President Donald Trump fired both Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission late on March 18. Now-former commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Slaughter both referred to their firings as "illegal."
The Energy Department is delaying the effective date of final rules that would amend the energy conservation standards for central air conditioners and heat pumps, gas-fired instantaneous water heaters (see 2412230039) and walk-in coolers and freezers (see 2412200039), it said in notices released March 19. The new effective date for all three rules is May 20.
Although the "system is broken," the U.S. should "unequivocally" stay in the World Trade Organization, said Maria Pagan, former deputy U.S. trade representative to Geneva.
The Federal Maritime Commission has asked a group of major ocean shipping carriers to provide it with more information about an amendment to an agreement that would allow them to participate in the New York Shipping Exchange index governing board, “which shall discuss and agree on all aspects of the development, implementation, modification and auditing of container freight indices, as produced by NYSHEX,” the FMC said in a notice released March 14. The commission said its notice prevented “the proposed amendment to this agreement from becoming effective as originally scheduled” on March 12. The parties to the agreement are carriers CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, COSCO Shipping Lines, COSCO Shipping Co., HMM, Maersk, and Ocean Network Express.
The Department of Energy is proposing to withdraw a prior determination that miscellaneous gas products, which are comprised of decorative hearths and outdoor heaters, would qualify as covered products for the purposes of energy effiency standards, according to a Federal Register notice.
The State Department released a notice March 13 that says all U.S. agency “efforts” to “control … the transfer of goods, services, data, technology, and other items across the borders of the United States” are a “foreign affairs function” exempt from Administrative Procedure Act rulemaking and hearing requirements under 5 U.S.C. 553 and 554. When asked to clarify, a State Department spokesperson said: "The determination speaks for itself."
Japan will likely seek negotiation and exceptions to U.S. tariffs rather than respond with retaliatory measures, one expert predicted at an event hosted by Japan House LA on March 10.
The State Department this week updated the list of countries eligible to trade in rough diamonds under the Clean Diamond Trade Act. The list, which was last revised in April 2022 (see 2204050013), now includes Uzbekistan. The update takes effect March 6.
The Federal Highway Administration is delaying the effective date of a final rule aimed at ensuring that manufactured products used on federal-aid projects are manufactured in the U.S.
The reciprocal tariffs the Trump administration has promised will present a challenge for CBP to enforce, trade lawyers said during a webinar presented by Baker McKenzie on Feb. 20.