The Vietnamese government said it sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, asking Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "to reconsider their decision to refuse to recognize the equivalent of 12 Vietnamese seafood fishing occupations in order to avoid serious disruptions to bilateral trade and protect the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fishermen and workers."
House Republicans stopped an effort to end the 40% additional tariffs on some Brazilian imports in an evening vote Sept. 15, though two Republicans voted with Democrats. Democrats, led by Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., sought to force a vote on the matter through a discharge petition, which can force a vote on a matter the House leadership does not want to take up. The effort came up short by a margin of 200-198.
When asked whether a broader trade agreement might be reached with China, beyond the current tariff truce, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said each of the four meetings has become more productive. There will need to be a fifth meeting before the truce expires Nov. 10, he told CNBC from London on Sept. 16. "I think the Chinese now sense a trade deal is more possible," he said.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters just ahead of a visit to King Charles III in England, said the U.K. government would like to "refine the trade deal a little bit ... I'm into helping them." He added, "They'd like to see if they can get a little bit better deal, so we'll talk to them."
Importers who have paid tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act should look to affirmatively safeguard their right to receive refunds should the Supreme Court vacate in some form President Donald Trump's tariffs imposed under the statute, various law firms said. The attorneys issued the alerts in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to hear two cases on the legality of IEEPA tariffs on an expedited basis (see 2509090058).
As CBP winds down the Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee in its current iteration (see 2507010077), the COAC's de minimis working group offered proposed recommendations to CBP to bolster entry processing in ACE amid the end of the de minimis exemption on Aug. 29. These recommendations include treating postal shipments similarly to how CBP handles low-value shipments via other transportation modes.
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 first window for requests for new auto parts to be covered by Section 232 tariffs will open Oct. 1, beginning a 14-day submission window, followed by a 60-day period to consider the inclusion requests, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security said in an interim final rule outlining the inclusion process.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s U.S.-U.K. Business Council issued a statement that the president's trip to England this week is a great time to "advance discussions on finalizing the U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity deal."
American appliance manufacturer Whirlpool claimed that its competitors may be evading tariffs on imports of appliances, and the company has raised its concerns with the Trump administration. Whirlpool said that, according to customs data, the declared value of imported home appliances "dropped precipitously" as tariffs took effect, which it said "raises concerns of potential duty evasion."