The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said renewing the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program and the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill didn't happen last year because Democrats pushed "social policy and environmental policy in MTB and GSP."
Wiley attorney Tim Brightbill, in a recent webinar on what to expect in trade in 2023, said he expects a bill to make significant changes to antidumping and countervailing duty law to be introduced in Congress soon. The bill, colloquially known as Level the Playing Field Act 2.0, was introduced in the previous Congress by Ohio's two senators. The administration expressed support for the proposal, but it faced skepticism among Republicans in Congress (see 2204220036 and 2104160037).
The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council has done some excellent work in technology, according to EU and U.S. trade officials, but it needs to tackle the "trade" part of its mission more directly. A discussion on Making a More Meaningful TTC also included executives from two technology industry associations, who were somewhat less laudatory about its results so far.
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Environment and Natural Resources Kelly Milton said that the discussions to create a common understanding between the U.S. and the EU on steel and aluminum not only have to define what green steel is or green aluminum is -- they also have to agree on how to block metals from their markets that were produced from non-market principles.
Two Democrats and a Republican are asking the CEO of Shein, a fast-fashion powerhouse, about its use of de minimis and its purchases of Xinjiang cotton. All products made in Xinjiang are barred from entry to the U.S., unless importers can prove they were not made with forced labor, but small packages imported directly by consumers escape CBP scrutiny.
A hearing in the House of Representatives on America's critical minerals dependency showed agreement among Democrats and Republicans that more U.S. production and more coordination with allies is needed so that China is not so dominant in the critical minerals supply chain -- and that trade protection is needed so that domestic producers can compete with subsidized Chinese players.
Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Chris Coons, D-Del., reintroduced a bill that would give the president the authority to lower duties on non-import-sensitive goods made by a country that lost exports due to coercive actions, and increase duties on imports from the "foreign adversary" committing economic coercion. It would also give the administration the ability to waive some export financing requirements and expedite regulations to facilitate trade with the coerced parties.
The head of the Ways and Means Committee's Trade Subcommittee said that the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program never should have lapsed for two years, and he believes there's interest among House Democrats and Republicans "to get this done in a direct fashion that is timely and useful."
In West Virginia, where the first House Ways and Means Committee hearing of the new Congress was held since the Republicans won the majority, the members asked questions of business owners, and were hosted by a mid-sized business that sells hardwood lumber to furniture makers, cabinetmakers and flooring manufacturers.
Japan brought up issues it has around the Inflation Reduction Act, while the U.S. asked Japan to increase its use of ethanol and have better regulatory transparency for "certain products and services," according to a readout of a trade discussion between the two countries released Feb. 3 by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.