Although all members of the House Ways and Means Committee supported a bill renewing the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, the bill proceeded to the House floor on a split bipartisan vote of 17-24 as Democrats unsuccessfully called to include an extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Workers program, which lapsed in 2022.
The U.S. on April 16 requested the establishment of a USMCA dispute settlement panel to consider its rapid response labor complaint against a Mexican call center, marking only the second time the U.S. has requested that a panel be formed, according to an April 16 news release from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
The International Trade Commission published notices in the April 15 Federal Register on the following AD/CVD injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The House Ways and Means Committee is set on April 17 to consider several just-introduced trade bills, including a retroactive extension of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, new restrictions on de minimis and restrictions on electric vehicle tax credits.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative seeks more comments on how USMCA rules of origin are affecting trade in automotive goods, as it compiles an annual report it will send to Congress by July 2025. USTR will hold a hearing on its investigation on Oct. 8, with requests to appear due Sept. 24 and prehearing briefs due Sept. 26. Post hearing briefs are due Oct. 16, and all other written submissions are due Nov. 18, USTR said. Automakers and their suppliers told USTR in comments on the agency’s 2024 report on the same issue that not having a form for certificate of origin has made compliance more difficult, among other things (see 2402050048).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit on April 12 ruled that Texas construction equipment distributor I Dig Texas didn't falsely represent its skid steer attachments as being made in the U.S. The court said the company's advertisements were ambiguous on whether the products' parts are all American-made or whether the goods themselves were assembled in the U.S. (I Dig Texas v. Kerry Creager, 10th Cir. # 23-5046).
The Commerce Department is amending the final results of an antidumping duty administrative review on passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China (A-570-016), to correct a ministerial error in its calculation for the AD rate for entries of subject merchandise from the one mandatory respondent, the Giti Tire group of companies, during the period Aug. 1, 2021, through July 31, 2022.
The Treasury Department announced on April 12 that it will add Russian-origin aluminum, copper and nickel to existing import bans on Russian goods, which already cover Russian jewelry and seafood. The ban applies to all aluminum, copper and nickel of Russian origin produced on or after April 13.