A discussion draft modifying a carbon border tax bill narrows the product list, removing fossil fuels, chemicals and other goods that were original targets of the Senate bill, which was introduced a year ago (see 2311030006).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is hiking tariffs on Chinese solar wafers and polysilicon to 50% and Chinese tungsten products covered by Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings 8101.94.00, 8101.99.10 and 8101.99.80 will face 25% tariffs, beginning Jan. 1.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced eligibility for “trade surplus” tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for sugar originating in certain free trade agreement countries for calendar year 2025. USTR found Colombia, Panama and five members of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua -- eligible for the TRQ. The agency found that Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco and Peru don't qualify.
The International Trade Commission seeks comments by the close of business on Dec. 18 on its Section 337 investigation on imported power converters (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1370), it said in a notice to be published Dec. 10 in the Federal Register. The complaint was originally filed in 2023 by Vicor Corp. of Massachusetts (see 2307180003) alleging that Taiwanese and Chinese companies imported power converter modules and computing systems that infringe three of Vicor's patents related to power system technologies used in high-density and high-efficiency applications like "high-end" computing. Vicor asked the ITC for a limited exclusion order forbidding entry of the proposed respondents’ infringing products and a cease and desist order.
Nearly half of U.S. companies surveyed by the Bureau of Industry and Security this year said they didn’t know whether their products contained any Chinese-made, mature-node semiconductors, BIS said in a summary of those survey results released Dec. 6.
The Commerce Department is setting new countervailing duty cash deposit requirements for imports of low speed personal transportation vehicles from China (C-570-177), after finding subsidization of Chinese producers in the preliminary determination of a CVD investigation. Suspension of liquidation and cash deposit requirements generally take effect Dec. 6, but Commerce is making the suspension of liquidation and CVD cash deposits retroactive to Sept. 7 for some Chinese companies.
Judges at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on Dec. 4 questioned importer Nature's Touch Frozen Foods (West) and the government regarding the tariff classification of frozen fruit mixtures. Judge Todd Hughes led the bulk of the questioning, pushing Nature's Touch on how to classify the goods if the court finds that the mixtures aren't food preparations, as claimed by the company, and how they should be classified instead under Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 0811, which covers certain frozen fruit (Nature's Touch Frozen Foods (West) v. U.S., Fed. Cir. # 23-2093).
Embossing and foil labeling operations don't constitute a use or materially change the goods, and such products are therefore eligible for unused merchandise drawback and in the same condition for the purpose of claiming drawback under USMCA, CBP determined in a recent ruling.
If incoming President Donald Trump imposes 25% tariffs on all Mexican and Canadian imports, it would be deeply disruptive to business in Texas, Arizona, Michigan and southeastern states with major auto manufacturing.
The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has invited Costa Rica to join the pact, Canada said in a statement released Nov. 30. At the eighth CPTPP Commission meeting in Vancouver, the commission agreed to begin the accession process, originally requested by Costa Rica in 2022, noting the Central American country's "history as a supporter of the rules-based trading system, its experience with high-standard trade and investment rules, and [its] affirmation of its intention to comply with the obligations of the CPTPP." The accession process begins with the formation of an Accession Working Group, which will establish a timeline for Costa Rica's membership.