A bipartisan bill to amend the Lacey Act was introduced in the House of Representatives, and it would add a ban on import and export of "prohibited primate species." The bill's text was published this week. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., Nancy Mace, R-S.C., Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Joe Neguse, D-Colo., were the original sponsors; 15 other co-sponsors have joined the bill since its introduction.
The Government Accountability Office told Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, that Congress can't vote to overturn the Japan critical minerals agreement.
After House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., met with Kenyan President William Ruto, he joined the Senate Finance Committee chairman's call to negotiate a trade liberalizing free trade agreement with Kenya. Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., earlier in the week asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to upgrade its trade negotiations with Kenya so that it's working toward a goal of a comprehensive trade agreement (see 2405210051).
A bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., would end duty drawback for petroleum taxes that are dedicated to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and to Superfund. The bill, called the End Polluter Welfare Act, was first introduced a dozen years ago.
Senators and witnesses focused on de minimis and CBP's data collecting authorities -- both sides agreeing that data collection, particularly from partner government agencies, needs to be refined, and that de minimis is a useful trade facilitation tool.
The top Democrat on the House Ways and Means Committee and Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked the U.S. trade representative to upgrade its trade negotiations with Kenya so that it's working toward a goal of a comprehensive trade agreement.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., introduced Drones for First Responders, a bill that would impose a 30% tariff on Chinese drones, with a 5% escalation annually. The bill, co-sponsored by House Select Committee on China Chairman John Moolenaar, R-Mich., along with Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Va., Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, and Jim Banks, R-Ind., would use the revenue to help farmers, first responders and critical infrastructure facilities to purchase drones made in the U.S. or by allies. The bill also would require that drones imported in 2030 or later not contain certain components made in China.
A bipartisan bill has been introduced that would prohibit ships from either bringing passengers to the U.S. or bringing in goods if they docked at a port or marine terminal that was expropriated from a U.S. company in the Western Hemisphere.
A bill that would establish a critical supply chain resiliency and crisis response program in the Commerce Department passed in the House of Representatives May 15 on a 390-19 vote.
A bipartisan effort has begun to undo Treasury rulemaking that allows automakers a longer period to move away from Chinese graphite and other critical minerals, and allows them to continue to use rollup methodology to calculate the percentage of qualifying critical minerals (see 2405030060).