Discretely assist companies and boards of directors conducting internal audits and investigations.
International Trade & National Security Law Firm
At Torres Trade Law, we work with U.S. and international clients - from multinationals and Fortune 500 companies to medium-sized businesses and startups - to successfully import and export goods, technology, and services. We regularly assist clients navigate regulatory challenges posed by U.S. and foreign trade policies, including China tariffs, Iran sanctions, and the export of defense-related goods and controlled or emerging technologies.
In addition, our lawyers have extensive experience assisting clients with a wide range of foreign investment matters, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) administering the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 (FIRRMA).
Our lawyers regularly guide clients through myriad U.S. regulatory regimes and agencies that govern trade with the United States, including:
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)
- The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
- The U.S. Department of State Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC)
- U.S. Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
- The Department of Defense Security Service (DSS)
- The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States
To assist clients with challenges across the world, Torres Trade Law is a member of two widely recognized international associations: the International Lawyers Network, a global law firm network of more than 90 law firms in 67 countries; and Alliott Group, the world's 6th largest multidisciplinary alliance of accounting and law firms. These associations allow the firm to combine local expertise with a global reach to provide clients effective cross-border solutions.
To assist with risk advisory, complex investigations, and risk intelligence, our law firm's network also includes former intelligence officers and former senior leadership in national U.S. government security positions.
PRACTICE AREAS
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Our Approach
Torres Trade Law is driven by the principle that our clients are best served by long-term relationships built on transparency, accountability, and cost-effectiveness. Our goal: to provide practical, real-world international trade advice based on an in-depth understanding of each client's strategic and business objectives coupled with comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory and competitive environments in which it does business.
We have extensive experience assisting companies in a variety of industries, including aerospace, defense contractors, commercial aviation, military electronics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, food and beverage, data processing, machine tools, commercial electronics, satellite, unmanned vehicles, software and hi-tech, fashion and retail, private equity, and many others.
INSIGHTS
OFAC Issues New General Licenses for Certain Russian Oil Cargoes
By: Olga Torres, Managing Member, Camile Edwards, Associate
Date: 03/13/2026
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”) has issued Russia-related General License 133 (“GL 133”) on March 5, 2026 and General License 134 (“GL 134”) on March 12, 2026, authorizing limited transactions involving the sale, delivery, or offloading of Russian-origin crude oil and petroleum products that were already loaded aboard vessels by specified cutoff dates. GL 133 covers cargoes loaded on or before 12:01 a.m. EST on March 5, 2026, and GL 134 covers cargoes loaded on or before 12:01 a.m. EDT on March 12, 2026.
Operation Trade Fury: USTR Unleashes 60 Brand New Section 301 Investigations
Date: 03/13/2026
On March 12, 2026, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) initiated new investigations pursuant to Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into the acts, policies, and practices of the economies listed in Annex A of its Federal Register Notice (“FRN”) relating to the failure to impose and effectively enforce a prohibition on the importation of goods produced wholly or in part with forced labor. The USTR states that these failures may be unreasonable or discriminatory and may burden or restrict U.S. commerce, thereby potentially warranting action under Section 301. The announcement of the forced labor investigations follows the USTR’s March 11, 2026 announcement of investigations into structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors in 16 foreign economies.
Torres Trade Trump Table
Date: 03/12/2026
For the latest Trump trade executive actions, please view the below Torres Trade Trump Table for important information. This table will be monitored and updated regularly. The last update occurred March 12, 2026.
Trade Alert: U.S. Launches Sweeping New Section 301 Probes — Here’s Your Chance to Influence the Outcome
Date: 03/12/2026
On March 11, 2026, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”) announced the initiation of a new set of investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 focused on the acts, policies, and practices of certain foreign economies relating to structural excess capacity and production in manufacturing sectors. As described in the USTR’s Federal Register Notice (the “FRN”), the investigations will examine whether those acts, policies, and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce. The FRN identifies the following economies as the focus of the investigations: China, the European Union (“EU”), Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India.
False Claims Act in 2025: An Analysis of Trade Fraud Enforcement Cases
Date: 03/11/2026
In fiscal year 2025, the United States government recovered over $6.8 billion in False Claim Act (FCA) settlements, announced in a Department of Justice press release on January 16. While the largest portion of settlements concerned the federal healthcare system, a portion of the cases focused on evasion of tariffs and customs duties, or trade fraud.
Trade fraud involves misrepresentations about imported goods, false country-of-origin statements, or other concealment intended to reduce or avoid duty liability. This conduct deprives the government of revenue, harms domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and can implicate national security concerns. In FY 2025, the DOJ prioritized enforcement against tariff and customs duty evasion, including by launching an interagency Trade Fraud Task Force in August 2025.
*Reproduced with permission from the Women's White Collar Defense Association. This article was first published in March 2026.
Trade fraud involves misrepresentations about imported goods, false country-of-origin statements, or other concealment intended to reduce or avoid duty liability. This conduct deprives the government of revenue, harms domestic industries, undermines consumer confidence, and can implicate national security concerns. In FY 2025, the DOJ prioritized enforcement against tariff and customs duty evasion, including by launching an interagency Trade Fraud Task Force in August 2025.
*Reproduced with permission from the Women's White Collar Defense Association. This article was first published in March 2026.
Securing Your IEEPA Duties Refund: Essential Steps to Protect Your Rights
Date: 03/10/2026
On February 20, the Supreme Court struck down the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to enact tariffs in a landmark case regarding tariffs central to the Trump administration's trade policy. In its opinion, the Court did not dictate how refunds should be dispensed, leaving importers in a difficult situation – legally entitled to refunds for the IEEPA tariffs but forced to navigate an uncertain path to receive them. Neither U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) nor the Court of International Trade (CIT) has issued a process specifically for refunds. But there are near-daily updates impacting importers options for potential recovery of payments of unconstitutional tariffs.