, an American to buy export controlled cameras and shipped to china - guo then came to US and bought 10 more and attempted to bring back in luggage, but was arrested - charged with exporting controlled items without a license - guo argued that compliance was impossible bc the EAR is too vague and complex and he did not know he needed a license - court sided with US
entry summary form
- states item, value, origin
ferrostaal metals v us
- substantial transformation - co had steel from Japan that was galvanized in New Zealand but US denied import bc of issues w Japan - co said it was substantially transformed in new Zealand - ferrostaal won
export enforcement
BIS can delay shipments, give temporary denial orders for illegal shipments, and monitor compliance
Henrietta lacks
Cancer cells taken without her knowledge, became HeLa cell line. - never gave consent and was never compensated
prior approval schemes
IPR transfer scheme with a protectionist govt and strict regulation
Missile Technology Control Regime
Voluntary agreement that seeks to control export and production of missile technology capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction.
commerce control list
products of concern
PCT
utility patent agreement that allows signatories priority claim
if not wholly obtained...
we use these to determine origin: - tariff-shift rule - domestic or regional value content rule - specific processing rules
transfer pricing
when related International parties buy from each other, they set their own price which messes up taxes - so IRS requires use of market price for tax purposes
Bank of America v US
- Bank of America does business in Thailand, Philippines, and argentina and is taxed there - requested tax credit but IRS denied - US court upheld denial bc the countries had different tax systems
Kirkpatrick v. Environmental Tectonics
- act of state doctrine - Kirkpatrick won military contract with nigeria - ETC lost and discovered it was the result of bribery - ETC took to court, but Kirkpatrick moved for dismissal based on act of state doctrine - Supreme Court said it did not apply
briggs & stratton corp v baldridge
- antiboycott - Arab states called for Israel boycott, blacklisted those who did not comply - briggs makes engines, had past dealings with Israel, was blacklisted when trying to export to syria - syria cleared this up with an answered questionnaire claiming there was not dealings with Israel, but never authenticated - removed from list but still blacklisted - said the EAR violated 1st, 5th, 9th amendment - court upheld antiboycott regulation
US v mandel
- exporting high tech without license - Mandel applied for license, but did not finish the process before shipping to Hong Kong - in discovery, panel requested to know why the items were on the control list, but govt refused bc it doesn't matter because it is a political question and unreviewable by a court - court ordered them to present this to discovery, but decision reversed on appeal
Zimbabwe issue
- expropriated farmland and redistributed to the poor but their inexperience led to failure - money became worthless
patent cases
- federal district courts hear cases - appeals heard by federal circuit
customs specialists
- field import specialists: initial determinations as to entry of goods - national import specialists: give advice on specifics
negligence vs fraud and gross negligence cases
- fraud and gross negligence require clear and convincing evidence - negligence only requires that the act occurred, and the defendant must show that it did not occur as a result of negligence
New Zealand comite interprofessionnel du vin de champagne v wineworths group
- geographical indication trademark - wineworth (Australian) tried to sell sparkling wine labeled "champagne" to new Zealand - court agreed it could not call it this bc it was not produced in champagne region of France
buy American act
- govt can only buy American products - Eisenhower said it meets the standard if at least 50% US content and assembly - trump suggested 95% for iron/steel and 55% for others
A. Bourjois & Co. v. Katzel
- grey area trade marks - Supreme Court reversed decision and said bourjois can place an injunction against katzel for selling powder in the US and competing with the bourjois trademark
changes after 9/11
- increased presidential power to disrupt terrorist networks, specifically with money - renewed concerns for nuclear warfare - china has become an economic player - china hacking US companies for military tech - Russia aggression
BEAT
- makes multinational companies pay at least 10% tax
INA v iran
- nationalization - INA (international insurance company) subsidiary bought 20% of shargh (Iranian insurance co) approved by govt - iran decides to nationalize and INA sues for value and legal costs - INA wins claims plus interest
uses of FTZs
- originally meant to encourage international trade for firms with free ports - minor changes can be made - no time limit - no retail sales - substantially changed goods can be entered with tariff rate of either new or old good - can be reexported without paying taxes
apple v Samsung
- patent act - jury awards $1 billion to apple in infringement damages - samsung files for reduction bc they should not have to pay all back to apple - damages are cut in half even though the patent act usually makes you pay all profits from infringement
3M mask issue
- president pressuring 3M - they are made in china, but president wants all to be released to the US bc it is an American company - US then expects 3M to only sell to American market which is unhumanitarian and hurts 3M profits
prof Roessing's case
- reengineering / classification issue - his company was importing bowls for a cheaper tax and then changing them to sinks after import
carl Zeiss v us
- rule of relative specificity - imported near surgery microscopes - customs labeled it "stereoscopic microscope for imaging" but Zeiss argued "instruments for medical use" - court and appeal sided with govt bc it is more specifically a microscope
General Rules of Interpretation (GRIs)
- rules at beginning of tariff schedule to determine dutiable status
OBB Personenverkehr AG v Sachs
- sachs in American who bought a aural pass thru a US website to use OBB railroad - sachs fell and lost both legs from train - sachs sues OBB in the US, OBB claims sovereign immunity - was not able to make a strong enough case against OBB
Lacoste v crocodile International
- trademark - started suing each other and still going on bc of international trade - led to the Madrid protocol for international trademarks
Bhopal gas (union carbide)
- union carbide subsidiary in india (partially owned by Indian govt) has a leak and poisons community w mass casualties - victims try to sue the parent co, but us court refused bc it was not a us company that was responsible - parent company avoided liability but still paid a settlement
national security controls
- uses wassenaar arrangement - requires license from BIS
US v mousavi
- willfulness in violation of IEEPA - mousavi immigrated to us, has a job here, but IRS found $45k from Kuwait for developing a gas pipeline from Iran to Kuwait, but he had no license from OFAC - violated embargo of Iran and ITR - claims he did not willfully intend to violate - court upheld that he should have known better bc he clearly knew about the embargo (was a citizen of Iran, had travelled there recently, had been doing business there)
us v golden ship trading co
- wu imported shirts from hui, who claimed he made them in DR, but they were really made in china and slightly altered in DR and sent to US - wu acted without care for country of origin and penalized $44,000 - negligence even though hui lied to wu
classification
1. determine meaning of terms (question of law) 2. determine if merchandise falls within those terms (question of fact)
problems with Paris convention
1. does not require minimum protection standards 2. unenforceable thats why they created TRIPS
reasons for export controls
1. protect national security 2. promote US foreign policy 3. prevent short supply of essential domestic materials
Australia group
42 countries that combat spread of bio and chemical weapons
buy-back agreement
A type of countertrade in which the seller agrees to supply technology or equipment to construct a facility and receives payment in the form of goods produced by the facility.
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974
Allows prez to take action, incl retaliation, to obtain removal of any act of foreign gov't that violates an int'l trade agreement or is discrim, and burdens/restricts U.S. trade.
national thermal power (NTPC) v singer
- arbitration - NTPC (indian) contracted with singer (British) for equipment - dispute led to ICC in London arbitration where singer won and tried to enforce awar - NTPC argued it should be heard in India bc it is not a foreign award - court sided with singer, Supreme Court ordered retrial in india - since contract was under Indian law, dispute should be settled in india
diamond v chakrabarty
- biopiracy - chak engineered bacterium to break down crude oil, wanted to patent it - US PTO rejected bc it is a living thing, court reversed, diamond appeals to the Supreme Court - Supreme Court affirmed you can patent a plant
otter products v us
- classification/principal use - otter box imported cases and US classified as "briefcases and similar containers" taxed at 20% - otter box said it should be "other plastics" at 5.3% - court sides with otterbox
compaq computer v commissioner of IRS
- compaq makes computers and buys parts from a subsidiary in singapore - IRS said the transfer price was too low and was not being taxed enough - but court found compaq used the market price
TVBO production v Australia sky net
- copyright - TVB owens "twin of brothers" show and gives licensing to other parties - an Australia company aired it in violation of the copyright
CSU v Xerox
- csu sues Xerox bc they would not sell licenses for their copyrights or patents - court sides with Xerox
operation mega flex
- customs has been seizing chinese imports - fake shoes, herb pills that alleviate covid symptoms, and weapon items - is it worth paying customs to monitor this? - is it worth it considering it slows down the import process?
mobilcom v webreg
- domain name, cybersquatting, bad faith - webreg registered the domain "mobilcom.com" and offered to sell to mobilcom for $35k - mobilcom is trademarked and argues webreg bought the domain in bad faith - under UDRP, court decides it should be transferred to mobilcom
better home plastics v us
- essential character - shower curtain co taxed under "curtains and interior blinds" for 12.8% but want to be under "tableware, kitchenware, other household and toilet articles sub curtains and drapes" at 3.36% - better home won bc essential purpose was the clear plastic part
sanction
restricts trade, financial, banking, property, travel relationship between a country - run by OFAC in treasury dept - pros: can target individuals - cons: not always successful in persuading change, hurts civilians, other countries will just trade and US will lose out on trade, hard to enforce for individuals
political risk
risk that profits will be affected by changes in host country's political structure or instability
trading with the enemy act
roosevelt - now limited to wartime power
binding ruling
ruling letter - official position of customs for the transaction it was issued - has a searchable database for rulings since 1989 (CROSS)
subsidiary
separate corporate entity organized under laws of the foreign country - not liable
commercial invoice
separate invoice for each commercial shipment
nuclear suppliers group
share information and set voluntary guidelines for nuclear tech and material
extraterritorial jurisdiction
should the US be able to extend its export laws to goods that have already left? - soviet gas pipeline crisis
automated commercial environment
single window of shipping info sent to various agencies
foreign trade zones (FTZs)
special locations for storing domestic and imported inventory in order to avoid paying duties until the inventory is used in production or sold
special tariff rate
specified dollar amount per piece, weight, or measure
US patriot act
strengthened executive powers with seizure post 9/11 - addresses money laundering and requires banks to produce SARs (suspicious activity reports)
Nationalization
taking an entire industry to restructure economy
expropriation
taking an isolated item of property
informed compliance
the "softer" mechanisms designed to place the burden of voluntary compliance on importers
Madrid protocol
the Geneva act but for trademarks - centralized filing system
formal entry
the administrative process required to import goods into the customs territory of a country 1. goods arrive at port of entry 2. goods are allowed to enter, not from an embargoed country 3. delivery allowed after customs inspection 4. estimated duties paid or customs bond
barter
the direct exchange of one set of goods or services for another
WTO wants to make a uniform rule for origin
they want to use the tariff-shift rule
preferential rules of origin
those applicable to goods traded within a free trade area or customs union, or that receive preferential tariff treatment under trade preference programs for developing countries - Africa growth and opportunity act - nafta
criminal penalties
title 18, chap 27 of the US Code - customs fraud and smuggling - max sentence of 2 years per violation - smuggling can be up to 20 years
customs/dutiable value
transaction value of the goods
reexport
transfer of American controlled good from one foreign country to another
deemed reexport
transfer of an item from a licensed person to a different foreign person
diversion
transfer, transshipment, rerouting, or reexport of controlled goods from a legal destination to another foreign illegal destination where no license has been received
sanctions
treasury dept - focus on problematic people/countries
Bikram Yoga
tried to copyright hot yoga poses but US copyright office said this is not allowed bc it is cultural property of India
EU rules of origin
union customs code - more objective rules like methods stated above - "list rules"
right of priority
For a period of one year, an application for a patent in a second member country will be treated as though it had been filed on the same date as the application made in the first member country. - prevents a race to the patent office
notification-registration schemes
IPR transfer system more open to technological transfer - simple registration procedure - might not be enforceable under a country's laws - risk that foreign govt can disclose your intellectual property (ie. sharing trade secrets)
Electronic Export Information (EEI)
a U.S. electronic form completed by the exporter for each shipment where a license is required or if valued over $2,500
patent trolls
a firm or individual that produces no products or services and owns patents only to obtain licensing fees from other firms
customs broker
a licensed agent to on behalf of importers (more than 90% of entries use this)
the gray market
a situation where products are sold through unauthorized channels of distribution. Also called parallel importing. company sells license to a foreign company and foreign company sells good to US company and competes with the owner at a cheaper price
enforced compliance
active investigation of customs violation and prosecution of violators
reinsurance treaty underwriter
agreement among insurance companies to spread risk among members - underwriter can decide to take on your investment
ICSID (International center for the settlement of investment disputes)
agreement to use this for international disputes for investors
worldwide tax credit system
all income earned anywhere by US citizen is taxable by the US - as opposed to territorial taxation
priority claim
allows applicant to lock in an application date before having to pay so they can raise money before going thru process
modern-traditional theory
allows foreign takings with certain requirements - for public purpose - nondiscriminatory - appropriate compensation
Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
allows international registration thru WIPO (utility patents)
Cybersquatting
an affect of the first to file rule - filing a name with intent to profit from it
consolidated screening list
an online compilation of prohibited end users
ad valorem tariff rate
based on percentage of value
export management and compliance program
best way for company to ensure compliance
contract manufacturing
business arrangement where production of goods is outsourced by one firm to an overseas manufacturer
made in the USA
can be labeled as long as 95% of final value is made in US
issue with drawbacks
can be penalized for errors in filing of drawbacks, so many firms do not do it
currency swaps
can be purchased from intermediaries to hedge against fluctuation risk
franchise tax
can impose taxes based on franchisers worldwide operations even if a local operation is doing poorly
intellectual property
central growth for stock market as the economy becomes more knowledge-based - can sometimes lead to a monopoly - most rapidly growing method of business abroad
transshipment
changing country of origin to avoid tariffs and quota limits
actual use
classification by the use to which that article is actually put
gross negligence
clear and convincing evidence the act was done with knowledge or reckless disregard - double the penalty for negligence
compound tariff rate
combination of both ad valorem and specific rates
wholly obtained
comes all from one country
EAR
commerce dept - dual use items
export controls
commerce dept - focus on product and where it is going
dual-use items
commercial items that may also have military or "proliferation" uses (relating to the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons)
Net Book Value
cost - accumulated depreciation - not as much as actual value of a company or property
commerce country chart
countries of concern
tax haven
country with low tax rates for income
passive investment
either passive debt investment (giving loan to foreign business) or massive equity investment (purchasing equity in foreign business without control)
trade creditors
entities that sell supplies to venture (should buy local for soft currency issues)
required documentation
entry docs must be filed with 5 days - others filed within 10 days
European Patent Convention (EPC)
established a regional patent system allowing any nationality to file a single international application for a European patent
conscious avoidance
exporter purposely avoided learning the truth about an end user
FRAND
fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory - refers to licensing
liquidation
final assessment of applicable tax on entered good that "closes the book" - 314 days to follow up
customs law penalties and enforcement
found in title 19, section 1592 of the US Code
reasonable care checklist
general questions for all transactions
international emergency powers act (IEEPA)
gives president power to regulate economic and financial transactions, place trade restrictions during peacetime emergency
export control classification number (ECCN)
gives reason for control for each each and if license is required for certain countries
production assists
goods, services, or intellectual property given to a foreign producer by the importer at a free or reduced price for use in producing goods for import - used for custom manufacturing - used in contract manufacturing
antiboycott laws
governments can make it unlawful for citizens or companies to participate in a boycott - US requires that requests to participate in a boycott for companies must be ignored and reported - Briggs case
combined nomenclature (CN) of the EU
harmonized schedule for the EU
patent law treaties implementation act (PLTIA)
harmonizes US law for Geneva act - went from 14 to 15 years for patents
foreign availability
high-technology products that are available worldwide, from many sources so ineffective to prevent US exports
mitigating
impact penalty - erroneous advice, cooperating with the investigation, bringing the error to customs attention and voluntarily paying, prior good shipment record
aggravating circumstances
impact penalty - withholding evidence, providing misleading info, prior improper shipment, illegal transshipments to hide origin
rejected merchandise drawback
imported goods shipped without consent, are defective, or do not conform to specifications as long as returned to customs within 3 years
tariff engineering
modifying a product prior to importation, or leaving it at an earlier stage of manufacturing for the purpose of obtaining a lower tax (prof Roessing's sink/bowl case)
syndicates
money provided by investors to insure certain projects (case by case)
statute of limitations
must bring action to collect duty within 5 years of discovery of violation
Calvo Doctrine
nationalization is a legit exercise of the sovereign's preeminent right to restructure the economy - communism / bolshevik revolution inspired - new states after WW2 could not afford to compensate for nationalization
GILTA
new tax code rule - assumes profit sharing for multinational companies
soft currency
not freely exchangeable for currencies of other nations
fundamental research
not in scope of EAR - tech or software that is the result of ordinarily shared broadly works
utility patent
obtained for processes, machines, articles of manufacturing, and compositions of matter - different from a design patent (such as the Coke bottle)
substantial transformation
occurs when original article loses identity and is transformed into a new article having "new name, character, or use" different from original - determined case by case
screwdriver plants
one in which minimal value is added to the product
boycott
organized refusal, backed by sanctions, to trade with one or more other nations
tariff-shift rule
origin is last country where all inputs underwent a change in classification - most objective and certain
active investment
ownership interest in a foreign business - branch or subsidiary
? clause compromise
parties will begin to come together they process of framing the dispute for the arbitrator
intellectual property
patent (inventions), trademark (logos), copyright (movies, art), trade secrets - headed by WIPO - WTO/ITC acts as a court
Paris Convention
patent filings (utility patents) - says trademark and patens will receive same treatment as domestic applicants for all signatories
countertrade
payments to the franchiser with goods instead of hard currency
informal entries
personal and commercial shipments $2,500 or less can be done this way - can be done thru mail - shipments $800 or less have no duties
OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation)
political risk insurance
currency risk
potential threat to a firm's operations in a country due to fluctuations in the local currency's exchange rate - fluctuation and inconvertibility
validated end user program
preapprove exports without individual licenses
transaction value
price actually paid for merchandise when sold plus (packing, commission, assists, fees) but does not include shipping, insurance, import duties, finders feels, assembling, inland shipping post import
unitary profit margin preservation / unitary index adjustment
price to foreign investor adjusted periodically to maintain the same profit margin
? Parallel exchange?
private investors spread risk of exchange rate over several to avoid impact
traditional theory
prohibits all takings of foreign property
section 337 of the tariff act
prohibits importations that infringe on US IPR
exclusive rights
promise that the licensor won't give rights to anyone else within the area bc it would create competition for the licensee
short supply controls
protect economy from foreign demand for scarce materials
Export Credit Agencies
provide export financing or credit insurance
drawback
refund of duties already paid on imported goods when reexported or destroyed
manufacturing drawback
refund of taxes paid on merchandise that is imported, produced or change, then exported within 5 years (yarn rule)
Export Administration Regulations (EAR)
regulations designed to control the export and re-export of most commercial items (dual-use items). EAR restrictions vary from country to country - controlled by BIS
Wassenaar Arrangement
replaced COCOM for export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods - cybersecurity, listening tech, hacking - everyone agrees to do something which is more effective than one country
prior disclosure
reporting errors to customs before learning of an investigation - limited penalties
tied-purchase clause
require the franchisee to buy certain goods from franchiser
domestic or regional value content rule
requires that a minimum percentage of the value of materials and direct processing be performed in a country for it to have "originated there"
field of use limitations
restrict the applications for which the licensee may employ the IPR
Mickey Mouse Protection Act
Extended copyrights
Origin jurisdiction
FTC and Customs overlap - customs oversees foreign origin - FTC regulates "Made in USA"
same-condition drawback
A drawback of duties paid on imported goods that are re-exported in the "same condition" as they were imported, provided they were not significantly altered.
Doha Round
A series of negotiations under the World Trade Organization. It followed the Uruguay Round and has focused on agricultural subsidies, intellectual property, (wine and geo indication issues), but has made no progress
customs tariff
Canadian harmonized schedule
multilateral sanctions
Sanctions imposed by more than one country like the UN and are more effective - successful with Iran
SDN list
Specially Designated Nationals & Blocked Persons - shows companies and individuals frozen out of America
biopiracy
The commercial development of naturally occurring biological materials, such as plant substances or genetic cell lines, by a technologically advanced country or organization without fair compensation to the peoples or nations in whose territory the materials were originally discovered.
deemed export
The transfer of or access to technology controlled under the EAR or ITAR to a foreign person even while in the United States.
non-preferential rules of origin
Those applicable to imports of DEVELOPED countries that will receive normal tariff treatment
TRIPS
Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights - update of Paris and Berne conventions and part of the WTO - deals with state-to-state resolution - set minimum standards - 50 year copyright protection - escape clause for public good - allows exclusion for biological patents
WIPO
UN agency in Geneva processes patent application
counterfeit goods
US businesses lose over $250 billion each year to counterfeits
geographical limitations
When the licensor agrees to provide services within a specific nation
customs bond
can be bought for one or all shipments over a year - ensures payments of duties
classification by use
classify an article by use
Formulary Apportionment System
divides income by nations that have claims to it (more systematic)
branch
division of the home country corporation that is not a separate legal person - more liability
private political risk insurance
Lloyd's of London or other insurance syndicates - expensive
composite goods
articles made of different materials or components
loopholes
double Irish, dutch sandwich
making materially false statements to customs
"material" if it refers to identity, quality, value, source, origin, or affects tax for import - does not matter if intentional or negligent - no violation for reasonable mistakes
ITAR
(International Traffic in Arms Regulations) state dept. - weapons and military tech - recent issues with 3D printing of weapons and selling of design or parts of the weapon without licensing, registration, serial numbers - can buy weapons 80% built and use software to print the rest - Obama regulated this, trump does not
civil customs fraud
(more serious) clear evidence the importer knowingly made materially false statement or omission - penalty is the value of the goods
Act of State Doctrine
A doctrine providing that the judicial branch of one country will not examine the validity of public acts committed by a recognized foreign government within its own territory. - for comity (good relations)
Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA)
A statute which states that American courts generally cannot entertain suits against foreign governments - does not include state sponsor of terrorism exception and a few others
CFIUS
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States - regulates foreign entities when purchasing US businesses, can block worrisome investment, vague rules
geographical indication
Defined by WTO Facilitates multi-national trade agreements Wine has quality, reputation or other characteristics determined by where it comes from
substitution drawback
Duties paid on imported goods may be received by a U.S. firm that imports goods and then exports other goods of the "same kind and quality "
penalties for export violation
EAR penalties are found in IEEPA - civil fines not greater than $290k - willful not greater than $1 million and less than 20 years
value added tax (VAT)
EU tax that is sales tax but higher - supplies that make more than $100k in euros in sales to EU must pay VAT - services are taxed at the place they were provided
protesting liquidations
importer can protest within 90 days
negligent violations
importer fails to use reasonable care to ensure material is correct and laws are complied with
ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers)
in charge of domain names - includes the UDRP for disputes which follows a first to file rule
Deferral Principle
income from foreign country not taxed until is actually paid out
Subpart F (or passive) income
income taxed immediately in some cases so taxes cannot be forever avoided
global supply chain
integrated international network of logistics, communications, finance, and trade relationships designed to take a product from inception through production and delivery to customers
bad faith
intentional wrongful behavior or negligence without a finding of intent in some cases
Berne Convention
international copyright treaty - requires minimum standards for all members - no filing requirement, just the C
customs modernization and informed compliance act (mod)
introduced informed compliance - requires importers use reasonable care with imports (need to know what they're doing)
currency exchange rights
investor bringing in desired industry can negotiate preferential access to hard currency
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
investor takes a controlling interest in a foreign company - often used to take advantage of a country's resources
inconvertibility insurance
investors buy this to avoid hard blockages and can pay more to avoid soft blockages of in currency risk
political risk insurance
investors unwilling to risk foreign govt taking their property or business
specific processing rules
item originates in country if it was subjected to specific forms of manufacturing in that country
record-keeping requirements
keep record of import transactions from the date of entry and give to customs on demand - exception if destroyed by an act of god - fines up to $100k or 75% value - negligent fines up to $10k or 40%
NATO
kept military tech from Soviet Union through COCOM program
ultimate purchaser
last person in the US who receives the good in the same form it was imported
creeping expropriation
laws and regulations that discriminate against the investor intended to get take charge of the industry
language politics
laws require that companies conduct business in a certain language - something to be aware of with franchises
dutiable status
legal status of imported goods at the time of entry for compliance with tariff and customs - takes into account: item, value, origin - decides: tariff, quotas, etc.
Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act
legislation passed in 1930 that established very high tariffs. Its objective was to reduce imports and stimulate the domestic economy, but it resulted only in retaliatory tariffs by other nations - these rates are given to countries without normal trade relations
end user controls
license applications must specify the end user
royalty
license fee
output or customer restrictions
licensor can restrict customer base (usually to keep from competitors)
franchising
licensor permits licensee to sell goods under a trademark under certain terms
license
limited permission to use the US firm's IPR
tariff schedule
listing of specific items, coded numerically and described by name or use - based on harmonized commodity description and coding system (harmonized system) developed by the WCO (Brussels) - can be found in national legislation
harmonized tariff schedule of the us (HTSUS)
maintained by the ITC and posted online
transnational takeovers
mergers between companies in developed economies
country of origin
we look at: - name, character, use
import substitution rights
when a new venture will manufacture a product in soft currency country so they don't have to import it
rule of relative specificity
when an article can be classified under more than one heading, it should be put under the most specific description of the article
qualified claims
when an article is not fully something but can mention partial production ex: designed in California, assembled in china
principal use
when article has more than one use, you use the the main use
notice of adjustment
when customs notices more duties are owed
counterpurchase agreement
when foreign govt requires the seller buy some goods produced in that country when making a trade to offset the price of hard currency the govt must pay
grant back
when negotiating over ownership and use rights if the licensee develops improvements in the licensed tech or creates new inventions based on that tech, the licensor may seek a grant back to itself of ownership in or at least the right to use-often without compensation-such new tech,
essential character
when there are multiple pieces to a composite good that are described separately in headings, you should use the material that gives the good its essential character - ex: Apple Watch is more of a device than a watch
joint ventures
when two or more companies join forces - sharing resources, risks, and profits, but not actually merging companies - to pursue specific opportunities - when a US investor wants some control over its minority investment - a firm that dears disclosure of software/trade secrets would be hesitant to join a venture bc they lack full control
geneva act
worldwide patent registration for design patents for 15 years - US has signed but not ratified