Slightly more than half of senators want language instructing the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to reopen a broad exclusion process for China tariffs to make it into the compromise China package, according to a late-night vote May 4. Unlike most votes in Congress, support did not break down mostly along party lines. One independent who caucuses with Democrats and 23 Democrats, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., voted for the motion to instruct negotiators to include the language in the final bill; 29 Republicans, also voted for it, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Indiana's Todd Young, one of the original movers to get the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., asked for the motion, and he is also on the conference committee to blend USICA and the House China package. There were four senators absent from the vote.
Hours before the Senate was due to consider his non-binding instruction to negotiators on the China package to retain language directing the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to reopen a Section 301 exclusion process, Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., warned that if USTR didn't open such a process if the language becomes law, he would see that as a misuse of power.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of April 25 - May 1:
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The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released a notice May 3 that asks companies that benefit from the Section 301 tariffs on List 1 to tell USTR if they think the tariffs should continue. They can comment May 7 to July 5. Companies that benefit from the tariffs on List 2 can comment June 24 to Aug. 22.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released a notice asking if any companies that benefited from the Section 301 tariffs would like those tariffs continue. If no company benefited, the tariffs would end July 6, said the agency. If requests for continuation are submitted, the USTR will review the tariffs. During that review, opponents to the tariffs will also have the opportunity to be heard, it said. Another notice will be posted after July 6, the four-year anniversary of the tariffs on Chinese imports.
The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, who will be one of the negotiators for the compromise China package, expressed pessimism that a version of the bill can be found that can get a majority vote in both the House and Senate. The Senate passed its version, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, with 67 votes; the House version, known as the Competes Act, only had one Republican on board.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Among the 28 motions to instruct for negotiations that will be considered next Tuesday and Wednesday in the Senate, five would affect trade, including one that supports the establishment of an inspector general for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of April 18-24: