The Commerce Department on Aug. 2 released its quarterly update to its annual list of foreign-government subsidies on imported articles of cheese subject to an in-quota rate of duty, for the period Jan. 1 - March 31, 2024. The agency again found that only Canada is providing subsidies, in the form of export assistance.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements is adding several types of nylon and polyester dobby weave fabric to the "short supply list" in Annex 3.25 of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement for items not commercially available in a timely manner, it said in a notice. Powers Manufacturing Company, which does business as Powers Athletic, requested the additions in June. The fabrics, classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings 5407.73.2015, 5407.73.2060, 5407.53.2020 and 5407.53.2060, are 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.
Following the lead of House Select Committee on China members, Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., introduced a bill Aug. 1 to enhance criminal prosecutions for trade offenses.
CBP unveiled Aug, 2 a list of proposals further defining just how President Joe Biden expects the agency to implement Biden’s "Detect and Defeat" legislation (see 2407310030) aimed at thwarting fentanyl and other illicit drugs from entering the U.S. via the millions of de minimis shipments or imports that are worth less than $800.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York last week ordered importer Delta Uniforms and its owner, George Iloulian, to pay over $1.3 million for avoiding customs duties on medical uniforms, footwear and other apparel. Judge Paul Gardephe said they violated the False Claims Act and must pay triple the amount of the evaded duties and a $557,880 civil penalty.
CBP has released its July 31 Customs Bulletin (Vol 58, No. 30), which includes the following ruling actions:
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who has traditionally been a defender of the current law on de minimis (see 1907300048), said that while he's not up for lowering the $800 threshold, he would be willing to change the low value import process to combat fentanyl, as the White House is proposing.
A bipartisan pair of senators fleshed out a trade facilitation framework released in early June (see 2406100015) with legislative text that authorizes spending to create a true single window and modernize ACE, as well as details of how duty drawback could change.
Senators criticized both Congress and the administration's lack of action to use lower tariffs to build relationships in the developing world, at a Foreign Relations Committee hearing on strategic competition with China. The hearing, which was meant to focus on China's influence in Africa, Latin America and Europe, and what the U.S. could do to counter it, was held July 30.
Higher or new Section 301 tariffs on lithium-ion batteries for EVs, lead-acid battery parts, golf-cart like EVs, electric cars, vans and buses, plug-in hybrids, ship-to-shore cranes, solar cells, solar panels, syringes, needles, three categories of disposable masks, 26 critical minerals, more than 100 HTS codes covering iron and steel products, and 31 aluminum HTS codes, all on imports from China, will not go up on Aug. 1, as originally announced two months ago (see 2405220072).