The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for June 1:
The Bureau of Industry and Security is shortening the period until deadline for comments on its investigation into how aluminum imports affect national security, the agency said (here). BIS must now receive written submissions by June 23 to be considered in drafting the final report, but commenters are “encouraged” to submit information by June 20, BIS said. The agency’s previous deadline was June 29 (see 1705080004). “Moving the deadline for all written submissions to June 23, 2017 will enable the Commerce Department to more expeditiously finalize the report, taking account of the time-sensitive nature of the national security implications related to this section 232 investigation of aluminum, and of the President’s direction to move quickly on this important matter,” BIS said. “The Commerce Department has included one additional day after the [June 22 investigation] hearing concludes to allow people who attend or view remotely the hearing to submit any additional comments they may have in response to testimony during the hearing.”
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) updated the encryption section of its website to reflect the changes to the encryption regulations in September 2016 (see 1609200066 and 1609190033), the agency said. The encryption section of the website can be found (here).
The Commerce Department issued its quarterly update (here) to its annual list of foreign government subsidies on articles of cheese subject to an in-quota rate of duty that were imported during the period Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, 2016. The agency found that only Canada is providing subsidies, in the form of export assistance.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will hold a public hearing June 22 to inform its investigation on how aluminum imports affect national security, it said in a notice (here). BIS is also accepting comments on the investigation, which started April 26 (see 1704270024), until June 29. BIS is seeking information on how aluminum imports could impact national security, including quantity or other characteristics related to the importation of aluminum, effect of foreign competition on economic welfare of the aluminum industry, displacement of domestic aluminum causing substantial unemployment, decrease in government revenues, and “relevant factors” causing or that will cause a weakening of the national economy, it said in the notice, signed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. BIS is accepting written requests to appear at the public hearing through June 15.
The U.S. trade deficit with Japan and Mexico grew “at an alarming rate” between February and March, and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross committed to rebalancing U.S. trade relationships, according to a Commerce Department announcement (here). The trade deficit with Mexico increased by $363 million and the deficit with Japan increased by $1.6 billion during the same time frame, Commerce’s March 2017 U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services monthly data showed. “The United States can no longer sustain this inflated trade deficit with our closest trading partners,” Ross said in a statement. “The Trump administration is committed to rebalancing our trade relationships in order to protect American workers and businesses from lopsided trade relationships.”
The Commerce Department is accepting public comments on any subsidies, including stumpage, paid by certain countries that exported softwood lumber to the U.S. between July 1 and Dec. 31, Commerce said (here). Comments are due June 5. The Softwood Lumber Act of 2008 requires Commerce to submit a report every 180 days on any subsidy provided by nations exporting softwood lumber or softwood products to the U.S., including subsidies for stumpage. Commerce is seeking public comment on subsidies paid by countries whose exports composed at least 1 percent of total U.S. softwood imports by quantity, as classified under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) subheading 4407.10.01, the agency said. International Trade Commission Tariff and Trade DataWeb information indicates that only Canada exported softwood lumber to the U.S. during that six-month period in amounts sufficient to account for at least 1 percent of U.S. imports of softwood lumber products.
The Trump administration may launch Section 232 investigations that could result in additional tariffs on semiconductors, shipbuilding and aluminum, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (here). Like an investigation on steel launched on April 20 (see 1704200029), the investigations would determine the effects of imports of each product and their effects on national security, potentially resulting in tariffs or other import and export restraints. A Section 232 investigation on aluminum is expected to be announced soon, CNBC reported (here). The Bureau of Industry and Security, which carries out Section 232 investigations, did not immediately comment.
The Bureau of Industry and Security will hold a public hearing May 24 to inform its investigation on how steel imports affect national security, it said in a notice (here). BIS is also accepting comments on the investigation, which started April 19 (see 1704200029), until May 31. BIS is seeking information on several elements of steel imports that could impact national security, including quantity or other characteristics related to the importation of steel, effect of foreign competition on economic welfare of the steel industry, displacement of domestic steel causing substantial unemployment, decrease in government revenues, and “relevant factors” causing or that will cause a weakening of the national economy, it said in the notice, signed by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. BIS is accepting written requests to appear at the public hearing through May 17.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for April 25: