Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., and 40 other House Democrats are asking Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas "to crack down on the de minimis trade loopholes allowing cheap fast-fashion products to flow into the U.S."

Sen. Josh Hawley wants the baseline tariff on cars made by Chinese companies to be 100%, not 2.5%, and to apply whether those cars are assembled in China, Thailand, Brazil, Hungary or Mexico.

A bipartisan pair of Arizona congressmen recently introduced the CBP Hiring and Retention Act, also called CBP Hire, which would give DHS the ability to bypass usual federal hiring routines for rural areas if the agency determines there's a critical hiring need in the region.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., started a Congressional Review Act process that could restore a ban on beef imports from Paraguay if it passes in both chambers. The two had already tried to introduce a bill to ban the beef imports.

With no legislative action on a proposal to end China's eligibility for de minimis shipments, one of its authors, Sen. Sherrod Brown, is asking the Biden administration to end de minimis treatment for all e-commerce purchases, or, at least, stop de minimis treatment for goods subject to partner government agency review, products that are trade priorities, and goods subject to Section 301 and Section 232 tariffs.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., said the Strengthen Wood Product Supply Chains Act (see 2402140043) would "significantly undermine Lacey Act enforcement efforts targeting the illegal trade in timber, wood products, and wildlife."

Sens. Ted Budd, R-N.C., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., have sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai urging them to take action to “immediately and meaningfully limit the volume of Mexican steel concrete reinforcing bar (rebar) being imported into the United States.”

The leaders of the House Select Committee on China on Feb. 22 urged the Volkswagen Group to improve its compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act following a report that CBP seized thousands of the company’s Audi, Bentley and Porsche cars at U.S. ports for illegally containing parts made with forced labor in Xinjiang, China (see 2402150026).

A group of 12 members of the House Ways and Means Committee has urged the Biden administration to investigate allegations that at least six Chinese fishing companies that supply U.S. markets employ Uyghur forced labor.

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, announced Feb. 21 that he has introduced legislation to prohibit "dangerous" fresh beef imports from Paraguay.