Amid rising U.S.-China technology competition, Congress will continue to push for increased restrictions on inbound Chinese investment, said Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill. LaHood also said the Trump administration -- which has experienced success using tariffs and export controls to gain ground in trade negotiations -- will likely continue to leverage those measures, particularly against China.

The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of June 17 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):

The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America will use Sandler Travis as its new customs counsel, the NCBFAA said in a June 16 news release by email. Lenny Feldman will serve as lead counsel within the firm, it said. Sandler Travis and Feldman replace Grunfeld Desiderio and Alan Klestadt, who were the NCBFAA's customs counsel for more than a dozen years, the association said.

The European Union trade policy is under review, aiming for a “fresh medium-term direction” for its trade agenda, a June 16 European Commission news release said. The EC is seeking input from industry, lawmakers and member states to help it respond to “new global challenges” arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan said the EU needs a “tougher approach” to defend against “abusive” trade actions. “The current pandemic is reshaping the world as we know it, and our trade policy must adapt to be more effective in pursuing European interests,” Hogan said in a statement. “With this review, we will listen to everyone who has a stake.”

The Eurasian Economic Commission lifted restrictions on exports of soybeans, a June 12 U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report said. The measure allowed soybeans exports from the Eurasian Economic Union as of June 1, USDA said. The soybeans were previously restricted under a temporary EAEU ban on a range of food products due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That ban is expected to end June 30. The EAEU includes Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The EEC is its regulatory body.

Singapore Customs’ TradeNet will undergo system maintenance June 28 4 a.m. to noon local time, a June 16 notice said. The agency is advising users to avoid submitting applications during this time. This is in addition to usual maintenance on Sundays 4-8 a.m.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service report on the status of U.S. poultry exports to China urges U.S. exporters to reconnect with Chinese importers and distributors and seek out new contacts now that the country is accepting U.S. poultry imports (see 1911140019). The June 11 report outlines current market conditions, access regulations and market entry recommendations. The Chinese market “has changed considerably” since the U.S. “last had market access in 2015,” USDA said, adding that U.S. exporters should consider working with suppliers to China’s “semi-prepared and frozen food processing segments.” That sector has seen “considerable change … and may offer new opportunities for U.S. exporters,” it said.

Importers may want to delay filing for U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement reconciliation because the USMCA currently doesn't allow for post-entry refunds of merchandise processing fees, CBP officials said during a National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones webinar on June 16. Maya Kamar, CBP director for textiles and trade agreements, said that although the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is working with Congress for a legislative fix to the issue, CBP doesn't yet have clarity on whether such a bill will pass (see 2006050034).

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, rejected a compromise position that the United Kingdom reportedly is considering -- ending its ban on U.S. hormone-treated beef and chlorinated chicken, but taxing those imports, and letting food that meets U.K. standards in without a duty. He said the British negotiators believe that this bifurcated approach will encourage U.S. producers to “change our farming practices. But it’s another way of being very protectionist,” he told reporters on a June 16 call. “Agriculture's going to be tough,” he said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is removing the Borax Lake chub (Gila boraxobius), a fish native to Oregon, from the Endangered Species List, a final rule said. Threats to the species have been “eliminated or reduced to the point where it no longer meets the definition of an endangered or a threatened species,” FWS said. The delisting takes effect July 13, 2020.