Steptoe's international trade practice has an exceptional record of success in handling complex antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) matters on behalf of our clients around the world. Our achievements and abilities have been recognized by several leading independent publications: Legal 500 praises our "excellent responsiveness, wonderful business acumen and subject knowledge and insight;" Chambers has described Steptoe as a "go-to team for trade remedy matters," and Law360 has named us an "International Trade Group of the Year" six times.
Over the past five decades, our lawyers have represented clients in more than 200 US AD/CVD cases and in more than 60 EU AD/CVD cases. Our extensive experience across a wide range of industries gives us a distinct advantage when developing case strategies for our clients. We also have particular experience representing companies from "non-market economies" like China. With experienced trade lawyers and analysts in our Washington, Brussels, London, and Beijing offices, Steptoe is well positioned to litigate trade remedy disputes in many jurisdictions. We also rely on an extensive network of working relationships with international trade consultants and lawyers around the world. Steptoe is a member of the Lex Mundi global network of law firms, which provides us access to top-ranked lawyers in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide.
We understand that it is critical to develop a policy strategy that runs parallel to the legal strategy in order to maximize our clients' chances for success. In developing these strategies, our lawyers draw on their experience in government service. One of our partners, Ambassador Susan Esserman, served as Deputy United States Trade Representative, USTR General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Import Administration at the US Department of Commerce (DOC), where she was the decision maker in hundreds of antidumping and countervailing duty cases. We are also supported by professionals from our Government Affairs & Public Policy Group, who have decades of experience working in and with the legislative and executive branches of government. Steptoe's customs lawyers have deep trade remedy experience resolving problems that regularly arise when AD/CVD duties are collected by CBP.
If proceedings at an administrative level are unsuccessful, we take the matter to the next level. Steptoe's experience in appealing trade matters to appellate courts is unmatched. Over the last several decades, our firm has successfully represented companies at the US Court of International Trade (CIT), the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC), the General Court and Court of Justice of the European Union, in some of the most significant trade remedy cases ever heard. We were also lead counsel in the only antidumping duty case ever heard by the US Supreme Court, where we achieved a unanimous decision for our client.
In some cases, Steptoe turns to the WTO in order to achieve our client's goals. Steptoe lawyers have represented a number of governments in proceedings under the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding, where we have achieved impressive results. In 2019, Steptoe was - for the 12th year - one of only two law firms in the world that received a top-tier ranking from Chambers Global for its WTO practice. In addition to representing sovereign entities, we also routinely counsel private clients on their rights under various WTO agreements, in order to help them improve their competitive position.
Noteworthy
Chambers Global
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Global Market Leaders (2008-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, (The Elite), US (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, US (2020-2025)
- Chambers Global, Disputes, International & Cross-Border Capabilities, US (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, US (2020-2025)
- Chambers Global, International & Cross-Border Disputes (International Firms), China (2021-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO (International Firms), China (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe-wide (2019-2025)
- Chambers Global, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2017)
Chambers Asia-Pacific & Greater China Region
- Chambers Greater China Region, Corporate Investigations/Anti-Corruption (International Firms) (2022-2024)
- Chambers Greater China Region, International Trade/WTO (International Firms) (2022-2024)
- Chambers Asia-Pacific, International Trade/WTO, Asia-Pacific Region (2009-2025)
Chambers Europe
- Chambers Europe, International Trade/WTO, Europe/Belgium (2008-2025)
Chambers USA
- Chambers USA, International Trade: CFIUS Experts, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade: Export Controls & Economic Sanctions, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy, Nationwide (2017-2024)
- Chambers USA, International Trade, Nationwide (2005-2016)
- Chambers USA, International Arbitration: Enforcement, Nationwide (2022)
Legal 500
- Legal 500 US, Government: Government Contracts (2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: Trade Remedies & Trade Policy (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: Customs, Export Controls, & Economic Sanctions (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 US, International Trade: CFIUS (2023-2024)
- Legal 500 US, Dispute Resolution: International Trade (2007-2022, 2024)
- Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: International Arbitration (2010-2025)
- Legal 500 UK, Dispute Resolution: Public International Law (2010-2025)
- Legal 500 EMEA, Customs, Trade, WTO & Anti-Dumping, Belgium (2011-2019, 2022)
Law360
- Law360, International Trade Group of the Year (2010-2013, 2015, 2019)
Global Arbitration Review
- Global Arbitration Review, "International arbitration practice that impressed in the past year," (2016)
- Global Arbitration Review, GAR 100 (2017-2023)
Global Investigations Review
- Global Investigations Review (GIR) 100, Top 30 Firms for Investigations Worldwide (2015-2024)
WorldECR
- WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018, 2021), Sanctions Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017);
- WorldECR, Export Controls, Law Firm of the Year, USA (2015-2016), Highly Commended Law Firm, USA (2017), Runner-Up Law Firm of the Year, USA (2018)
- WorldECR, Sanctions Law Firm of the Year Runner-Up, Rest of the World (2021)
Asia Legal Business
- ALB China Awards, International Firm of the Year: International Trade (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2022-2024)
- ALB China Awards, Regulatory Compliance Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2022-2024)
- ALB Hong Kong Awards, Regulation and Investigations Law Firm of the Year (Shortlisted 2020-2021, 2023)
- ALB Japan Awards, Japan Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (Award in 2021, Shortlisted in 2023-2024)
- ALB Korea Awards, Korea Practice Foreign Law Firm of the Year (2022-2023)
China Business Law Journal
- China Business Law Award, International Trade (2013-2023)
- China Business Law Award, Corporate Compliance (2019-2023)
- China Business Law Award, Government and public policy (2022)
- China Business Law Award, Anti-Bribery & Compliance (2015, 2018)
China Law & Practice
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China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Dispute Resolution, Honorable Mention (2024)
- China Law & Practice, International Firm of the Year: Trade Award (2016, 2018-2020, 2022); Shortlisted (2021)
- China Law & Practice, Shortlisted, International Firm of the Year: Regulatory & Compliance (2018, 2021-2022)
Representative Matters
- Urea Ammonium Nitrate (UAN) from Russia and Trinidad & Tobago. Achieved a unanimous final negative injury determination from the ITC for our client, the sole producer/exporter of UAN in Trinidad & Tobago, in a high profile US AD/CVD investigation.
- Wood Mouldings and Millwork Products from Brazil. Achieved a rare final negative determination from the US Department of Commerce in the AD investigation of the case, allowing our client to avoid the imposition of an antidumping duty order altogether.
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Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Resin from Brazil, Indonesia, Korea, Pakistan, and Taiwan. A unanimous negative injury determination in the AD/CVD investigation at the International Trade Commission (ITC) for our clients, major US consumers/importers of the product.
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100- to 150-Seat Large Civil Aircraft from Canada. Received a unanimous negative injury determination at the ITC for our clients, the Government of Canada and the Government of the United Kingdom in the AD/CVD investigation. Also represented the UK government in the corresponding CVD investigation before the DOC.
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Cold Rolled Steel Flat Products from the Netherlands, et. al. A negative injury determination as to the Netherlands. As a result, our client, Tata Steel Ijmuiden BV, was eliminated from the proceeding at the preliminary stage – a rare victory for a foreign producer/exporter.
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Melamine from Trinidad and Tobago. A unanimous negative final injury determination in the US ITC AD/CVD investigation of the case. Our client, the sole producer of melamine in Trinidad, may now continue melamine exports to the United States without additional duty liability.
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53-Foot Domestic Dry Containers from China. A unanimous negative final injury determination before the ITC for a Chinese producer and a US purchaser of intermodal shipping containers in AD and CVD proceedings.
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Bottom Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers from Korea and Mexico. A unanimous victory at the ITC on behalf of a Korean producer in the AD/CVD investigation of the case.
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Zhejiang Aokang Shoes Co. Ltd v Council of the European Union. A favorable ruling from the European Union Court of Justice for a Chinese footwear producer, overturning a previous judgment by the Court of First Instance.
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Hardwood Plywood from China. The successful exclusion of our clients’ products from the scope of an AD/CVD investigation involving imports. As a result, our clients have been able to avoid millions of dollars of additional duty expense.
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A significant victory for a leading US paperboard and packaging producer/exporter in an antidumping investigation conducted by China's Ministry of Commerce. Through advocacy on the ground in China, the Ministry terminated the AD investigation without even reaching a preliminary finding.
- USEC Inc. v. Eurodif S.A. A unanimous victory before the US Supreme Court, resulting in the first Supreme Court ruling of a US antidumping proceeding. The decision marked the successful conclusion of a ten year battle over the correct application of US trade law to imports of enriched uranium from Western Europe.
News & Publications
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
May 2, 2025
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
April 16, 2025
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
President Trump Unveils New Reciprocal Tariffs on 'Liberation Day'
April 8, 2025
Client Alerts
President Trump Announces Long-Anticipated Reciprocal Tariffs on "Liberation Day"
April 3, 2025
By: Eric C. Emerson, Kevin Garvey, Zhu (Judy) Wang, Jeffrey G. Weiss, Christopher Forsgren, Santiago Gomez Cifuentes, Meghan Pearce
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
March 31, 2025
Global Trade & Investment Law Blog
March 20, 2025
Events
Webinars
The Steptoe Update: US, EU, and UK Legal Developments Affecting Asian Companies and Public Actors
December 11, 2024
Speakers: Lee Berger, Eric C. Emerson, Jack R. Hayes, Charles Whiddington
Webinars
Understanding Free Trade Agreements and International Trade Policy Developments
May 12, 2022
Speakers: Christophe Bondy, Eric C. Emerson, Amanda Brooks CBE
Webinars
Post-Election Recap: International Trade
November 17, 2020
Speakers: Eric C. Emerson, Darryl Nirenberg, Jeffrey G. Weiss
Webinars
The US-China Trade Relationship
August 28, 2018
Speakers: Eric C. Emerson, Gregory S. McCue, Leslie A. Belcher, Henry Cao
Webinars
What You Need to Know About the Section 232 Steel and Aluminum Tariffs
March 22, 2018
Speakers: Eric C. Emerson, Thomas J. Trendl, Gregory S. McCue
Seminars & Events
UK Trade Remedies After Brexit
January 15, 2018
Speaker: Eric C. Emerson
Brewers' Hall
Aldermanbury Square
London
EC2V 7HR