Thomas J. Trendl

Partner

• ttrendl@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Thomas J. Trendl is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the firm’s International Trade Department.

International Law & Trade
Mr. Trendl has extensive experience advising and advocating on behalf of both foreign and domestic clients on regulatory and appellate international trade matters. His practice focuses on antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, reviews and appeals; customs classification, country of origin, and valuation rulings; Generalized System of Preferences requests and oppositions; World Trade Organization Agreements and North American Free Trade Agreement interpretations; Section 332 trade and competitiveness studies; and Section 201 “safeguard” investigations.

Mr. Trendl regularly practices before the Department of Commerce, International Trade Commission, US Trade Representative, US Customs & Border Protection, Court of International Trade, and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. His cases have encompassed a wide variety of manufacturing and agricultural industries including: wooden bedroom furniture, antifriction bearings, lined paper products, wheat, uranium, numerous steel products, thermal transfer ribbon, lamb, beef, computer components, ceramic tile, salmon, live swine, and snowboard/skateboard apparel. Mr. Trendl has represented clients in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, and the United States.

Antidumping & Countervailing Duty Actions
Over the last 18 years, Mr. Trendl has represented clients in numerous antidumping and countervailing duty investigations and administrative reviews. Mr. Trendl counsels clients on how to most effectively implement company trade strategies in the context of international trade law, advises clients on the requirements and procedures of US trade law, assists clients on complying with these laws and responding to US government agency requests for information, and advocates on behalf of clients before the relevant agencies and courts. He has led dozens of successful verifications for clients across the globe.

This work has included both market and non-market economy (“NME”) cases for large multinationals and privately held companies. With regard to NME antidumping cases, Mr. Trendl represented the largest Chinese mandatory respondent in the complex Wooden Bedroom Furniture investigation, the largest mandatory respondent in the first administrative review of Wooden Bedroom Furniture, several "Section A" respondents in the Lined Paper Products investigation, and has assisted US importers on related issues. In doing so, Mr. Trendl has been at the forefront of issues affecting Chinese companies, including changes to DOC practice in valuing Market Economy Purchases ("MEP") and surrogate value methodologies.

Select News & Events

• Hardwood Floors Magazine Quotes Tom Trendl on Chinese Import Duties
• Law 360 Quotes Tom Trendl on Duty Rate on Chinese Furniture
• US Apparel and Textile Industry Urges President Obama to Impose Remedy on Chinese Tires
• A Historic Decision for International Trade: U.S. Supreme Court’s First-Ever Ruling on the Antidumping Law
• Greg McCue & Tom Trendl on the ITC Imported Wood Flooring Report, October 2, 2008
• The End of Quotas: What You Can Do to Prepare for US Trade Actions, May 29, 2008
• "AD/CVD/Safeguard Investigation Processes in the US" Conference at the Inter-American Development Bank, May 14, 2008
• Sunset Review Victory for Enriched Uranium Producer

Selected Publications

• Commentary on Developments in Section 1581 (c) NME Cases
  Fall 2010, Georgetown Journal of International Law
• Obama's Section 421 Decision on Tires Lauded by U.S. Apparel Industry
  September 16, 2009, Apparel Industry Alert
• Apparel Industry Alert - Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Case Filed Against Woven Ribbon from China
  July 15, 2009
• USTR Files WTO Challenge Against Chinese Famous Brand Programs
  December 19, 2008
• Apparel Industry Alert - The End of Quotas: What Chinese Companies Can Do to Prepare for US Trade Actions
  June 12, 2008
• Customs Law Advisory - New Shippers/Importers Now Required to Post Cash Deposit (Not Bond) in Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Reviews as Congress Temporarily Repeals New Shipper Bonding Privilege
  August 17, 2006

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Section of International Law and Practice
• District of Columbia Bar Association, International Law Section