Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told a think tank audience that the U.S. needs to negotiate and Congress needs to ratify new broad trade agreements, so that the U.S. can develop long-term sources of processed minerals needed for electrification.
Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the House Select Committee on China, the panel announced last week. Cline, a former prosecutor, said he favors “tough policies that tactically confront the [Chinese Communist Party] at home and abroad and safeguard our nation’s interests.” Former Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Mich., who used to chair the committee, created an opening on the panel by leaving Congress in April (see 2403250066).
Four House Republicans, including the Homeland Security Committee chairman, have introduced a bill to prohibit DHS from buying batteries from Contemporary Amperex Technology Company (CATL), BYD Company, Envision Energy, EVE Energy Company, Gotion High Tech Company and Hithium Energy Storage Technology. The prohibition would begin Oct. 1, 2027, which is the same date that the Pentagon prohibition begins. The Defense Department prohibition was passed in the most recent Defense Authorization bill.
A half-dozen Democratic senators, led by Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, along with Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, and a half-dozen Democrats in the House told the International Trade Commission that they support the antidumping and countervailing duty petitions filed in April (see 2404240071) targeting solar panel manufacturers in Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing on renewing and revitalizing the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, the African Growth and Opportunity Act and other trade preference programs on June 5 at 10 a.m.
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.