The Commerce Department seeks public comments on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, paid by certain countries that exported softwood lumber to the U.S. July 1 through Dec. 31, 2023, it said in a notice. The Softwood Lumber Act of 2008 requires Commerce to submit a report every 180 days on any subsidy provided by nations exporting softwood lumber or softwood products to the U.S., including subsidies for stumpage. Commerce is seeking input on subsidies paid by countries whose exports composed at least 1% of total U.S. softwood imports by quantity, as classified under tariff schedule subheadings 4407.1100, 4407.1200, 4407.1300, 4407.1400 and 4407.1900, the agency said. International Trade Commission Tariff and Trade DataWeb information indicates that five countries -- Austria, Brazil, Canada, Germany and Sweden -- exported that much softwood lumber to the U.S. during that six-month period. Comments are due May 13.
Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich, joined by four other Michigan Democrats, two Indiana Democrats and Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., whose district includes a major Mercedes plant, asked the Biden administration to prevent Chinese cars from entering the U.S.
A bill requiring a study on gender bias and regressive effects of the U.S. tariff system was introduced April 10, and has been endorsed by the New Democrat Coalition Trade Task Force, which is led by one of the bill's co-sponsors, Rep. Lizzie Fletcher, D-Texas.
The Court of International Trade on April 10 rejected the preferred tariff classification of notebooks with calendars from both CBP and importer Blue Sky the Color of Imagination, slotting the products under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 4820.10.20.10 as "diaries." Judge Jane Restani explained that the court should prefer readings of the HTS that establish "conformity" across both the English and French translations of the Harmonized System.
CBP has released its April 10 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No. 14), which includes the following ruling actions:
The Court of International Trade on April 10 said that neither the U.S. nor importer Blue Sky the Color of Imagination properly classified entries of four types of notebooks with calendars, ultimately finding that the products fit under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 4820.10.20.10 as "diaries." Judge Jane Restani said that the Harmonized System should be interpreted to provide "conformity" between the French and English versions of the HS. As a result, the judge looked to the French and English definitions of the term "diary," which both describe as a notebook to write what one proposes or remembers what to do.
American and Chinese officials discussed tariffs, export controls and market access issues during the April 2-5 first meetings of the U.S.-China Commercial Issues Working Group, both countries said in readouts after the talks.
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., recently introduced a bill that would permanently end the 4.8% tariff on imported basketballs. This is the third time he has tried to change the tariff code for this item (see 2106020064). Russell Brands of Bowling Green, Kentucky, has gotten leather basketballs repeatedly covered by the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill, saving about $50,000 in tariffs annually; however, no MTB has been in effect for more than three years.
DHS announced that more companies in what it called "the high-priority textile sector" should be added to the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act's Entity List, joining the 10 already on that list -- just one item in what it's calling "a new comprehensive enforcement action plan" for textiles.
The Federal Maritime Commission will be conducting network maintenance April 6, and said some of its systems will “experience intermittent outages” from 9 a.m. to noon EDT. Those include the FMC’s common carrier tariff and marine terminal operator schedule registration form; its application for a license as an ocean transportation intermediary; its Foreign Based Unlicensed Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier Registration; its Agreement Library; its eAgreements Filing System; and its List of FMC Licensed & Bonded OTIs. The FMC said its Service Contract Filing System, or SERVCON, will “remain available” throughout.