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May 2021

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As reported previously, developing new ESG and climate disclosure requirements (including those relating to supply chains impacts) is one of the SEC’s key priorities, and there have been indications that proposed rule-making on the issue may be imminent. The topic was once again raised by SEC Commissioner Allison Herren Lee this week at the 2021 ESG Disclosure Priorities Event. In her remarks, Commissioner Lee indicated that the SEC is working on a proposed rule on ESG disclosures…

As part of Europe’s economic recovery, the EU Commission has acknowledged the trading bloc’s technological and strategic dependencies will need to be addressed. The EU Commission identified a number products imported into the EU on which the EU is highly dependent in notably sensitive sectors. The EU Commission also performed six in-depth reviews on the origin of strategic dependencies and their impact on importation. The EU Commission concluded that it will continue to work on…

Over a year into the global pandemic, businesses have had to pivot to survive and adjust to new ways of conducting business. Now, more than ever, Asia Pacific business leaders are making the necessary strategic changes to meet the needs of a vastly changed business landscape — and deciding where legal expertise may be needed most to limit and manage disruption and soften risks. The State of Play Supply Chains and Trade Realignment report delves…

On April 20, 2021, the Biden Administration took steps to address cybersecurity risks in the US energy sector industrial base by announcing a 100-day cybersecurity initiative for electricity subsector industrial control systems (“100-Day Plan”) and by issuing, on April 22, 2021, a Request for Information to inform future recommendations for US energy systems’ supply chain security (“RFI”). Public comments in response to the RFI are due by June 7, 2021. These actions support the Biden…

On April 21, the US Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) published a request for comments on supply chains for the production of agricultural commodities and food products under the America’s Supply Chains Executive Order (the “Supply Chain EO”) that President Biden signed on February 24, 2021. (See our blog post on the Supply Chain EO for more background.) Agricultural commodities and food products is one of the six industrial sectors the supply chains of which are subject to review pursuant…