A Florida-based small business is first out of the gate to challenge President Trump’s sweeping new tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977. The complaint was filed by conservative legal advocacy group New Civil Liberties Alliance (“NCLA”) on behalf of Emily Ley Paper, Inc.(doing business as “Simplified”), a small business based in

Andrew J. Schlegel
Andrew Schlegel is an international trade analyst III in Crowell & Moring’s Washington, D.C. office. He provides practice support to the International Trade Group on import regulatory matters pending before the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). He works closely with attorneys developing courses of action for clients impacted by investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 and Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Andrew also supports unfair trade investigations, including antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations, sunset reviews, and changed circumstance reviews before the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission (ITC).
Prior to joining Crowell & Moring, Andrew worked as an intern at SAP’s Government Affairs Business Development Team in Berlin, Germany. There, he analyzed the effects of regulatory changes on SAP business operations and expansion opportunities. Before this, he completed an internship at the International Trade Administration’s Office of Energy and Environmental Industries. While there, he developed the U.S. Energy Trade Dashboard, an interactive data visualization tool for use by professionals and researchers to analyze how energy supply chains have developed.
The Maximum Pressure Campaign Escalates: OFAC Designates a Chinese Refiner of Iranian Crude
On March 20, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) designated the “teapot” Chinese oil refinery Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (“Luqing Petrochemical”), its chief executive officer, eight vessels, and eleven vessel owners, managers, and operators, on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (“SDN List”).
Caroline Brown Recognized by Foreign Investment Watch
We are proud to share that our partner Caroline Brown is named on the Foreign Investment Watch Top Advisor list for the second consecutive year. To learn more about this 2025 recognition as a top advisor on foreign investment and national security in the United States and abroad and Caroline’s practice, read HERE.
China Technology Transfer Control Act Introduced to Strengthen Export Controls vis-à-vis China
On February 7, 2025, Representative Mark Green (R-TN-7) introduced the China Technology Transfer Control Act, a bill which would restrict the export to the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”) certain “national interest technology” and intellectual property. According to a statement by Rep. Green, the bill is intended as a sign to “get serious about protecting…
White House Updates Section 232 Tariffs on Steel, Aluminum
On February 10, 2025, the White House released an executive order (“EO” or “Order”) titled “Adjusting Imports of Steel into the United States” that reinstates a 25% tariff on imports of steel and steel derivative products into the United States. The administration has also previewed a parallel executive order on aluminum and aluminum derivative product…
White House Amends Feb 1st Executive Order, Temporarily Reinstates De Minimis Eligibility for China-Origin Goods
On February 5, 2025, the White House issued an amendment to an Executive Order (“EO”) issued by President Trump on February 1, titled “Imposing Duties to Address the Synthetic Opioid Supply Chain in the People’s Republic of China.” The amendment states that “de minimis treatment under 19 U.S.C. 1321 is available for otherwise eligible…
Moolenaar Heads Reintroduction of Bill to Strip China of PNTR Status
Yesterday, Representative John Moolenaar (R-MI) of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, along with House Ways & Means Committee member Tom Suozzi (D-NY), reintroduced a bill in the House of Representatives to revoke Permanent Normal Trade Relations (“PNTR”) with the People’s Republic of China. When reintroducing the bill, Molenaar cited to Trump’s…
DHS Adds 29 Companies in Metals and Food Processing Sectors to UFLPA Entity List
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced the addition of 29 companies based in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) Entity List.
The updated list now includes a total of 107 entities, with the newly added companies operating in the food processing and metals sectors.
OFAC Issues Necessary and Long-Awaited Updated Guidance for (Re)Insurance Industry
On November 13, 2024, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s (“Treasury’s”) Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) updated its FAQs for insurers in a long-awaited move to modernize its published sanctions compliance guidance for the insurance industry. None of the industry-specific FAQs had been updated since January 2015, and many had not been amended in…
New (Limited) Exclusion Process Begins for Section 301 Tariff Action – Opportunity for Domestic Manufacturing
On October 15, 2024, the Office of the United States Representative (“USTR”) announced a new process for interested parties to request temporary exclusion from Section 301 duties on certain Chinese-origin goods. The new exclusion process is limited, but key for stakeholders with a nexus to domestic manufacturing in the United States. Exclusions may apply for…