Tatman Savio Discusses International Trade in the Trump Era with CCBJ

Akin Gump international trade partner Tatman Savio was interviewed by Corporate Counsel Business Journal for the article “International Trade in The Trump Administration,” a look at how export restrictions and recent legislation are affecting the practice of international trade.

Savio spoke first of the current trade environment, noting it is “a very challenging time for both U.S. and non-U.S. companies,” particularly in light of Chinese telecom giant Huawei being placed on a restricted party list by the Department of Commerce. The export ban against the company, she said, “is acutely impacting U.S. companies whose export activities are often subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. export controls.”

Other issues covered in the article:

• How to counsel clients amid ongoing uncertainty involving the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS): “The biggest change that we are currently seeing as a result of [the passage of CFIUS reform legislation] is the implementation of the recent pilot program, which requires mandatory review of certain transactions involving critical technologies in particular targeted industries. … we have been helping companies navigate new interim regulations to determine if they have a mandatory CFIUS filing obligation.”
• The issue that companies doing business internationally should keep top of mind: “Between now and this time next year, there will be a host of new regulations with which to contend,” such as new regulations from the Commerce Department pertaining to telecom security and others from the Treasury Department regarding the implementation of the CFIUS reform law.
• The handling of due diligence: “We focus on performing screening and research to understand the potential risks presented by proposed transactions, and we often work closely with third-party business intelligence firms with investigative capabilities to develop a comprehensive understanding of the parties in a given transaction.”

Savio also addressed the impact of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war, noting that the longer it drags on, “the more likely it is that U.S. and other firms will relocate manufacturing operations to other countries like Vietnam‚ Taiwan and Mexico.”

To read the full Q&A, please click here.