Trade Policy and Trade Negotiations Attorneys

Overview

Wiley's International Trade Practice includes a strong domestic and international government relations component. In addition to providing trade remedies litigation, the firm represents clients in policy and legislative matters regarding trade remedies, investment and intellectual trade policy, international negotiations, global environmental and tax issues, and global energy interests, among others. Chambers USA notes that "the Wiley team is one of the most prominent and experienced trade groups representing domestic petitioning industries in the US. It has a deep bench of other lawyers, so you can always count on them having someone who can help out in a crisis" (2021). Over the years, we have developed solid working relationships with key officials in Congress, the Executive branch, embassies and international organizations.

Our competitive advantage is based on our knowledge of existing rules and remedies and our ability to anticipate, influence, and initiate change. Bringing to bear extensive experience in all branches and levels of government and in both the public and private sector, we develop the kind of strategy needed to prevail in today's environment. This may involve influencing legislative action, regulatory action by a single agency, complex interagency Executive branch decision-making, diplomacy, the interaction of public and private sector players, or coordination of several such initiatives with more traditional actions under U.S. trade laws. We offer the experience needed to tailor the strategy best suited to get the job done in the complex global economic environment.

Among our recent activity in this area:

Wiley has worked at the highest levels of the Administration, including the White House, the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Commerce Department, to implement the President’s trade agenda, including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), as well as the investigation and implementation of Section 201, 232, and 301 tariffs.
Wiley participated in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) initiative to address the role of the steel industry in responding to climate change. Our Group worked on behalf of domestic steel producers to ensure that policies were adopted that would result in actual worldwide decreases in greenhouse gas emissions without having the unintended consequences of driving steel producers to move production from countries with effective climate change programs to less regulated countries such as China, India, and Brazil.
In concert with the firm's Telecom, Media & Technology lawyers, members of our Group have been active in interpreting and advising on the domestic and global impacts of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Basic International Telecommunications Agreement, which regulates market access and telecommunication competition policy.

Wiley’s International Trade Practice also actively advises clients on international negotiations. We represent U.S. companies and industries in critical trade negotiations, including:

the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),
the plurilateral Trade in Services Agreement (TISA),
ongoing free trade agreement negotiations, such as the U.S.-U.K. free trade agreement, and,
ongoing WTO negotiations on electronic commerce and other topics.

We also represent U.S. companies and industries on a variety of U.S. bilateral trade negotiations, including with China and other countries. We represent a wide range of industry goods and services sectors in trade negotiations, including areas as diverse as manufacturing, telecommunications and Internet services, and professional services.

For example, Wiley has led efforts to address the trade-distorting practices of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), working closely with the U.S. government to include strong and enforceable SOE disciplines in recent trade agreements such as USMCA.