Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and nine other Republicans asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to use import-restriction authorities to stop the import of illegally harvested red snapper.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, former ranking member of the House Select Committee China, hailed the passage of more funding for the Trade Fraud Task Force. The money was in a spending package for the Justice Department that passed both chambers of Congress this week, and is headed for the president's desk. The task force (see 2509020052) was given $2 million.

Witnesses at a House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee hearing about digital trade and international protections of intellectual property rights praised the Trump administration's work on maintaining a moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, such as music downloads, streaming films and software.

House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, introduced a bill last week that would impose 10% tariffs on goods imported from countries that have trade surpluses with the U.S. and 15% tariffs on goods from countries that have trade deficits with the U.S.

The Committee to Support US Trade Laws said that while it supports the Commerce Department appropriations bill that advanced in the House of Representatives this week, it "is disappointed by the decrease in funding of the International Trade Administration’s (ITA) budget from last year to $562 million in direct appropriations."

Rep. Max Miller, R-Ohio, has introduced a bill that would reduce or waive tariffs on some imports for manufacturers who qualify for new general import licenses.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., issued a statement Jan. 7 saying that he hopes there will be a vote on the Russia sanctions bill (see 2512190029 and 2601050050) "as early as next week."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced Jan. 5 that he has appointed Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to replace Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., as ranking member of the House Select Committee on China.

Thirteen House Democrats are asking DHS to explain why there have been fewer detentions since March, why no new entities have been added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List since Jan. 15, and to explain CBP's strategy for enforcing UFLPA in high-priority sectors.

A bipartisan letter from 29 members of the House Ways and Means Committee asked Canada to repeal its Online Streaming Act. Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-Pa., and Trade Subcommittee ranking member Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., led the letter, as they said the act disadvantages U.S. streaming companies by making them produce local Canadian content.