Our Website Uses Cookies
We and the third parties that provide content, functionality, or business services on our website may use cookies to collect information about your browsing activities in order to provide you with more relevant content and promotional materials, on and off the website, and help us understand your interests and improve the website.
For more information, please contact us or consult our Privacy Notice.
Your binder contains too many pages, the maximum is 40.
We are unable to add this page to your binder, please try again later.
This page has been added to your binder.
- Home
- Professionals
- Christopher Adams
Christopher Adams advises clients on matters involving China and the region. A non-lawyer, Mr. Adams recently served as the Senior Coordinator for China Affairs at the Treasury Department. He coordinated China policy issues across the U.S. government, led negotiations with China on a broad range of trade and investment issues, managed the highest level U.S.-China economic policy dialogues for the Obama and Trump administrations, and advised the Treasury Secretary and other cabinet officials.
Mr. Adams helped develop and implement U.S. trade policy toward China with the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) from 2007 to 2015 as Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs, Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy USTR, and Minister Counselor for Trade Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, USTR’s first representative in China.
Mr. Adams directed government affairs, public relations, and corporate marketing in China for the Eastman Kodak Company from 2001 to 2006 as Chief Representative for China; Vice President, North Asia Region; and Director, Olympic Programs. During this time, Mr. Adams was elected to four consecutive terms as a Governor of the American Chamber of Commerce in China and served on the Chamber’s Public Policy Development Committee.
Mr. Adams assisted companies with market access issues as a commercial officer in the U.S. Foreign Commercial Service in Beijing and Taipei, from 1993 to 2001. Before joining the Commerce Department, Mr. Adams managed media relations and information programs with the American Institute in Taiwan and directed business advisory services at a private trade association in Washington, DC.
Previous Experience
- U.S. Treasury Department, Senior Coordinator for China Affairs (2015-2018)
- Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China Affairs; Senior Policy Advisor to the Deputy USTR; and Minister Counselor for Trade Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing (2007-2015)
- Eastman Kodak Company, Chief Representative for China; Vice President, North Asia Region; and Director, Olympic Programs (2001-2006)
- U.S. Foreign Commercial Service, Commercial Officer (1993-2001)
February 2021
As the legal, regulatory, and commercial implications of coronavirus COVID-19 continue to evolve, our lawyers and advisors are helping clients navigate the complex considerations that companies around the world are facing and develop plans and strategies in response. Reach out to our COVID-19 task force at COVID19@cov.com. Below is a compendium of resources ...
China Issues Rules to Counteract “Unjustified” Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Measures
January 12, 2021, Covington Alert
On January 9, 2021, China’s Ministry of Commerce released the Rules on Counteracting Unjustified Extraterritorial Application of Foreign Legislation and Other Measures, which took effect immediately. Specifically, the Rules are designed to “counteract” the extraterritorial application of “foreign [i.e., non-Chinese] legislation” or “measures” when such ...
November 16, 2020, Covington Alert
On Thursday, November 12, 2020, President Trump signed an Executive Order (the “Order”) that, beginning on January 11, 2021, will prohibit U.S. persons from transacting in the publicly traded securities of 31 companies that the Department of Defense has identified as “Communist Chinese military companies.” The requirement for the Department of Defense to create ...
September 21, 2020, Covington Alert
On September 19, 2020, China’s Ministry of Commerce ("MOFCOM") issued regulations that provide new details on the government’s plans for an “Unreliable Entity List” first proposed in May 2019.
July 16, 2020, Covington Alert
In our client alert of May 29, 2020, we reported on the initial U.S. government reaction to the announced intention of China’s legislature, the National People’s Congress (“NPC”), to unilaterally impose national security legislation on Hong Kong. As expected, on June 30, the NPC unanimously adopted the “Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding ...
June 9, 2020, Covington Alert
It has been publicly reported that discussions are underway within the Trump Administration for a coordinated interagency initiative to remove key industrial supply chain dependencies from overseas, especially China, and redouble efforts to secure such supply chains in the United States. While this initiative proceeds alongside ongoing efforts to secure supply ...
May 29, 2020, Covington Alert
On May 27, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo certified to Congress pursuant to the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 that "Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997." In a statement, Secretary Pompeo attributed this action to the announced ...
April 20, 2020, Covington Alert
In response to ongoing requests for tariff relief from importers facing economic hardship during the COVID-19 crisis as well as pressure from Congress, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury released a joint temporary final rule on April 19, 2020, that provides importers with an option to delay the payment of certain ...
COVID-19 Tariff Relief
March 25, 2020, Covington Alert
USTR may exclude tariffs on Chinese imports related to COVID-19 response In response to COVID-19, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative ("USTR") announced on March 20, 2020, that it is inviting comments on possible modifications to the list of goods from China subjected to additional tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 (“Section 301 ...
January 17, 2020, Covington Alert
On January 15, 2020, President Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He signed the much-anticipated “Phase One” trade agreement between the U.S. and China. Set to take effect no later than February 14, 2020, the “Economic and Trade Agreement Between the United States of America and the People’s Republic of China” (the “Agreement”) is the first formal accord ...
October 21, 2019, Covington Alert
On October 18, 2019, the U.S. Administration announced the launch of a new product-specific exclusion request process for tariffs on approximately $112 billion in Chinese imports that were imposed on September 1, 2019. The exclusion process will close on January 31, 2020, and its requirements are similar to those applicable to the latest exclusion process for an ...
August 30, 2019, Covington Alert
On August 27 and 29, 2019, the U.S. Administration released notices concerning increases in certain tariffs on Chinese imports, marking the latest escalation in bilateral trade frictions.
August 28, 2019, Covington Alert
On August 23, 2019, President Donald J. Trump tweeted: "Our great American companies are hereby ordered to immediately start looking for an alternative to China, including bringing . . . your companies HOME and making your products in the USA."
June 21, 2019, Covington Alert
Earlier this week, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced a process through which companies can request that their products be excluded from duties imposed on $200 billion in Chinese imports under Section 301 of the Tariff Act of 1974 (Section 301). Tariffs on these imports have been in effect since September 2018, and recently increased ...
May 14, 2019, Covington Alert
On May 13, days after increasing tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports, the U.S. Administration proposed imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on a new list of $300 billion in Chinese imports. The Administration cited China’s “failure to meaningfully address” problematic intellectual property (IP) practices and its retaliatory responses to U.S. tariffs ...
May 8, 2019, Covington Alert
On May 8, the U.S. Administration confirmed its intent to increase tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports from 10 percent to 25 percent, effective Friday, May 10, 2019, and establish a process for requesting exclusions from these tariffs. As justification for these actions, the Administration cites the “lack of progress in discussions with China” and ...
April 8, 2019, Covington Alert
On March 15, 2019, China’s National People’s Congress voted to adopt a new Foreign Investment Law (the “FIL”). The FIL will come into effect on January 1, 2020 and may significantly change China’s framework for regulating foreign investment. Foreign invested entities (“FIEs”) established prior to the FIL’s effective date will have five years to amend their ...
February 19, 2019, Covington Alert
Late last week, President Trump signed an appropriations bill to keep the government funded. In its Joint Explanatory Statement accompanying this legislation, Congress directed the Trump Administration to establish an exclusion request process for tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese imports by March 17, 2019, in line with the process provided for prior rounds of ...
December 3, 2018, Covington Alert
On December 1, during a working dinner meeting in Buenos Aires following the G20 Summit, U.S. President Donald J. Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to temporarily ease trade tensions as both sides continue negotiating over longer-term solutions to U.S. concerns about bilateral economic relations.
September 18, 2018, Covington Alert
On September 17, 2018, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released its final list of approximately $200 billion in Chinese imports subject to an additional ad valorem tariff. The final list, which covers 5,745 product categories, will take effect on September 24, 2018.
August 8, 2018
The Trump Administration has released its final list of approximately $16 billion in Chinese imports that will be subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem tariff, which will go into effect on August 23, 2018. The Administration has announced that it will provide an opportunity to request that "particular products" subject to the additional duties be ...
July 30, 2018, Covington Alert
On May 24, 2018, China filled the top positions at the State Bureau of Film (Film Bureau) and State Administration of Press and Publication (SAPP). Both appointments fill vacancies created by the dismantling of the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television (SAPPRFT) and continue apparent Communist Party of China (CPC) efforts to ...
July 11, 2018, Covington Alert
Last night, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) released a new proposed list of $200 billion worth of products from China that could face an additional 10 percent ad valorem tariff. The list covers 6,031 product categories, including a multitude of consumer goods such as luggage, tires, furniture, apparel, mattresses, household goods, components ...
July 10, 2018, Covington Alert
As anticipated, an additional 25 percentage point ad valorem tariff on $34 billion worth of Chinese imports into the United States (covering 818 product categories in sectors including aerospace, information communication technology, machinery, and medical instruments) went into effect on July 6, 2018.
June 27, 2018, Covington Alert
We write to report on two important developments regarding the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act (FIRRMA), a bi-partisan effort to reform the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and the broader policy debate within the U.S. government on regulatory mechanisms to address foreign investment, particularly from China. On June ...
June 15, 2018, Covington Alert
As anticipated, the Trump Administration today released its final list of Chinese imports subject to an additional 25 percent ad valorem tariff. The imposition of the tariffs follows the Administration’s determination in March that China’s technology transfer and intellectual property (“IP”) policies are harming U.S. companies, and the submission of public ...
May 8, 2018, Covington Alert
It has been publicly reported that the Trump Administration is considering invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to further regulate—and in certain areas potentially preclude—Chinese direct investment in the United States, beyond the authorities exercised by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The prospect ...
May 4, 2018, Covington Alert
The Trump Administration’s senior economic and trade officials held talks with their Chinese counterparts in Beijing, May 3-4. The talks concluded with no agreement, and each side tabled expansive demands that appear well beyond what the other side would be able to accept.
April 4, 2018, Covington Alert
On April 3, the Trump Administration proposed a list of approximately 1,300 products originating from China that would bear an additional 25 percent ad valorem import tariff and requested public comments on the list, following the Administration’s determination last month that China’s technology transfer and intellectual property (“IP”) policies are harming U.S. ...
March 22, 2018, Covington Alert
Earlier today, the administration announced its findings that China’s theft of U.S. technologies and intellectual property (“IP”) have caused at least $50 billion in harm to the U.S. economy per year.
March 15, 2018, Covington Alert
Following the recent U.S. announcement of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the United States is now poised to implement trade sanctions against China stemming from an investigation of that country’s intellectual property (“IP”) practices.
It's omnibus week
March 12, 2018, Politico
Timothy Hester is quoted in a Politico article regarding Christopher Adams' recent arrival as a Senior Advisor in Covington's Public Policy and Government Affairs and International Trade practices. “Chris’ addition further strengthens the firm’s China practice and deepens our expertise and capability to help clients in one of the world’s largest and most ...
March 12, 2018
WASHINGTON—Christopher Adams has joined Covington as a Senior Advisor in the Public Policy and Government Affairs and International Trade practices in Washington. Mr. Adams will focus on China policy and trade issues. Mr. Adams most recently served as the Senior Coordinator for China Affairs at the Treasury Department. He coordinated China policy issues across ...

COVID-19: Legal and Business Toolkit
We are helping clients around the world navigate this evolving, complex situation.

Doing Business in China?
Covington helps clients validate or recalibrate their existing strategies for doing business in and with China.