About me

Address: Washington, D.C.: Robert S. Strauss Tower, 2001 K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20006-1037

Areas of Focus: International Trade; International Trade Policy; Trade Remedy Litigation; Pro Bono; World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Resolution & Counseling; Sovereign Governments; Climate Change; Tariff Enforcement Defense; International Trade Commission

Biography:
Bernd advises clients around the globe across a range of trade litigation proceedings arising under U.S. law. These include AD/CVD and safeguard law, U.S. customs requirements, Section 232 of the U.S. Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Bernd helps clients navigate duty and penalty risk arising under these laws, develops litigation strategy geared to current U.S. trade policy, and represents clients in appeals before U.S. courts and international tribunals.
Bernd assists companies in multiple industries—including the automotive, building materials, chemicals, energy and metals industries—taking care to understand the unique challenges each faces in the context of rapidly evolving and complex U.S. and international trade requirements. He is detail-oriented, yet has the ability to communicate core issues in clear terms.
Bernd assists corporate and sovereign clients in Canada, China, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Singapore. He also works closely with U.S. importers facing risks from the enforcement of U.S. trade law.

Representative Work:
- Enabled Pulsetech Products Corporation to exclude certain solar products imported from China from duty liability arising under AD/CVD and safeguard orders.
- Helped Shikoku Chemicals Corporation, a leading Japanese producer of water treatment chemicals, to escape AD duties through a finding by the U.S. International Trade Commission that the Japanese-origin imports did not injure the U.S. industry.
- Represented the government of British Columbia in a CVD case against Catalyst Paper, one of the province’s largest manufacturing employers. The Commerce Department initially imposed a CVD order, but on review found that British Columbia did not subsidize Catalyst.
- Represented NEC Energy Solutions in achieving an exclusion from duties that would otherwise have been imposed under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
- Advising multiple U.S. importers, and foreign governments, in seeking exclusions from duties on aluminum and steel applied under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., The George Washington University Law School, 1996; M.I.A., Columbia University, 1992; B.A., Bethel College, 1988 (cum laude)
Bar Admissions: District of Columbia, 2002; New York, 1997
Court Admissions: U.S. Court of International Trade

Recognitions:
- Chambers Global , International Trade: Trade Remedies and Trade Policy, USA, 2020-2025.
- Chambers USA, International Trade: Trade Remedies and Trade Policy, 2018-2026.
- The Legal 500 US , International Trade, 2016-2022, and International Trade: Trade Remedies and Trade Policy, 2023-2024 and "Leading Partner," 2024-2026.

Affiliations:
- Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel for Import Administration, 1996 to 2000.

Insights:
- Akin Secures Top Rankings in The Legal 500 US 2026  (June 10, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-secures-top-rankings-in-the-legal-500-us-2026
- Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices  (June 4, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-usa-2026-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices
- Pallets, Penalties and Parallel Proceedings: $549.5 Million Perfectus Aluminum Settlement Sets a New High-Water Mark in False Claims Act Trade Fraud Enforcement (May 15, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/pallets-penalties-and-parallel-proceedings-dollar5495-million-perfectus-aluminum-settlement-sets-a-new-high-water-mark-in-false-claims-act-trade-fraud-enforcement
- From Forest to Felony: Boise Cascade’s $6.3 Million Lacey Act Plea Signals a New Front in DOJ’s Trade Fraud Crackdown (April 29, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/from-forest-to-felony-boise-cascades-dollar63-million-lacey-act-plea-signals-a-new-front-in-dojs-trade-fraud-crackdown
- Chambers Global Recognizes Akin’s Lawyers and Practices in 2026 Edition (February 12, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-global-recognizes-akins-lawyers-and-practices-in-2026-edition
- New Antidumping Duty Petition on Fresh Winter Strawberries From Mexico (December 31, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-antidumping-duty-petition-on-fresh-winter-strawberries-from-mexico
- New Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Petitions on Van-Type Trailers and Subassemblies Thereof from Canada, Mexico, and China (November 24, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-antidumping-and-countervailing-duty-petitions-on-van-type-trailers-and-subassemblies-thereof-from-canada-mexico-and-china
- WTO Rules Against EU’s Attribution Method, Avoids Definitive Ruling on Legality of Transnational Subsidies (October 8, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/wto-rules-against-eus-attribution-method-avoids-definitive-ruling-on-legality-of-transnational-subsidies
- AD/CVD Petitions on Solar Cells and Modules from India, Indonesia and Laos (“Solar IV”) (July 25, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/adcvd-petitions-on-solar-cells-and-modules-from-india-indonesia-and-laos-solar-iv
- Akin Secures Top Rankings in The Legal 500 US 2025  (June 12, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-secures-top-rankings-in-the-legal-500-us-2025
- Chambers USA 2025 Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices (June 5, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-usa-2025-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices
- New Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty Petition on Silicon Metal from Angola, Australia, Laos, Norway and Thailand (April 25, 2025): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/new-antidumping-duty-and-countervailing-duty-petition-on-silicon-metal-from-angola-australia-laos-norway-and-thailand