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).

A bipartisan bill to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a mandatory consumer product safety standard for retractable awnings passed the House May 14 by voice vote.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., criticized President Joe Biden's decision to hike tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles under Section 301. Once the change is implemented, a Polestar or Volvo EV would be taxed at 102.5% rather than 27.5%. Rubio, in a letter sent May 14, said the tariff on cars with internal combustion engines must be equally high, because China exported 3.7 million ICE vehicles last year, compared with 1.2 million EVs.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith, R-Mo., along with 17 Republicans on the committee, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, and Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., have introduced a Miscellaneous Tariff Bill to remove $1.3 million a day in tariffs on items not available from domestic producers.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, introduced bills that would hike tariffs on green tech. One would add 25% tariffs to most favored nation tariffs for all battery components, solar energy components and wind energy components from China, with a hike of 5% a year until the rates reached 50%. The other, called Protecting American Autoworkers from China Act, would apply a 125% tax on Chinese autos -- not just electric vehicles -- over the MFN rate. That bill would apply to all cars built by Chinese-owned companies, even if they had a European or North American country of origin, "so that Chinese manufacturers cannot use other nations, such as Mexico, as a backdoor to avoid the tariffs."

Groups of law enforcement and advocates for opiate addicts, along with the Coalition for a Prosperous America, told the House Ways and Means Committee that while they appreciate its action to restrict de minimis for articles subject to Section 301 tariffs, they hope members develop a "comprehensive solution" to the de minimis crisis.