Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills:

The Senate Commerce Committee on Jan. 24 approved President Donald Trump’s Commerce secretary nominee Wilbur Ross for full Senate consideration of his confirmation, the committee said (here). Ross encountered very little opposition during his confirmation hearing before the committee last week (see 1701190039). Officials close to Trump have signaled that Ross will play a more significant role in setting and carrying out trade policy than did his predecessors (see 1612200018). The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 23 cleared Trump secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson for full chamber consideration as well, the committee said (here).

Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, plans to introduce legislation on Jan. 20 to apply “Buy American” rules to all taxpayer-funded infrastructure and public works projects, Brown wrote in a Jan. 19 letter to incoming President Donald Trump. “I strongly support your commitment to ‘Hire American, Buy American,’” Brown wrote. “If American taxpayers are paying for it, it should be built with American iron and steel.” Brown added that he hopes Trump will make expansion and strengthening of “Buy America” preferences a “100 day priority.” Current “Buy America” rules apply to some federal infrastructure programs, but several federal projects aren’t required to use U.S.-made products, Brown’s office said.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, plans to introduce a bill that would make all executive branch trade actions, including tariff raises, subject to congressional approval, as part of his call for Congress to reclaim constitutional powers to lead U.S. trade policy, he wrote in an opinion column for Forbes (here). The yet-to-be-introduced Global Trade Accountability Act would help ensure that Congress would be involved in any decision that would increase trade barriers, Lee said. One example of a statute giving the executive branch “far too much power” to raise tariffs is Trade Act of 1974 Section 122, which allows the president to impose temporary import “surcharges” of up to 15 percent on any goods to deal with “large and serious” U.S. balance-of-payment deficits, Lee said.

U.S. regulatory changes including a license exemption to encourage U.S. exports that support the Cuban people have garnered U.S. business interest, but few commercial deals have been completed and bilateral economic engagement is still limited, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Jan. 17 (here). U.S. trade with Cuba has decreased in line with falling agricultural exports, which have been legal since 2000, the GAO said. Moreover, the U.S. trade embargo and Cuban government barriers constrict the range of opportunities for U.S. businesses and the Cuban private sector, the report says.

Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills:

Plans to ban shark fin cargo from Air China and Chinese plans to stop its ivory trade are signs that China is committed to becoming a major part of the global solution to illicit wildlife trade, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., said in a statement (here). He’s glad that anti-poaching laws will take effect in the country this year, he said in a statement. The Washington Post on Jan. 8 reported (here) that Air China became the first airline in mainland China to prohibit shark fin cargo. The Associated Press on Dec. 30 reported (here) that China plans to shut down its ivory trade by the end of 2017.

Reps. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., and Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced H.R. 498 on Jan. 12 to “authorize the exportation of consumer communication devices to Cuba and the provision of telecommunications services to Cuba,” the bill text said. It’s referred to both the Foreign Affairs and Commerce committees.

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Richard Neal, D-Mass., announced that Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., will take over as the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee ranking member through the 115th Congress, after former ranking member Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., retired in December (here). The subcommittee’s minority Democratic side also added Sandy Levin of Michigan, Danny Davis of Illinois and Suzan DelBene of Washington, Neal announced. Neal and Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., no longer serve on the subcommittee.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and U.S. Trade Representative nominee Robert Lighthizer met on Jan. 10, Hatch said (here). The senator said he expects Lighthizer will play a “significant role” in protecting U.S. intellectual property rights overseas, as well as in boosting U.S. exports’ market access. “Armed with tools like Trade Promotion Authority, the incoming administration has an opportunity to negotiate new trade pacts of the highest caliber and establish a strong trade agenda that promotes U.S. commercial interests,” Hatch said. In a statement, the committee said it will schedule a date for Lighthizer’s confirmation hearing after it completes its internal vetting process, but pledged to work in a “swift and thorough manner” to clear President-elect Donald Trump’s nominees for timely consideration by the full Senate.