Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White emphasized the importance of Mexico blocking the import of goods made with forced labor, the importance of a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process for agricultural biotechnology, implementation of labor reform and the importance of hearing from stakeholders as new regulations are developed, according to a readout of his Aug. 23 meeting with Mexico's Under Secretary for Foreign Trade, Luz Maria de la Mora. The Mexican government didn't release a readout of what was discussed during the video call.
Until recently, unless they were trying to comply with a stringent rule of origin, or they were a producer in an industry with high safety needs, most buyers did not have visibility deep into their supply chains. But new government requirements and coronavirus-related disruptions have placed newfound importance on supply chain awareness, said speakers during a webinar.
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a bill that would end user fee requirements at airports that are primary airports, not more than 30 miles from the northern or southern land border, and that have a formal legal instrument linking the airport to a land border crossing or a seaport within 30 miles -- and designate them as official ports of entry. Cruz called the bill the Border Airport Fairness Act; the text was published Aug. 19. There are no bill co-sponsors.
New forced labor requirements for Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) members may change the calculus for determining whether participation is worth it, said Sidley Austin lawyer Ted Murphy, in an Aug. 22 note. He reminded companies that if the shifting requirements become more costly than participation is worth, they can leave the program.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, urged the commerce secretary to talk to First Solar, which is headquartered in his state, before finalizing the rule to temporarily waive duties or deposit collection on imported solar panels and cells from Southeast Asia. Auxin Solar, a small solar panel producer, is asking Commerce to find that those panels are really Chinese in origin, and should be subject to antidumping and countervailing duty orders against Chinese solar products.
A day before the House is expected to pass a bill, the Inflation Reduction Act, that includes electric vehicle tax credits with strings attached for sourcing and assembly, activists and analysts are reacting to European Union's argument that the EV tax credit violates World Trade Organization rules.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative heard from business groups, businesses that offer traceability solutions and civil society groups, 45 in all, on how to shape a forced labor strategy -- but their views diverged strongly on what the approach should be.
About quarter of the comments on how to implement an executive order on possible anti-circumvention duties on solar panel and cell imports say that the executive order is illegal or, at best, legally strained, and that Commerce cannot waive duty collections because that is contrary to its mission to protect domestic manufacturing through trade remedies.
The climate, healthcare and tax bill called the Inflation Reduction Act did not change the terms of an electric vehicle tax credit, even after fierce lobbying by automakers (see 2208040045).
As automakers lobby for a longer phase-in for requirements regarding North American content in EV batteries and sourcing of critical minerals, some trade groups are saying that stretch goals -- along with government funding in the Inflation Reduction Act -- are what's needed to create a new supply chain outside of China.