Beijing DHH Law Firm Continued to Play an Important Role in the Public Hearing for Section 301 Investigation
Release time：2018-05-25 11:03
On Tuesday, 15th May (EST), The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) once again initiated a public hearing for the Section 301 Investigation at the Headquarter of International Trade Commission, U.S.A., in Washington, D.C. And all parties had an intense debate on whether tariffs should be imposed on Chinese products worth 50 billion USD.
Compared with the last one, this hearing for the Section 301 Investigation has aroused more widespread and universal attention. On the one hand, the amount of the units to give their voices increased from 14 in last October to 177, the main speaking units also extended from only organizations to organizations and individuals. According to the latest name list published by the USTR, all 117 companies and industrial groups were divided into 17 panels by their standpoints, which was unlike the previous one. On the other hand, the duration of this hearing was also extended from the previous one-day to three-days, so that all shareholders can have the opportunity to get their voices heard.
Compared with the last one, this hearing for the Section 301 Investigation has aroused more widespread and universal attention. On the one hand, the amount of the units to give their voices increased from 14 in last October to 177, the main speaking units also extended from only organizations to organizations and individuals. According to the latest name list published by the USTR, all 117 companies and industrial groups were divided into 17 panels by their standpoints, which was unlike the previous one. On the other hand, the duration of this hearing was also extended from the previous one-day to three-days, so that all shareholders can have the opportunity to get their voices heard.
Beijing DHH Law Firm (DHH) has been fighting in the forefront bravely to defend against the Section 301 Investigation since its participation in the first hearing for the Section 301 Investigation on 10th October, 2017 (Website: http://www.deheng.com/office/D.C/News/20171030/1030.html ). Seeking a second opportunity to give voices, DHH continued to maintain its legal lawyer team, with Lawyer Hu Ming, Executive Vice-Chairman of DHH Partners’ General Meeting. Among all the panels, the Six Panel consisted of Lawyer Liu Xinze, Executive Director of DHH Washington D.C. Office, on behalf of China General Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. (CGCC) and hundreds of Chinese member enterprises in the U.S., Lawyer John Tang representing DHH Washington D.C. Office as an independent organization again, and representatives from China Chamber of International Commerce, China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Machinery, China General Chamber of Commerce in the U.S. (CGCC), Southeast University and other units, and all panel members fought shoulder to shoulder to give a powerful defense against the Section 301 Investigation. Of the seven official questioners to the Six Panel, two are from USTR, one from the State Council, one from Ministry of Commerce, one form Ministry of Labor, one from Ministry of Finance, and one from customs and border-control.
In the hearing, two of DHH lawyers Liu Xinze and John Tang had a reasonable defense over the legality of the 301 list related to more than 1300 products from the perspective of legal profession and by citing specific cases from clients. They clearly pointed out that the 301 report and tariff list was just “a tool for political interests on the pretext of tariffs and investment restrictions”, but not to safeguard the interests of American people, because there was no support of a complete evidence chain.
During the stay in the U.S., DHH legal team lawyers accepted the interview of several media in Washington, D.C., expressing their concerns about the prospect of future investment and operation in the U.S., which were also the voices of their clients and DHH Law Firm itself. DHH legal team lawyers will continue to keep track of the progress of the hearing for the Section 301 Investigation, so as to conduct prompt analysis and give timely warnings about its direct and profound influence on the industrial development of both the U.S. and China.
