After House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., met with Kenyan President William Ruto, he joined the Senate Finance Committee chairman's call to negotiate a trade liberalizing free trade agreement with Kenya. Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., earlier in the week asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to upgrade its trade negotiations with Kenya so that it's working toward a goal of a comprehensive trade agreement (see 2405210051).

Senators and witnesses focused on de minimis and CBP's data collecting authorities -- both sides agreeing that data collection, particularly from partner government agencies, needs to be refined, and that de minimis is a useful trade facilitation tool.

The top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked the U.S. trade representative to upgrade its trade negotiations with Kenya so that it's working toward a goal of a comprehensive trade agreement.

Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Drones for First Responders, a bill that would impose a 30% tariff on Chinese drones, with a 5% escalation annually. The bill, co-sponsored by House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., along with Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Va., Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Jim Banks, R-Ind., would use the revenue to help farmers, first responders and critical infrastructure facilities to purchase drones made in the U.S. or by allies. The bill also would require that drones imported in 2030 or later not contain certain components made in China.

A bipartisan bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard for retractable awnings passed the House May 14 by voice vote.

A bipartisan effort has begun to undo Treasury rulemaking that allows automakers a longer period to move away from Chinese graphite and other critical minerals, and allows them to continue to use rollup methodology to calculate the percentage of qualifying critical minerals (see 2405030060).

A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would prohibit ships from either bringing passengers to the U.S. or bringing in goods if they docked at a port or marine terminal that was expropriated from a U.S. company in the Western Hemisphere.

A bill that would establish a critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response program in the Commerce Department passed in the House of Representatives May 15 on a 390-19 vote.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., criticized President Joe Biden's decision to hike tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles under Section 301. Once the change is implemented, a Polestar or Volvo EV would be taxed at 102.5% rather than 27.5%. Rubio, in a letter sent May 14, said the tariff on cars with internal combustion engines must be equally high, because China exported 3.7 million ICE vehicles last year, compared with 1.2 million EVs.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith, R-Mo., along with 17 Republicans on the committee, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., have introduced a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill to remove $1.3 million a day in tariffs on items not available from domestic producers.