Fleet telematics and technology company Samsara has settled a trade secret dispute with a former employee who left to join competitor Motive. Under the terms of the deal, the former employee will pay an undisclosed sum and accept permanent restrictions after breaching the employment agreement.

A Thursday filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California showed a stipulated permanent injunction requiring former Samsara employee, William Reich, to adhere to terms outlined in his “Employee Invention Assignment and Confidentiality Agreement,” which was signed when he began working for the San Francisco-based company in 2022.

Reich, a former senior manager in enterprise field sales with Samsara (NYSE: IOT), is required to “maintain the confidentiality of all Samsara Proprietary Information,” and “never disclose such Proprietary Information to any third party, including any future employer or his former employer Motive and/or any of Motive’s employees, for any reason whatsoever.”

A separate statement from Samsara said Reich has also agreed to “pay a substantial sum for breaching his employment agreement.” Reich has also resigned from Motive.

In this Aug. 17, 2018, file photo, people arrive before the start of a naturalization ceremony at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office in Miami.

Wilfredo Lee/AP

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

BOSTON — A federal judge on Monday struck down the Trump administration’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas, contradicting an earlier federal court ruling upholding the fee hike.

The administration announced the much-higher fee as a way of preventing foreign workers from taking American jobs.

But U.S. District Court Judge Leo Sorokin in Boston sided with 20 states and struck down the visa policy, concluding that the executive branch exceeded its authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.

“The Court finds that the Policy imposes a tax on H-1B petitions without the requisite delegation by Congress,” Sorokin wrote.

H-1B visas are meant for high-skilled jobs that are difficult to find American workers to fill. Deep-pocketed technology companies are the biggest users, with nearly three-quarters of approvals going to workers from India. The states argued that using the H-1B program to fill vacancies for much-needed doctors and teachers was already difficult before the higher fee.

Most H-1B visa applications cost several thousand dollars before the announced increase set off a wave of panic among confused employers, students and workers in the United States and abroad and led to several lawsuits, including in Boston.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce also sued, in federal court in Washington, D.C., and has appealed a denial of a summary judgment against the fee hike. That left the higher fee in effect, at least until September 2026, when it is scheduled to expire. Monday’s ruling is also a summary judgment, to the opposite effect. Still another lawsuit was filed in federal court in San Francisco, by religious groups and labor organizations, setting up the possibility of divided rulings in three appellate court circuits.

In the Boston case, the states argued that the policy impedes their ability to hire primary and secondary school educators and to staff public colleges and universities, will stymie academic research and will lead to a decline in medical workers.

“Today’s victory protects the integrity of the H-1B visa program as a tool to address severe labor shortages in vital industries like education, healthcare, and medical research,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell said in a statement. “In Massachusetts, this win will ensure we can fill critical vacancies and hire world-class faculty and researchers at colleges and universities across the Commonwealth.”

Bobby Mukkamala, the president of the American Medical Association, called the ruling “a victory for patients.”

“At a time when communities across the country face physician shortages and growing barriers to care, we should be removing obstacles — not creating new ones — to attract talented physicians and other highly skilled professionals,” Mukkamala said. “International medical graduates play a vital role in caring for patients, particularly in underserved and rural areas.”

A Department of Homeland Security statement said the agency disagrees with “this blatant judicial activism dismantling President Trump’s historic efforts for immigration reform.”

“Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin, our immigration system is being reformed to serve American citizens, American workers, and American families and to preserve our national identity — not to rapidly import foreigners who take American jobs, commit crimes, burden our welfare system, and erode our cultural and social fabric,” the statement said, referring to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin.

In a separate statement, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said the administration “is confident this order will be reversed on appeal.”

The European Parliament is set to replace Google with a Franco-German-backed search engine as the default tool on in-house computers, Politico reported Tuesday citing an internal memo.

The rollout of Qwant, previously owned by German media giant Axel Springer, comes as the European Union reportedly seeks to reduce its dependence on US tech.

Amazon, Microsoft and Google account for more than two-thirds of the global cloud computing market, while American companies are dominating the so-called AI race.

Google is being replaced with “privacy-focused European search engine” Qwant, launched by a French developer in 2013, starting June 4, the document seen by Politico reads. 

Affecting some 720 lawmakers and thousands of administrative staff, the switch is reportedly being conducted “in line with the Parliament’s commitment to digital sovereignty and the protection of users’ personal data.”

The tool, privately owned by Qwant SAS, a subsidiary of French cloud technology group Synfonium, is reportedly designed to avoid tracking users or collecting personal data. Searches conducted through the address bar in Firefox and Edge browsers are automatically routed through Qwant, the news outlet noted, adding that lawmakers will remain free to use competing search engines or change their default settings.

The search-engine switch comes as the European Commission unveiled a tech sovereignty package on Wednesday aimed at reducing reliance on foreign technology providers and strengthening European alternatives.

While dependence on American digital infrastructure remains a legitimate global concern, critics argue that Brussels’ response increasingly resembles digital protectionism. Supporters describe it as technological sovereignty, while opponents warn it could fragment the global internet, weaken competition by favoring local providers, and create a digital ecosystem governed by Brussels’ own standards for content moderation, AI governance, and disinformation.

Critics cite the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which came into force in late 2022, as evidence of Brussels’ growing influence over online discourse, arguing that measures aimed at combating disinformation have also expanded its ability to shape political debate within member states. They warn that such policies, alongside efforts to promote European digital alternatives, risk concentrating control over information flows.

Broader efforts to develop EU alternatives to major US social media platforms include Eurosky and W. Eurosky, a Netherlands-based initiative designed as a European alternative to platforms such as X and Meta, was officially launched earlier this year. 

W, a Europe-focused social network that reportedly emphasizes verified identities and compliance with EU data protection rules, was developed by Swedish company W Social and unveiled in early 2026. Following a limited beta launch in February, the platform is expected to roll out to the public in the Netherlands and across the EU by the end of the year.

Earlier this year, France announced plans to replace US videoconferencing platforms such as Teams and Zoom with the homegrown Visio app by 2027. Meanwhile, the European Payments Initiative is urging EU authorities to reduce the bloc’s reliance on Visa and Mastercard.

The Chair drew attention to the WTO Secretariat’s compendium on notification submission rates. He reported that 100 members have yet to submit their 2025 new and full subsidy notifications, 78 members have not provided their 2023 notifications, and 80 members have not fulfilled their  2021 notification obligations, significantly affecting the proper functioning of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures. 

The Chair reiterated his call for members to submit their notifications promptly, emphasizing that all members benefit from the collective effort of timely and complete notifications. He also highlighted the WTO Secretariat’s technical assistance activities and encouraged delegations facing difficulties with notifications to contact the Secretariat. Seven members echoed these concerns and calls.

Review of members’ subsidy notifications

During the meeting, the Committee reviewed 2025 new and full subsidy notifications submitted by Albania; Argentina; Burkina Faso; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Comoros; the Dominican Republic; El Salvador; the European Union (also pertaining to Austria; Belgium; Bulgaria; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Estonia; Finland; France; Germany; Greece; Hungary; Ireland; Italy; Latvia; Lithuania; Malta; the Netherlands; Poland; the Slovak Republic; Slovenia; Spain; and Sweden); Ghana; Haiti; Hong Kong, China; Japan; the Republic of Korea; Lesotho; Malaysia; Norway; Singapore; Switzerland; Türkiye; Ukraine; the United Kingdom; and the United States.  

The Committee also continued its review of 2023 subsidy notifications from Australia, China, Eswatini, India, Kazakhstan and Norway. It also continued its review of a 2019 notification from the Russian Federation.

National legislation

The Committee reviewed three legislative notifications submitted by Botswana. It also continued its review of the legislative notifications of the European Union, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and the Solomon Islands.

Reports of members on countervailing duty actions

Members reviewed semi-annual reports on countervailing duty actions submitted by Australia, Brazil,  Canada, China, Colombia, the European Union, Iceland, India, Mexico, Peru, the United Kingdom, the United States and Viet Nam for the period July to December 2025.

The Committee also considered notifications on preliminary and final countervailing duty actions from members including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Iceland, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The Chair reiterated the need for regular and timely submissions of these reports to ensure ongoing transparency and effective review by the Committee.

Other matters

The Chair recalled the 31 December 2015 deadline for the elimination of export subsidies by members that received “fast track” extensions under Article 27.4 of the SCM Agreement. He noted that only 15 of the 19 members that had received extensions have provided the final required notifications. He called on the remaining four members to comply without delay.

The Committee reviewed the updated GNI per capita calculations for members listed in Annex VII(b) of the SCM Agreement. Upon the request by the Committee at its October 2025 meeting, the Secretariat also provided calculations using the same methodology for all WTO members.

The Committee elected Ms Michèle Govier from Canada as the new member of the Permanent Group of Experts, replacing Donald Cameron Orth.

The Committee also discussed a range of issues under the following separate agenda items: “subsidies and overcapacity” (item sponsored by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States); “France’s electric vehicle subsidies programme” (item sponsored by the Republic of Korea); “subsidies and the level playing field” (item requested by China); “transnational subsidies” (item requested by the United States); and “China’s first set technology equipment programme” (item sponsored by the United States).

Next meeting

The Chair reminded members that the autumn 2026 meetings of the SCM Committee are scheduled to take place in the week of 26 October 2026.

More information about the SCM Agreement and the WTO’s work on subsidies and countervailing measures can be found here.

The 2026 Public Forum will consider the role of services trade as an engine of development, source of income, and driver of job creation and empowerment worldwide, particularly for women and young people. More information about this year’s event is available here.

Call for proposals

Participants interested in organizing a working session can find details on the application process in this information note, which includes access to the online application form. To submit a proposal for the Trade Policy Hub, which brings together researchers and policymakers, an information note with more details is available here. 

All proposals must be submitted by 15 June 2026 (23:59 CET). As in previous years, all Forum sessions are organized by participants.

Registration

Individuals wishing to attend the Public Forum must complete the online registration form by 21 August 2026 (23:59 CET).

Background

The Public Forum is the WTO’s largest outreach event, providing a unique platform for interested stakeholders from around the world to discuss the latest developments in global trade and to propose ways of enhancing the multilateral trading system. The event attracts over 2,000 representatives each year from civil society, academia, business, government, international organizations and the media. See more information on previous Public Fora.

Should you have any questions, please contact the Public Forum Team at: [email protected].

The capacity-building activities by the WTO Secretariat are intended to help government officials broaden their expertise in WTO matters, including their rights and obligations under WTO agreements, and their ability to negotiate trade rules, as well as promote their domestic interests. The objective of the Global Trust Fund, which has delivered approximately 2,800 workshops since 2001, is to support developing economies and LDCs in leveraging global trade to drive economic development.

Andrew Rizk said: “I thank Sweden for renewing its invaluable contribution to the Global Trust Fund. Through technical assistance and capacity-building activities, the WTO Secretariat seeks to support developing economies and LDCs in participating fully in the WTO so that they may widen their trading prospects at the global level.”

Ambassador Tornberg said: “Trade is a powerful engine for development. Through Sweden’s contribution to the Global Trust Fund, we are investing in the ability of developing countries, especially least developed countries, to engage effectively in the multilateral trading system and use trade to support sustainable and inclusive economic growth. This reflects Sweden’s longstanding commitment to trade-related capacity-building as an important pillar of our development cooperation and to a strong, rules-based multilateral trading system.”

Since beginning its contributions in 2002, Sweden has provided CHF 70 million to the Global Trust Fund to support the effective participation of all WTO members in trade.

Information session on trade facilitation and rules of origin

An information session held on 12 May explored the intersection between trade facilitation and rules of origin. The session was jointly opened by the Chair of the CRO together with the Chair of the Committee on Trade Facilitation, Mr Edem Kossi of Togo, underscoring the close links between the two committees’ areas of work.

The session provided members with an opportunity to exchange experiences on initiatives aimed at facilitating trade and compliance with origin-related requirements. The discussions covered four broad themes: the digitization of origin-related procedures, good practices pertaining to proofs of origin, trends and reforms aimed at simplifying rules of origin, and the role of advance rulings under the Agreement on Rules of Origin.

In her opening remarks, Ms Tsang stated: “In an increasingly complex trading environment, simplification is not just a technical exercise – it is a real necessity. By reducing unnecessary complexity in rules of origin and promoting their transparency, we can help unlock trade opportunities, support businesses, and strengthen the resilience of global supply chains.” The CRO, she added, has a role to play in promoting this agenda and fostering experience sharing among WTO members.

Mr Kossi said: “By continuing to modernize and facilitate all aspects of import and export processes, including rules of origin, we can further reduce trade costs, improve efficiency, and ensure that the benefits of international trade are more widely shared. In this respect, the implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement can provide new impetus for rules of origin reform and origin administration.”

Presentations were delivered by the WTO Secretariat, the COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) Secretariat, the World Customs Organization (WCO), A.P. Moller – Maersk, and representatives of Canada, Chile, China, Japan and Viet Nam.

Ms Tsang noted that bringing together members, international organizations and the private sector helps ground the Committee‘s technical discussions in the practical realities faced by customs authorities, traders and other economic operators.

Transparency initiatives and notifications

Two members submitted updated notifications of their non-preferential rules of origin: the Kyrgyz Republic  and Nigeria. Nigeria’s submission was its first-ever notification under Article 5 of the Agreement on Rules of Origin, while the Kyrgyz Republic notified amendments to the non-preferential rules of origin applicable to goods imported into the customs territory of the Eurasian Economic Union. Article 5 of the WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin sets out the notification obligations for members regarding their non-preferential rules of origin.

The WTO Secretariat reported that 58 members have notified that they apply non-preferential rules of origin, 61 members do not apply such rules, and 21 members have yet to communicate this information. Nine members have now updated their notifications using the voluntary “template” proposed by the Chair of the CRO in 2024.

Members continued their work on improving transparency in rules of origin. The Secretariat presented practices identified in other WTO bodies that could help improve compliance with notification obligations, drawing on a structured report prepared by the Council for Trade in Goods. These practices included creating training materials and guidelines, notification templates, dedicated databases and online portals and conducting experience-sharing sessions. Members welcomed continued discussion on how to improve the timeliness, quality and usability of notifications.

Members also agreed to a proposal, co-sponsored by Australia, Canada, Japan and the United Kingdom, to reorganize the document symbols used for notifications of preferential and non-preferential rules of origin to make it easier for delegations to retrieve notifications and distinguish between different types of rules of origin. Secretariat work on this is expected to be completed later in 2026.

Preferential rules of origin for LDCs

Members devoted substantial attention to charting a way forward for the Committee’s work on preferential rules of origin for LDCs. Two papers framed the discussions: a submission from preference-granting members – Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Switzerland and the United Kingdom; and a communication from the LDC Group titled “Resuming Work on Rules of Origin after MC14”, aimed at resetting the ground for discussions.

The Group identified six areas of best practice, covering both the core disciplines of preferential rules of origin (such as how the ad valorem percentage is calculated) and the procedural requirements that traders must meet to claim preferences (such as proof of origin and cumulation).

Members welcomed both papers as constructive contributions and signalled willingness to continue engagement bilaterally and in the Committee.

Other Committee work

The United Kingdom presented updates to its Developing Countries Trading Scheme, a preferential trading scheme that cuts tariffs and simplifies trading rules for 65 developing countries, including LDCs. The updates, which entered into force on 1 January 2026, are reflected in its revised notification to the Committee. The updates include new and expanded regional cumulation arrangements in Africa and Asia, as well as more flexible rules of origin for apparel products.

Japan presented its outreach and awareness-raising activities for traders on rules of origin, sharing experience from its dedicated online portal, workshops and consultation services. The WCO Secretariat reported on the activities of its Technical Committee on Rules of Origin. Switzerland provided an overview of the modernized Specific Annex K of the Revised Kyoto Convention, the international agreement administered by the WCO that sets common standards for simplifying and harmonizing customs procedures. The amended Annex, adopted in April 2026, sets out international standards on both non-preferential and preferential rules of origin, including provisions on cumulation, proof of origin and self-certification.

Next meetings

The next formal meetings of the Committee are scheduled for 7-8 October 2026 and 4-5 May 2027.

Background

Rules of origin are the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product. Rules of origin are important in the application of import duties as well as trade policy instruments such as anti-dumping and countervailing duties, origin marking, and safeguard measures.

There is a wide variation in the practice of governments with regard to rules of origin. The WTO’s Agreement on Rules of Origin aims at long-term harmonization of rules of origin, other than rules of origin relating to the granting of tariff preferences, and at ensuring that such rules do not themselves create unnecessary obstacles to trade. It also provides for transitional disciplines. An annex to the Agreement sets out a “common declaration” with respect to the operation of rules of origin on goods which qualify for preferential treatment.

Further information on the WTO’s work regarding rules of origin can be found at www.wto.org/origin.