The U.S., Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union announced together that they no longer will give Russian goods the same tariff treatment as other members of the World Trade Organization. Canada, the other member of the G-7, had already hiked tariffs on all Russian goods to 35%.
The U.S. Fashion Industry Association said it is pleased that Uzbekistan has eliminated systemic forced labor from cotton production, and noted that the Cotton Campaign, a coalition of apparel companies, nonprofit organizations and Uzbek civil society activists announced March 10 that they no longer support a global boycott of Uzbek cotton. "We encourage brands and retailers to take a fresh look at sourcing opportunities in Uzbekistan and to work with the Cotton Campaign to maintain responsible sourcing and robust due diligence in Uzbekistan," USFIA said. "We also encourage the Government of Uzbekistan to make further progress in establishing the enabling environment for responsible sourcing -- including the registration of NGOs working to monitor cotton harvests -- in order to address remaining risks to labor and human rights and to assure brands that they can source from Uzbekistan with confidence."
Sheffield Hallam University professor of human rights and contemporary slavery Laura Murphy said CBP needs much more funding to enforce the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, because she does not think companies will cut their ties immediately to China's Xinjiang province as a result of the new law. Murphy, who was interviewed by Hudson Institute senior fellow Nury Turkel on March 9, said she has not yet found a company with production in Xinjiang that can provide clear evidence that it does not employ Uyghur workers who were coerced into taking their jobs.
Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced a bill that would prohibit all trade with Russia, and then the next day, on March 9, introduced a bill that would prohibit the importation of nickel or copper from Russia. The latter bill has one co-sponsor, Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.
Although Democratic leadership in the House agreed to the administration's request to drop legislation to end Russia's permanent normal trade status, House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., said late March 9: "Our response to this horrific, unprovoked war cannot end here. When Congress returns to Washington next week, we will act decisively, in a bipartisan manner, to suspend permanent normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus.”
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., speaking at an event about his proposal to remove Chinese exports' eligibility for de minimis, suggested that if the provision does not pass as part of a compromise China package, he's got a Plan B. The language in his bill says that de minimis won't be available to any non-market economy that's on the priority watch list. "Now, coincidentally, that's just China," Blumenauer said with a grin during the Rethink Trade webinar March 9.
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., the author of the trade provisions within the House China package, said that a virtual conference committee has begun discussing a compromise between the House and Senate bills. Russia's invasion of Ukraine is making it harder to find the time to make progress, he said. There has been no public announcement that the chambers weren't going to use a formal conference committee (see 2202020055), or that negotiations had begun.
The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee said it will make allies laugh if Congress passes a bill that urges the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to work to convince other countries to remove Russia from their normal tariff schedule offered to World Trade Organization members, given that the U.S. is not doing that.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association is asking House and Senate leadership to "expeditiously advance" a compromise China package by resolving differences between the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (America Competes) Act.
House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer said that although the House will vote to endorse the administration's decision to ban oil, natural gas and coal imports from Russia, ending Russia's normal trading status will not be part of the legislation. He said he expects a vote before House Democrats leave for a retreat at noon on March 9.