Tim Warren

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) pushed for a high-standard Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement April 18, 2012, that will increase U.S. competitiveness and help American businesses create jobs through increased exports to some of the world’s most dynamic economies, said a press release from Baucus' office. At an event with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP, House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) and Ambassadors from the TPP partner countries, Baucus highlighted the opportunity the agreement presents for the U.S. economy. The event was hosted by U.S. Business Coalition for TPP.

This summary report highlights the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s April 16, 2012, “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” It also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly April 16, 2012 “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”¹

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) should include a footwear provision that quickly eliminates footwear duties and doesn't include a complex rule-of-origin, said a group of 27 members of Congress in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. According to the lawmakers, footwear tariffs are among the highest in the U.S. even though less than 1 percent of the footwear sold in the U.S. is produced in the U.S.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is requesting to extend the comments deadline to May 21, 2012, on an existing information collection on Country of Origin Marking Requirements for Containers or Holders. CBP proposes to extend the expiration date of this information collection with no change to the burden hours or to the information collected. The notice is scheduled to run in the Federal Register April 19, 2012. This information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (77 FR 6817) on February 9, 2012, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments.

The Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, chaired by Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) scheduled a hearing on “Building Secure Partnerships in Travel, Commerce, and Trade with the Asia-Pacific Region” April 18, 2012, at 2 P.M. Scheduled witnesses are: John Halinski, Assistant Administrator, Office of Global Strategies, Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Mark Koumans, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of International Affairs, Office of Policy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security; Hon. Hans G. Klemm, U.S. Senior Official for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, U.S. Department of State; Gary Wade, Vice President Security, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, Inc., on behalf of the Cargo Airline Association (CAA); Dorothy Reimold, Assistant Director, Security and Travel Facilitation, International Air Transport Association (IATA); Roger Dow, CEO, U.S. Travel Association; Michael Mullen, Executive Director, Express Association of America

U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y) said April 17, 2012, to expect a full reauthoriztion of the U.S. Export-Import Bank sooner rather than later, as bipartisan negotiations are progressing on legislation to increase the bank's lending limit and extend the bank's charter. The current authorization for the bank, which was extended from its original Sept. 30, 2011 expiration, ends May 31, 2012. Schumer said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) has appeared more eager to negotiate a solution with Democrats.

A U.S. Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Related Agencies Subcommittee approved April 17, 2012, a 2013 appropriations bill to give the International Trade Administration $496 million, $31 million more than the fiscal year 2012, to help U.S. farmers, manufacturers, and service providers sell their products overseas, the subcommittee said. The FY13 Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Bill also provides funding for the new Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC) to aggressively tackle unfair trade practices hurting American businesses. The bill would give International Trade Commission $82.8 million for 2013, a $2.8 million increase. The bill also provides $53 million for the office of the U.S. Trade Representatives, up $1.8 million from the 2012 level. The legislation totals $51.862 billion in proposed discretionary budget authority, a reduction of $1 billion below the fiscal year 2012 enacted level, the subcommittee said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has used its allotment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 for the authorized purposes, a Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General (OIG) report found. The report also concluded that CBP, the General Services Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established adequate oversight and monitoring processes and procedures over the construction and alteration projects, said the OIG.

Some twenty staff members from the U.S. House of Representatives, including staff from the Committee on Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, visited the Port of Baltimore April 11, said a U.S. Customs and Border Protection press release. The group, which included Trade Counsel, International Trade Policy Fellows, Senior Policy and Legislative Advisors, Professional Staff, and Legislative Assistants, arrived at the Customs House in Baltimore and were given an overview of Port operations by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Director of Field Operations for the Baltimore Field Office Michael Lovejoy and Acting Port Director for Baltimore Frances Garcia.