Peter Navarro, a former academic economist who served in the first Trump administration (see 1911060059 and 2002030056), will return as a trade adviser in the second administration, President-elect Donald Trump announced Dec. 4.
If incoming President Donald Trump imposes 25% tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian imports, it would be deeply disruptive to business in Texas, Arizona, Michigan and southeastern states with major auto manufacturing.
Facing Fentanyl, the Victims of Illicit Drugs and Families Against Fentanyl withdrew their Section 301 petition that asked the U.S. Trade Representative to double the 25% tariffs on Section 301 tariffs on lists 1 and 2 and asked the government to exclude Chinese goods from de minimis (see 2410180039).
The House passed a bill that would create a task force in DOJ to increase prosecutions of tariff evasion, violations of the forced labor provision and ban on goods made in North Korea, trade-based money laundering and smuggling. The bill passed by a voice vote Dec. 3.
President-elect Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he will block the purchase of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel, though it's possible President Joe Biden will take care of that before Trump is inaugurated.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
CBP has determined that Kingtom Aluminio's aluminum extrusions were produced or manufactured using forced labor, the agency said in a notice. The determination applies to any merchandise imported on or after Dec. 4, as well as any merchandise that has been imported into the U.S. but has not been released from CBP custody.
CBP is banning imports of aluminum extrusions and profile products made by Kingtom Aluminio S.R.L., after finding the use of forced labor at the company’s factory in the Dominican Republic. The agency’s forced labor finding means “aluminum extrusions and profile products and derivatives produced or manufactured wholly or in part by Kingtom Aluminio” using aluminum goods of Chapter 76 of the tariff schedule will be detained beginning Dec. 4, as will any such goods that have already been imported but not yet released from CBP custody by that date.
In the Nov. 27 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No. 47), CBP published proposals to modify or revoke ruling letters concerning MTD Cub Cadet utility vehicles and external defibrillators and their components.
CBP created Harmonized System Update 2419 on Nov. 29, containing 6,479 Automated Broker Interface (ABI) records and 1,487 Harmonized Tariff Schedule records. HSU 2419 includes the AL1 tariff flag for Phase VII of the Lacey Act provisions for certain imported plant and wood products, effective Dec. 1 (see 2409200018). The HSU also reflects the completion of the flagging updates to 1700 HTS codes to remove the AM7 flag. This removal process started Oct. 18 and is now complete.