CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Although some trade attorneys have been worrying that a Trump administration will discourage a Republican Congress from bringing back Generalized System of Preferences program tariff breaks for developing countries, members of the House Ways and Means Committee did not endorse that point of view.
Todd Owen, who served as executive assistant commissioner for field operations at CBP for about five years before retiring in 2020, argued that hundreds of millions of dollars for technology upgrades, and staffing expansions, would be more helpful to catch contraband in the small package environment than removing Chinese goods or other restrictions.
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick to be Commerce secretary (see 2411190036) drew mixed reaction on Capitol Hill this week.
Ten Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill that would forbid the president from using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose tariffs or quotas on imports.
Trump transition team members may have already drafted an executive order hiking tariffs on Chinese imports, said Peterson Institute for International Economics fellow Mary Lovely, during a webinar moderated by former European commissioner and now PIIE fellow Cecilia Malmstrom.
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee majority, who will lead the extension or expansion of the first Trump term income tax cuts, are expressing some hesitancy about using tariffs as a pay-for.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Nov. 11-17:
CBP has updated guidance further defining who is responsible for ensuring the truthfulness of origin documents such as origin declarations, origin statements and certification of origin documents.
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.