Blogs

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

In a January 20 interim final rule, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) eased restrictions on the export, reexport, and transfer (in-country) of certain types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to lower risk destinations.

Welcome to the January 2026 issue of “As the (Customs and Trade) World Turns,” our monthly newsletter where we compile essential updates from the customs and trade world over the past month. We bring you the most recent and significant insights in an accessible format, concluding with our main takeaways — aka “And the Fox Says…” — on what you need to know.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) just issued a joint statement outlining 10 “Guiding Principles” for using artificial intelligence (AI) in drug development.

Effective January 21, the United States will indefinitely suspend immigrant visa issuance to nationals of 75 countries listed below.

Amid the flurry of employment laws signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2025, Senate Bill No. 294 creates the Workplace Know Your Rights Act.

The past year, global trade upended. Through aggressive use of tariffs under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA), expanded Section 232 investigations, and a sustained enforcement crackdown, the Trump Administration made good on US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer’s promise to “remake the global order.” The result: a fundamentally different operating environment for importers.

With 2026 underway, the AFS Health Care team highlights some of the most pressing legal issues facing the health care industry this year.

2025 was one of the most active years in recent memory for US state-level privacy enforcement. California and Texas led the way, and we anticipate Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, and New Jersey to emerge as active enforcers in 2026.

In the latest episode of “Tax Stuff You Should Know,” hosts Bob Pluth and Gene Magidenko unpack the income tax consequences of partnership liquidations and related traps for the unwary.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

On January 15, the US Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a final rule revising its license review policy for exports of Nvidia H200 chips and its equivalents to China and Macau.

Prop 65 Counsel: What To Know

As fashion brands enter 2026, supply-chain pressure, tariff uncertainty, and rising tech spend are accelerating interest in private equity (PE) partnerships.

Last year saw a number of significant developments in US export controls and sanctions.

Last week, the White House began its interagency review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) final rule to rescind its 2009 Greenhouse Gas Endangerment Finding and related vehicle greenhouse gas (GHG) standards.

On January 6, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two significant updates potentially important for companies operating in the consumer health technology space.

As 2026 begins, nonprofit and association leaders face a legal landscape defined by heightened scrutiny, uneven funding conditions, rapid technological change, and continued uncertainty in policy direction.

On January 2, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) under Section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 requiring HieFo Corporation to divest the digital chips business of EMCORE Corporation, which it acquired in April 2024, due to national security concerns.

Bankruptcy law provides special treatment for landlord claims arising from termination of a lease, using a calculation set forth in Section 502(b)(6) of the Bankruptcy Code. The starting point for the calculation is to identify how and when the termination occurred.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an inspectional observation (Form FDA 483) to a Texas med spa, Pure Indulgence Aesthetics, citing Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) violations for dispensers.

Since the Trump Administration’s tariff actions began in February 2025, the US hospitality industry has weathered the resulting uncertainty and shown resilience. The industry’s fundamentals remain broadly stable: deals are getting signed, and development continues — albeit with tighter underwriting and recalibrated budgets.

Headlines that Matter for Companies and Executives in Regulated Industries

Last month, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a draft guidance explaining how it intends to implement the mandatory recall authority established under the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA).

The 2026 District of Columbia elections may be the most consequential elections since the advent of home rule in 1975. Against a backdrop of greater federal intervention into the city’s affairs, depleting federal resources, and local budget pressures, many of the city’s most important local offices will have new leadership after the elections in November.