The Aluminum Association cheered the Mexican decision to apply tariffs to 544 tariff lines in aluminum and aluminum products. The tariffs are as low as 5% or 10% on some products, but are 25% and 35% on most.
When a declaration is made on the Automated Commercial Environment portal, the system will automatically check for duplicate Harmonized Tariff Schedule numbers, case numbers and manufacturer IDs before submission is permitted, CBP said. This was part of a series of updates CBP made to the ACE Portal that was highlighted in an April 25 CSMS message.
If the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative decides that China's subsidies to its shipbuilding industry burden U.S. commerce through a range of unreasonable or discriminatory acts, a coalition of unions suggests it impose a fee on Chinese ships arriving at U.S. ports (see 2404170029). During a Washington International Trade Association webinar on the new Section 301 investigation, former USTR associate general counsel David Ross said China's subsidies are evident but the remedy is not.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements is adding a double-knit jacquard fabric to the "short supply list" in Annex 3.25 of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United Sates Free Trade Agreement for items not commercially available in a timely manner, it said in a notice. Lacoste requested the additions in December. The fabric, classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 6006.33, is being added in unrestricted quantities. Under short supply provisions of CAFTA-DR, fibers, yarns and fabrics listed in Annex 3.25 are provided with tariff preferences under the trade agreement.
CBP has released its April 24 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No. 16), which includes the following ruling actions:
A career staffer in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative whose portfolio includes the auto industry told an audience of auto industry supply chain professionals that it's likely the U.S. will be talking with Mexico about the increased foreign direct investment from Chinese companies manufacturing auto parts or, potentially, assembling vehicles, in Mexico.
A bipartisan bill led by a House Ways and Means Committee member would allow warehouses and brands located in foreign trade zones to send goods that were imported into the zones to consumers and have those packages qualify for de minimis treatment.
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The Canada Border Services Agency will delay its next deployment of its Customs Assessment and Revenue Management system until October, the agency said last week. CBSA had been scheduled to launch the automated duty collection system on May 13, but will now only do so internally, pushing back the release of the trade-facing aspects of CARM.
Former top officials in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative during the Trump and Biden administrations said there will be no return to a pre-Trumpian, pro-free trade philosophy, whether Joe Biden wins re-election this fall or Donald Trump returns to the White House in 2025.