International Commerce

International trade covers a variety of legal issues, and petitions for import relief are among the most well known. We represent companies in the United States when they turn to the federal government for relief against unfair pricing ("dumping" and "countervailing duty" cases), increases in import volume (Section 201 cases) and infringement of U.S. intellectual property rights by imports (Section 337 cases).

Market access issues are also part of international trade. Thompson Coburn attorneys help clients arrange access to foreign markets through Section 301 proceedings, recommending appropriate use of U.S. government assistance programs, helping to develop strategies to deal with political and economic risks, and formulating defenses against adverse actions by foreign governments.

For importers, the key to being protected from criminal charges is understanding how foreign manufacturers and/or distributors attempt to circumvent U.S. federal laws and regulations. Importers may be liable if it is discovered that some component of their products came from a sanctioned country or was labeled with the incorrect "country of origin," or in the event that goods have passed through intermediate countries in an attempt to avoid payment of duties. Knowing the ways in which importers are vulnerable enables our attorneys to help them maintain the legal integrity of their goods.