New lobbyist registrations on trade-related issues include:

A group 200 organizations pressed House Ways and Means and Senate Finance leadership to pass a Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill to help push forward pending trade pacts, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, in an April 2 letter from the Trade Benefits America coalition. The letter preceded U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman’s appearance before the Ways and Means Committee on April 3 (see 14040318). The Senate Finance hearing set to host Froman was rescheduled to April 30 (see 14040221). “As members of the Trade Benefits America coalition, we strongly support ambitious outcomes in these trade negotiations and passage of modernized Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) legislation,” said the letter. “TPA has long been an important tool for helping complete high-standard U.S. trade agreements. In fact, all U.S. free trade agreements (FTAs) since 1974 except one (the U.S.-Jordan FTA in 2000), or 14 agreements, were concluded pursuant to TPA. The GATT Tokyo Round and World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round agreements were also concluded pursuant to TPA.”

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., will now chair the Finance Committee Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness, her office announced in an April 3 statement. "This is a critical time for our economy, and it is critical that we have the right trade policies to open up new markets and help American businesses create jobs in our country,” said Stabenow in the press release. “Michigan is home to the busiest border crossings in North America, and we know the importance of exporting our products, not our jobs.” The subcommittee was previously chaired by Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

The U.S. is continuing to ramp up trade enforcement efforts with foreign partners, following the recent World Trade Organization (WTO) determination that Chinese export restraints on two rare earth metals, tungsten and molybdenum, violate WTO agreements, said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman at an April 3 hearing before the House Ways and Means Committee. The U.S. will continue to pursue enforcement actions in the future, while increasing application of trade remedy laws, said Froman. The WTO issued the rare earths decision on March 26 (see 14032613).

CBP's failure to detect disease and agricultural pests during customs inspections costs the U.S. economy tens of billions of dollars annually, said National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley, in testimony submitted to Congress on April 2. The failure is the result of CBP staff shortages, said Kelley, but the White House Fiscal Year 2015 budget will boost the CBP staff level to 25,775 officers, said Kelley. “Staffing shortages and lack of mission priority for the critical work performed by CBP agriculture specialists and CBP trade specialists assigned to the ports is a continuing threat to the U.S. economy,” she told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security. Staff shortages lead to costly port delays, as well, said Kelley. CBP Commissioner Gil Kerlikowske testified before the subcommittee on April 2 (here).

The House voted overwhelmingly on April 1 to pass legislation that will provide aid and broaden the scope of authorized sanctions against those contributing to turmoil and corruption in Ukraine. The bill garnered 378 votes in favor and was then sent to the president’s desk. The Obama administration has expressed support for the measure repeatedly over recent days. “The administration supports the targeted sanctions authority provided in the bill to impose costs on individuals and entities who are responsible for acts of violence against the Ukrainian people or are undermining Ukraine’s peace, stability, sovereignty, or territorial integrity,” said the White House in a statement. “Together with our international partners, the president will continue to build support for the Ukrainian people at this critical time."

The Senate Finance Committee rescheduled for April 30 its hearing to discuss President Barack Obama's 2014 trade agenda with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, previously set to take place on April 3. The House Ways and Means Committee will go ahead with its April 3 hearing on the agenda, including testimony from Froman (see 14032727).

Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore. is unlikely to allow for a renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences to be added on to an unrelated tax extender bill that has been discussed to be a potential vehicle for GSP renewal (see 14032429), said Jon Gold, vice president of supply chain and customs policy at the National Retail Federation. The tax bill is now being considered by the committee. "Sen. Wyden has said that he only wants to have germane amendments and germane bills as part of that package and he doesn't think trade is a germane amendment," said Gold, who spoke at a Coalition of New England Companies for Trade conference in Newport, R.I. on April 1. "So, it's unfortunate that GSP will not be a part of that, but we continue to push."

Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:

The U.S.-Canadian border crossings in Pembina and Portal, North Dakota will receive some of the additional 2,000 CBP officers authorized for allocation through the 2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act, announced Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., in a March 31 release. Cramer is co-chairman of the Northern Border Caucus, a bloc of House members from border states. “The timely movement of people and goods through the border shared with our Canadian friends is critical to keep pace with the growth in our state, and to spur the national economy,” said Cramer. “These additional officers will help make the crossing process safer and smoother for citizens who rely on efficient border service for personal travel or commerce.” More than 850,000 personal vehicles, 400,000 trucks, and 1,600 buses crossed the North Dakota-Canadian border in 2012, said the release. Forty-four ports in 18 states will receive additional staffing, says CBP (see 14040115).