Government subsidies for domestic manufacturing in strategic sectors tend to then need trade protections, former top U.S. trade representative officials from the Trump and Biden administrations agreed.
The U.S. has asked Mexico to review whether workers at the Volkswagen de México, S.A. de C.V. facility in Cuautlancingo, Puebla, are being denied their rights to freedom of association and collective bargaining, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced May 28.
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 country of origin of a Whirlpool food waste disposer is Mexico and Section 301 duties don't apply, CBP said in a customs ruling dated May 15. The agency found that, despite the motor in the garbage disposal being of Chinese origin, the manufacturing process in Mexico substantially transformed the original components into subassemblies, which were then combined to make the final food disposer.
The Aluminum Association, in its weekly newsletter emailed May 24, said it had expected aluminum products that aren't subject to any Section 301 tariffs to be included in a new 25% tariff, but only 31 HTS codes will be covered (see 2405220072).
After House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., met with Kenyan President William Ruto, he joined the Senate Finance Committee chairman's call to negotiate a trade liberalizing free trade agreement with Kenya. Finance Committee Chair Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., earlier in the week asked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to upgrade its trade negotiations with Kenya so that it's working toward a goal of a comprehensive trade agreement (see 2405210051).
A bill introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont, and Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., would end duty drawback for petroleum taxes that are dedicated to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund and to Superfund. The bill, called the End Polluter Welfare Act, was first introduced a dozen years ago.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative decided that 164 exclusions from Section 301 China tariffs -- including for fabrics, bras, electric motors, sterile drapes, hunting stands, bicycle trailers, auto rearview mirrors and more -- will continue to avoid the tariffs through May 31, 2025, while 265 exclusions will expire June 14.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative decided to extend 164 Section 301 tariff exclusions through May 31, and the other 265 exclusions will expire June 14.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, shortly after the administration chose to keep and expand the Section 301 tariffs (see 2405220072), grappled with what it should recommend to Congress on how to use trade policy to counteract trade distortions from China's communist-run economy.