Although the ranking member on the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee has been pushing to exclude Chinese goods from de minimis (see 2403060089), interviews this week with a half-dozen members of the 42-person committee show the momentum for changing the law is fairly muted.
If Donald Trump is elected to a second presidential term, his administration should focus on communicating better with other governments and American companies about upcoming policy decisions, said Elisabeth Braw, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Transatlantic Security Initiative.
EPA is setting new emissions standards for passenger cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty vehicles with model years 2027 through 2032 and beyond, the agency said in a final rule publicly released March 20. The new rules, which EPA said are the “strongest-ever” pollution standards for cars, also finalize “minor amendments” to update its greenhouse gas program requirements for certain imported vehicles and engines, and more. “Entities potentially affected by this rule include light-duty vehicle manufacturers, independent commercial importers, alternative fuel converters, and manufacturers and converters of medium-duty vehicles,” EPA said. The changes take effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
The Senate passed a resolution that could undo the USDA's approval of imported Paraguayan beef, if the House also votes to end these imports by a veto-proof margin.
The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington dismissed a lawsuit from clothing company Smart Apparel (U.S.) that accused Nordstrom of breaching a contract when it canceled orders from Smart Apparel that were suspected of being made with forced labor (Smart Apparel (U.S.) v. Nordstrom, W.D. Wash. # 23-01754).
New USDA Agricultural Marketing Service National Organic Program requirements are mandatory starting on March 19, CBP said in a CSMS message on March 19. The message reminded the trade public of the USDA Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule on January 2023 that required electronic National Organic Program import certificates for organic agricultural products (see 2301180051).
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The American Apparel and Footwear Association's vice president for trade and customs policy is hearing that a higher competitive needs limitation will be part of a Generalized System of Preferences benefits program renewal.
At a political rally in the Dayton, Ohio, suburbs, former President Donald Trump addressed Chinese President Xi Jinping with a threat that if Chinese firms open car assembly plants in Mexico, the U.S. will put a 100% tariff on their products.
The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register March 18 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):