Trade groups representing steel pipe and tube producers, along with Optimus Steel, Zekelman Industries, Atkore and the Coalition for a Prosperous America are asking the president to either reimpose tariffs on Mexican steel under Section 232, or impose quotas that reduce the import of products that are now imported in greater quantities than before 2017.
There was no disagreement at a June 12 hearing on the need to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act before it expires about 15 months from now, and Democrats and Republicans on the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade also talked about changing the terms of "graduation" from AGOA. Democrats on the committee were more vocal than members of the Republican majority about the need to change AGOA before renewing it.
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told a think tank audience that the U.S. needs to negotiate and Congress needs to ratify new broad trade agreements, so that the U.S. can develop long-term sources of processed minerals needed for electrification.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 3-9:
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.
This summer could see the highest levels of U.S. import container volumes since 2022, the National Retail Federation said June 10.
Americans for Free Trade, a coalition of more than 100 trade groups, asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to extend a public comment period to respond to proposed changes to the Section 301 tariffs and a new product exclusion process limited to industrial machinery. They said another 30 days would be in the public interest.
CBP issued the following release on commercial trade and related matters:
A bipartisan pair in the Senate is in the early stages of writing a trade facilitation bill, which is intended to build on CBP's 21st Century Customs Framework -- an approach that trade professionals felt was too focused on enforcement, and neglected trade facilitation.
The Biden administration's proposed Section 301 tariff hikes on various Chinese goods (see 2405220072) would continue to skirt World Trade Organization commitments and strip the global economy of international tribunals, which are key to curbing "persistent protectionism," said George Washington Law School professor Steve Charnovitz in comments on the proposed tariffs.