Mandating a broad exclusion process for importers of goods subject to Section 301 tariffs, extending the period of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program renewal, reforming the GSP competitive needs limitations, a ban on importing sodium cyanide briquettes, and changes to the Lacey Act are all among hundreds of amendments to the America Competes Act that have been submitted to the Rules Committee, which has the responsibility for shaping the bill that will get a vote on the House floor (see 2201310033).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 17-23:
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.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will update three Section 301 tariff product exclusions in order to align the exclusions with changes made to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule on Jan. 27, USTR said in a notice posted to the agency website Jan. 25. The U.S. will implement broad changes to the HTS on Jan. 27, following amendments to the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System tariff nomenclature (see 2112230046).
The Coalition for a Prosperous America is asking the House Ways and Means Committee to move Democratic bills to curtail the use of de minimis and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill and to pass the Democratic version of a Generalized System of Preferences benefits program bill. Whatever the committee recommends will be subject to a cross-Capitol compromise, as part of a larger China package called the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act. The Senate’s Trade Act of 2021, part of that package, also included requirements to reopen a broad exclusion process for Section 301 tariffs on China.
Almost a third of House members are asking U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to reopen exclusion applications to all importers of Chinese goods subject to Section 301 tariffs. Roughly $250 billion worth of Chinese imports annually are subject to an additional 25% tariff under Section 301; another $112 billion worth of imports are subject to an additional 7.5% tariff.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Jan. 10-16:
The House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee chairman's bill that would restrict the use of de minimis for Chinese sellers has already inspired a coalition of opponents, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Express Association of America, National Retail Federation and others. The Import Security and Fairness Act was introduced Jan. 18.
House Ways and Means Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer is introducing "The Import Security and Fairness Act," which would add some restrictions around the $800 de minimis level. Under the bill, goods from countries that are both non-market economies and on the U.S. Trade Representative's intellectual property watch list wouldn't be eligible for de minimis provisions. Currently, the only country that is both a non-market economy and labeled as an IP violator is China. Blumenauer has said that 83% of de minimis packages come from China.