Industry players and a law professor argued that the International Trade Commission's power to stop imports that are found to be infringing on domestic patents has become a form of blackmail by foreign companies against domestic companies, and that its original reason for being is no longer true.
Former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania Pat Toomey, who was one of the strongest advocates of free trade when he served in the Senate, told a moderator from the American Enterprise Institute that he doesn't believe Congress will pass more detailed legislation to curtail agencies' leeway to write regulations. A Supreme Court decision said judges will have more authority to overrule regulations, as the deference they had given to reasonable regulation is no longer the judicial branch's baseline.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a bill that would impose 150% tariffs on electromagnets, permanent magnets, batteries, solar panels, and solar wafers made by entities controlled by China, even if those products were manufactured in other countries. The Critical Mineral Supply Chain Realignment Act of 2024 also would keep hiking tariffs on those goods made in China, to 300% in the second year, 450% in the third year, and 800% after that.
Senate Finance Committee leaders are asking USDA to do more to prevent the introduction of potato wart into the U.S. In a June 16 letter, which was joined by seven Republicans, eight Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, asked that USDA supervise the processing facilities that use Prince Edward Island potatoes, so that the waste is treated as a biohazard.
Two Califorinia Democrats introduced a bill to impose a $150 per ton fee on greenhouse gas emissions on cargo ships arriving in U.S. ports, plus $6.30 per pound for nitrogen oxides, $18 per pound for sulfur dioxide and $38.90 per pound for particle pollution emitted in U.S. waters. They estimated the fee would bring in $250 billion over 10 years.
A bipartisan bill recently was introduced in the House that would give the FDA the authority to destroy imported seafood that doesn't pass inspection. Rep. Clay Higgins, R-La., and Rep. Troy Carter, D-La., said food should be treated the same as adulterated medicine or counterfeit medical devices.
Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee are asking the Biden administration to open a Section 301 investigation on the discriminatory effects of Canada's recently enacted digital services tax. The administration earlier conducted investigations on other countries planning DSTs, but did not impose tariffs, as talks on a global taxation solution proceed.
The top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee said that while Democrats' insistence that Trade Adjustment Assistance be paired with a renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program has stalled it so far, he's not convinced that the impasse means GSP has no chance in 2024.
The House Ways and Means Committee passed a resolution to undo Treasury Department guidelines on foreign entity of concern involvement in electric vehicle supply chains. The committee passed the bill July 9 on a 25-14 vote.
A bipartisan bill that would direct the Department of Energy to identify the emissions intensity of about 20 sectors, including steel, aluminum, cement, plastics, oil, natural gas and hydrogen, was introduced in the House of Representatives July 9.