The Senate passed a bill that directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop a methodology to identify the country of origin of imported red snapper and some tuna species. The goal is for CBP to be able to confiscate illegally caught red snapper and tuna at the time of import.
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Democrats jointly criticized what they called "ongoing trade chaos," and what they called secretive negotiations between the U.S. and countries under threat.
The House of Representatives passed a tax bill, 218-214, that includes language that will end de minimis eligibility for all e-commerce, beginning July 1, 2027. The bill, which also extends individual and pass-through business tax breaks passed during the first Trump administration, now heads to the president's desk.
Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., and four other House Democrats wrote to the president with questions about possible tariff rate quotas for Mexican steel, after reading reports that the U.S. might agree to drop 50% tariffs on Mexican steel in a TRQ arrangement.
Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D., introduced a bill June 26 that would reauthorize the Federal Maritime Commission from FY 2026 to FY 2029 and give the agency several new tools to protect ocean shipping.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., introduced the Drones for America Act, which would impose tariffs on Chinese drones and drone parts that escalate until drones with Chinese components are banned in 2028.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and 25 other House Democrats asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to tell them by July 10 whether the administration is going to carve out baby products from tariffs on Chinese goods. In a letter publicized June 26, the members noted that Bessent said exempting baby products was under consideration on May 7, and that the president also said he would "take a look at it" in response to questions that day.
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., speaking at the NATO Public Forum in the Netherlands, said she believes Congress is ready to approve a bill that would impose a wide range of sanctions on Russia and its supporters if Moscow refuses to reach a peace deal with Ukraine, including a 500% tariff on imported goods from countries that buy Russian oil, gas, uranium and other products (see 2504020003).
The Senate confirmed Paul Dabbar (see 2505140066) to be deputy commerce secretary in a vote June 25, 56-40. Three Democrats and Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats, supported his nomination. The role is essentially the chief of operations for the agency.
Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee asked the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force to brief them on what it is going to do to combat the Chinese government's transfers of Uyghur workers to other provinces, thereby avoiding the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act ban on imports. They also asked what is the interagency task force's "plan for engagement with the private sector to improve compliance with the UFPLA."