Congress May Prioritize Preference Programs, Duty Collection in Coming Months, Says CRS Report
The 113th Congress may target Generalized System of Preferences renewal, Andean Trade Preference Act reauthorization and Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation, along with Trade Promotion Authority and trade pact implementation legislation in coming months, said a Jan. 23 Congressional Research Service (CRS) in a report titled “International Trade and Finance: Key Policy Issues for the 113th Congress, Second Session." The current Congress may also increasingly bring attention to CBP failures to fully collect antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) measures, said the report.
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“One issue that may emerge in the second session of the 113th Congress relates to the alleged under-collection of AD and CVD duties," the report said. CBP "has responsibility for collecting duties, including proposals that would require CBP and its sister agency U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to investigate allegations of AD/CVD duty circumvention under specific deadlines,” said the report. “Also of concern is "China’s currency intervention policy" and "whether China’s alleged limiting of the appreciation of its currency should be treated as a subsidy in CVD investigations.” Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and John Thune, R-S.D., have pressed CBP on insufficient collection in recent months (see 14012427).
CBP reauthorization legislation may also see consideration on Capitol Hill, the report said. "Oversight into CBP efforts to enhance cargo security may also receive congressional attention as part of, or separate from, consideration of a possible CBP reauthorization bill," it said.
Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB) legislation " could emerge in the second session of the 113th Congress proposing to retroactively renew these duty suspensions, enact new ones, or make procedural changes to the MTB process," the report notes. Uncertainty for such a bill remains, as "is also possible that consideration of an MTB bill could be controversial because of past congressional moratoriums on 'earmarks,' which in the past have included measures to provide 'limited tariff benefits,' including duty suspensions."
The 113th Congress will also likely continue to scrutinize Export Control Reform, said the CRS report. “An Export Enforcement Coordination Center, which was created by executive order on November 9, 2010, has been set up within the Department of Homeland Security to synchronize enforcement efforts. An integrated information technology system based on the Defense Department’s USXports platform is being adopted by the Departments of State and Commerce,” said the report. “The 113th Congress may scrutinize this effort through oversight and may be asked to approve certain changes proposed by the Administration, including the creation and placement of the proposed licensing agency. Congress may also attempt to reauthorize or rewrite the currently expired Export Administration Act, the statutory basis of dual-use export controls.”