The U.S. is asking Mexico to address its allegation that the Servicios Industriales González facility in Nuevo Leon fired some workers for union activity; threatened the independent union Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores del Ramo de Transporte en General, La Construcción y sus Servicios (SNTTYC); and allowed Federacion Nacional de Sindicatos Independientes (FNSI) access to the workplace. Despite its name, FNSI is not an independent union, but rather is part of the labor union structure dating back to the early 20th century, which the U.S. says was in league with employers, not members, and led to wage suppression.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced country-by-country allocations of additional FY 2024 in-quota quantities of the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar. Of the 125,000 metric tons raw value added to the raw cane sugar TRQ by USDA in early March (see 2403060084), USTR is allocating quota amounts as follows: Australia 15,555; Belize 2,061; Bolivia 1,499; Brazil 27,174; Colombia 4,498; Costa Rica 2,811; Ecuador 2,061; El Salvador 4,873; Eswatini (Swaziland) 2,998; Fiji 1,687; Guatemala 8,996; Guyana 2,249; Honduras 1,874; Jamaica 2,061; Mozambique 2,436; Peru 7,684; Philippines 25,300; South Africa 4,310; Thailand 2,624; and Zimbabwe 2,249. The changes are effective March 19.
Four unions, representing machinists, steelworkers, shipbuilders and electricians, plus the Maritime Trades Council division of the AFL-CIO, asked the Biden administration to open an investigation under Section 301 on China's practices in its port infrastructure/logistics and shipbuilding industries.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeks comments by April 22 on ways that U.S. trade and investment policies can promote supply chain resilience, it said in a March 7 notice. Among other things, the agency seeks comments on how policies can support domestic manufacturing and how to align labor and environmental protections with allies. USTR also seeks comments on how to avoid free trade agreements functioning as a “backdoor,” as well as on sector-specific policies to promote supply chain resilience, it said. USTR will hold a hearing May 2 on the subject, with requests to appear due April 12. Post-hearing comments are due by May 16.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has asked Mexico whether RV Fresh Foods in Uruapan is denying its workers the right to collective bargain. The firm, which makes guacamole, is the first food manufacturer targeted through the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. COCENA, a Mexican union confederation, alleges that the company restricted the union's access to the facility and intervened in union delegate elections.
The U.S. will tell CBP to resume liquidation of aluminum parts coming from Asiaway Automotive Components Mexico, a Chinese-headquartered firm that does die casting and machining of aluminum parts in San Luis Potosí. According to Asiaway's website, the factory just opened in June 2023.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it's extending the deadline for an international corporate income tax deal, and is extending its pause on retaliatory tariffs on countries that have passed or were considering passing digital services taxes against American firms.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeks a second round of comments in connection with its biennial review of the operation of the USMCA "with respect to trade in automotive goods" (see 2311210026), following a hearing the agency held on Feb. 7 (see 2402050066), it said in a notice. Post-hearing comments are due by Feb. 28. In the review, USTR and the Interagency Committee on Trade in Automotive Goods are considering how USMCA rules affect the competitiveness, employment and investment in North America's automotive sector. USTR is required to publish a report on the subject every two years.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, speaking at the University of Chicago, sidestepped a question about whether the administration would change the Section 301 tariffs, saying that although "there's a lot of drama and emotion around tariffs," the China tariffs are "the least interesting aspect of the management of our trade and economic relationship."
The latest annual Notorious Markets List, which isn't exhaustive, didn't highlight any American-owned platforms, though the Jan. 30 report from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said intellectual property rights holders are concerned "about the proliferation of counterfeit sales facilitated by the confluence of e-commerce platforms and social media."