Most business interests argued that removing goods subject to Section 301 tariffs is not administrable, would damage the economy, and, if not abandoned, needs a long lead time to prepare for, in comments to CBP.
The Federal Maritime Commission is warning government contractors about “fraudulent solicitations” sent via email from people pretending to be from the FMC. The commission urged companies to check emails for an address that ends in “@fmc.gov.” Emails that don’t end in “@fmc.gov” means “the address did not originate at the Federal Maritime Commission,” it said.
Three congressional representatives sent a letter to the heads of the DOJ, DHS and the FDA, urging them to act against e-cigarette imports from China.
CBP has updated its FAQ on Section 232 tariffs for aluminum and steel on its website, addressing certain elements of the tariffs that the trade community has been grappling with, particularly on determining the value of new steel and aluminum derivatives outside of chapters 73 and 76 (see 2503140059.
National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones Chair Shannon Fura, a founder of Chicago law firm Page Fura, said the language in President Donald Trump's recent executive orders creating new tariffs, which say that goods must pay tariffs before entering FTZs, "are handcuffing some of the benefits" that FTZs are designed to provide.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Nearly 750 organizations and businesses gave input to the administration on trade barriers or subsidies that prevent them from reaching their sales potential.
CBP will very soon release a FAQ on some outstanding issues related to complying with the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum derivatives, particularly derivatives outside of chapters 73 and 76 (see 2503140059), according to a CBP official speaking during CBP's bi-weekly ACE trade support call.
Associations' views diverged widely on the wisdom of codifying a modified Type 86 process and tweaking the clear-from-the-manifest process for de minimis entries. Groups also disagreed on CBP's proposals for what new data should be submitted. The agency received 95 comments on its proposal, though dozens were from individuals and didn't make substantive suggestions. Some associations and companies addressed both this proposed rule and the one that would carve out sections 301 and 232 goods from de minimis. The comment period for that rule closes March 24.
When the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative asked for comments on policies that reduce U.S. exports, most agricultural trade associations -- and a few companies -- laid out their concerns about tariffs or sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers that prevent their exports from reaching their potential.