Demand for connectivity tools to fill remote work and learning needs fueled torrid third-quarter import growth in laptops and tablets, according to Census Bureau statistics accessed Oct. 7 through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb portal. Q3 brought healthy import growth to smartphones compared with Q2, but unit shipments lagged behind those of 2019's third quarter, consistent with forecasts showing 2020 unit declines from a year earlier. Vietnam solidified its position in both categories as a secondary country of origin to China.

The U.S. needs to increase engagement with China to convince it to limit restrictions on foreign companies and to end unfair government subsidies, former U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said. Although Froman said he is “hopeful” the U.S. can secure these concessions through more trade negotiations, he also said the U.S. may need to focus more on its own industrial policy to remain technologically competitive with China.

Companies that import components or finished goods are reevaluating their supply chains in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic, said Andrea Little Limbago, vice president of research and analysis for Interos, a supply risk management company. Little Limbago, who spoke at an Atlantic Council webinar Sept. 23 on how technology can improve global supply chains, said that Interos surveyed 450 executives across many industries, and 98% had disruption during the COVID-19 surge this year. She said that while logistics were a major part of the disruption -- and those are starting to get worked out -- 25% of the executives said they work with vendors who went bankrupt. “We're just on the tip of that,” she said.

A new Steptoe and Johnson team will focus on supply chain issues, the law firm said in a recent news release. The team is led by Jeff Weiss, co-leader of the firm's International Trade Policy practice.

The trade group that represents 12 foreign companies that have auto manufacturing operations in the U.S. says that the dialogue with the U.S. trade representative on alternative staging regimes will be ongoing for “the next several months.” Jennifer Safavian, CEO of Autos Drive America, spoke with reporters Sept. 16. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative must bless each manufacturer's plan to move toward USMCA rules of origin for that company to get a five-year transition to higher regional value content standards, and a slower transition to meeting new labor value content standards. She said all three countries will have to approve each alternative staging plan.

July smartphone imports to the U.S. were recorded as their highest monthly volume of 2020, but remain on pace to finish the year with nearly 20% fewer shipments compared with 2019, according to Census Bureau data accessed Sept. 13 through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb tool. July imports of PC monitors, a surprisingly strong connectivity tool throughout much of COVID-19's telework and remote-learning mandates, cooled off from their torrid performance in the second quarter.

LVMH won't acquire Tiffany & Co. as previously planned, due in part to tariffs on goods from France scheduled to take effect in January (see 2007130043), LVMH said in a Sept. 9 news release. During an LVMH board of directors meeting, “the Board learned of a letter from the French European and Foreign Affairs Minister which, in reaction to the threat of taxes on French products by the US, directed the Group to defer the acquisition of Tiffany until after January 6th, 2021,” LVMH said. Based on that and other analysis, LVMH said it can't complete the acquisition “as it stands.”

July laptop and tablet unit imports to the U.S. continued their torrid growth from a year earlier, though July growth was flat sequentially from June, according to Census Bureau data accessed Sept. 6 through the International Trade Commission’s DataWeb tool. Shortages of laptop liquid crystal display (LCD) panels and central processing units (CPUs) threaten to impede sales as the supply chain buckles under the weight of sustained consumer demand for notebook PCs as “essential” work-from-home and remote-learning connectivity tools, market leaders Hewlett-Packard and Dell said during earnings calls in August.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, speaking to reporters Sept. 3, said the organization plans on filing a case under the rapid response labor enforcement mechanism within the next 30 days. “We have tremendous concerns with Mexico’s ability to enforce their own laws,” he said. Trumka gave no clue about which company, or in what sector, the unions are scrutinizing.

The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones canceled plans for its scheduled in-person annual conference Oct. 25-28 in Denver, the association said in a recent notice. NAFTZ will instead develop “a virtual conference series October 27-29, 2020 and November 4-6, 2020 that includes most of the program content from the Annual Conference,” it said.