Four senators, a pair from both parties, introduced a bill that would authorize the U.S. trade representative, with consultation with Congress about objectives, to negotiate specialized trade agreements focused on critical minerals and rare earth elements. Those trade agreements would also need to get a vote of approval from Congress before they could enter into force.
A bipartisan duo have introduced a bill that would require the administration to establish a "Denied Parties List" for exporters wishing to send packages under the de minimis exclusion, based on at least three past shipments of counterfeits, illegal drugs, or goods made with forced labor.
The House passed a bill that would create a task force in DOJ to increase prosecutions of tariff evasion, violations of the forced labor provision and ban on goods made in North Korea, trade-based money laundering and smuggling. The bill passed by a voice vote Dec. 3.
A bill that was recommended by the House Transportation Committee in May is now ready for a vote by the full House, if leadership chooses to do so, as the committee's report was completed this week.
More than 30 organizations, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America, asked House and Senate leadership to hold a vote on the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program during the lame duck session next month.
Six Republican senators, including President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of state, Marco Rubio of Florida, reintroduced a bill that would prohibit the Biden administration from requiring that goods made in the West Bank be labeled as such, rather than labeled "Made in Israel." The senators, led by Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., are concerned that labeling items as from the West Bank would help the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which opposes the occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Golan Heights and Gaza. The BDS movement argues that those who support Palestinians' rights shouldn't buy goods from firms that either manufacture in those territories, such as Ahava, or allegedly support the Israeli army, like Sabra, oppress Arab citizens of Israel, like SodaStream, or provide technology for surveillance of Palestinians, like HP.
The leaders of the House Select Committee on China are asking Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and her staff to examine the sale of Dahua Technology USA to Foxlink, as they believe it is an attempt to evade an import prohibition on Dahua cameras destined for government facilities, critical infrastructure surveillance or other national security uses.
President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of billionaire businessman Howard Lutnick to be Commerce secretary (see 2411190036) drew mixed reaction on Capitol Hill this week.
Ten Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bill that would forbid the president from using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose tariffs or quotas on imports.
Outgoing Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., last week formally introduced a bill restricting de minimis eligibility for textiles and apparel from anywhere in the world, as well as goods subject to Section 301 tariffs (see 2408020031). The bipartisan bill goes beyond the version that passed the House Ways and Means Committee, in that it adds apparel to the list of restricted items, and it would levy a $2 fee on de minimis packages, to help CBP fund its inspections of the low-value packages. The Biden administration is planning to issue a proposed rule before Jan. 20 that would remove Section 301 goods from de minimis, but it can't add the fee through rulemaking.