All posts tagged: Association of Art Museum Directors

Arts Groups Speak Out Against Potential New Tariffs

Arts Groups Speak Out Against Potential New Tariffs

Published by Jenni Sidey

President Donald Trump has said that tariff is “the most beautiful word,” and he has done his best to unilaterally impose these duties to correct what he sees as exploitative trade imbalances. In February, the United States Supreme Court struck down most of Trump’s tariffs on major trading partners Canada, Mexico, and China, ruling that Trump exceeded his authority when instituting sweeping tariffs under a 1977 law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Experts had told ARTnews that his tariffs would deeply affect the art industry, which breathed a sigh of relief after the Supreme Court ruling. Related Articles But true to form, Trump, who has tried again and again to impose these duties, wants another bite at the apple. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has launched an investigation, authorized by Section 301(b) of the Trade Act of 1974, into the economies of some 60 countries, aiming to discern whether their policies and practices fail to impose bans on the importation of goods produced with forced labor in such a way that would “burden …

Congress Expands Holocaust Art Recovery Law, Targeting Museum Defenses

Congress Expands Holocaust Art Recovery Law, Targeting Museum Defenses

Published by José Betancourt

Congress has moved to give new life to a law meant to help families recover art stolen during the Holocaust, while at the same time reopening a long-running battle between heirs and the institutions that still hold those works. The US House of Representatives on Monday approved an extension of the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act, a 2016 law designed to make it easier for victims’ descendants to bring restitution claims decades after the fact. The measure, according to the New York Times, which had already passed the Senate unanimously, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk. Related Articles At its core, the change is about time. The original law gave heirs up to six years to file a claim after identifying a looted work, sidestepping the usual statute-of-limitations arguments that museums have often used to block cases. But courts have still, at times, leaned on the passage of decades to dismiss claims, arguing that it leaves current owners unable to mount a fair defense. The new bill tries to close that door. It would limit …