The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is amending an exclusion from Section 301 tariffs to align it with recent changes to the relevant Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading (see 2401020049). The change affects the exclusion under U.S Note 20(ttt)(iii)(27) to subchapter III of Chapter 99, which had covered goods of subheading 2929.90.5090 and now covers goods of subheading 2929.90.5095 for entries on or after Jan. 1.
The International Trade Commission will analyze the export competitiveness of Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Pakistan and India, after a request from the U.S. trade representative. She asked the commission to track the apparel market shares of each of those countries in 2013, 2018 and 2023, and to describe the changing patterns in those market shares, including against other top suppliers of apparel.
Congress on Jan. 18 approved legislation to avoid a government shutdown one day before funding was set to expire for some agencies. The House voted 314-108 and the Senate voted 77-18 to approve the stopgap funding, which is now set to run out in early March. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the measure before midnight.
After members of Congress were blindsided by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative backing away from digital trade advocacy, they are taking no chances in spelling out their desire that the agency push for a continued moratorium on tariffs on digital goods. The World Trade Organization has renewed that moratorium since 1998, but some member countries want to start collecting duties on the sale of streaming movies, software as a service, and more.
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website Jan. 17, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
NEW YORK -- The Court of International Trade held oral argument on Jan. 18 in Chinese exporter Ninestar's case challenging its placement on the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Entity List, addressing the company's motion for a preliminary injunction against its listing and its bid to unseal and unredact the record in the case (Ninestar Corp. v. U.S., CIT # 23-00182).
The World Customs Organization is considering changes to the tariff nomenclature that underlies the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S. and over 200 other country tariff schedules around the world to potentially make classification easier and allow for more detail and accuracy in the identification of goods.
Private equity firm TPG acquired a majority stake in Sayari, it said in a news release Jan. 16. The agreement between the companies allows TPG “to make an up to $228 million strategic majority investment in Sayari,” the release said. “Sayari’s founders, employees, and existing investors will retain a significant stake in the company.” Sayari recently won government contracts for services to support anti-forced labor efforts by CBP and the Labor Department (see 2401050051).
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America is asking members to comment on Red Sea shipping experiences ahead of a Federal Maritime Commission meeting on Feb. 7 (see 2401120057). A Jan. 17 email sent by the NCBFAA asked members to share their experiences in the Red Sea and how diversions due to Houthi missile attacks have affected maritime shipping in the region. The association said it plans to compile the responses into an "industry-specific impact statement" that it plans to present at the FMC meeting.