U.S. imports got a boost in December and are likely to be elevated in January compared with year-ago levels, according to the National Retail Federation, as retailers brought in spring merchandise early to hedge against the potential of a labor strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast terminals -- a strike threat that was averted this week (see 2501090003).
The Coalition for a Prosperous America, an advocacy group aligned with President-elect Donald Trump's trade and manufacturing policies, is calling on his administration to reinstate Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel. "If Mexico continues to breach its commitments, CPA urges the Trump administration to reconsider Mexico’s participation in USMCA altogether," the group wrote in a release issued Jan. 10.
A December report from the Labor Center at the University of Massachusetts Amherst alleges that outdoor lifestyle retailer REI has not been vigilant about ensuring the prevention of forced labor in its supply chain. REI said it's "deeply committed" to holding supply partners to "the highest standards of accountability."
The Border Trade Alliance released a Dec. 30 letter it sent to the Mexican Embassy asking that nation to pause its regulatory changes that end tariff-free treatment of apparel and textile home goods that are imported into Mexico but destined for U.S. consumers. The same change also increased the tariffs on 121 apparel goods from China to 35% (see 2412240009).
The Southern Shrimp Alliance again requested that Chinese company Rongcheng Sanyue Foodstuff Co., Ltd., be added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act’s Entity List, in a letter sent Dec. 30 to DHS' Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force.
A new Section 301 investigation on Chinese legacy chips may lead to a tariff regime that could create havoc, according to Sidley Austin's Ted Murphy, who specializes in trade and customs.
Donald Trump's return to the White House brings a "lack of predictability," Baker McKenzie attorneys said during a webinar last week on how threatened tariffs could affect countries around the globe.
Flexport employees advised attendees on a webinar this week to prepare for a scaling back of de minimis, in case the rulemaking that removes goods subject to Section 301 tariffs moves forward.
Running a large trade surplus with the U.S. is only one way to draw President-elect Donald Trump's tariff fire, argues a new report from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation; other ways would be by expecting the U.S. to provide a defense umbrella, enacting digital services taxes or other anti-U.S. regulations, and taking what ITIF called "soft positions toward China."
Singapore-headquartered Maxeon Solar Technologies says CBP continues to detain its solar panels imported from Mexico even though the company has provided proof that its solar panels comply with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act.