CBP has released its Dec. 18 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 58, No 50). It contains no ruling actions but includes a notice of finding that aluminum extrusions and profile products and derivatives produced or manufactured by Kingtom Aluminio with the use of convict, forced or indentured labor are being, or are likely to be, imported into the U.S. (see 2412030006). Two Court of International Trade slip opinions also are included.
Forced Labor
CBP is the primary U.S. agency tasked with combating forced labor in international trade. It is the only agency with legal authority to take enforcement action and prevent entry into domestic commerce of goods produced with forced labor. CBP combats forced labor by issuing Withhold Release Orders (WROs) and Findings, and enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Goods subject to WROs and Findings, UFLPA, and CAATSA status cannot be entered at any ports of the U.S.
CBP processed more than 2.8 million entry summaries valued at more than $283 billion in November, with duties estimated at nearly $6.97 billion, the agency said Dec. 19 in a monthly update.
The Canadian government intends to create a new framework for eradicating forced labor from supply chains, its minister of export promotion, international trade and economic development, Mary Ng, said in a Dec. 18 response statement. The proposed legislation would require government entities and businesses "to scrutinize their international supply chains for risks to fundamental labour rights and take action to resolve these risks," and, "a new oversight agency will be created to ensure ongoing compliance."
Venable lawyers said no one knows whether President-elect Donald Trump will hike tariffs on China by 10 percentage points, by 60 percentage points, or bring current tariff levels to 60%. Nor does anyone know if the threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican exports will become reality.
The Congressional Research Service, in an updated report last week on the ban on goods made with forced labor in the Trade Act of 1930, highlighted how the U.S. has used negotiations in free trade agreements to try to expand the bans on goods made with forced labor.
Congress will pass a spending bill before leaving next week, and while everyone wants to attach their legislation to it, the prospect for Haitian trade preferences to get a ride seems relatively strong.
CBP posted the following documents for the Dec. 11 Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) meeting:
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.
Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., asked U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to open a Section 301 trade investigation on Chinese garlic growers, arguing that the sector is subsidized by forced labor and "other unfair and unethical trade practices."
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative opened a Section 301 investigation on Nicaragua's actions and practices "related to labor rights, human rights, and the rule of law," saying that it is concerned that Nicaragua's "repressive and persistent attacks" on these rights and violations of the rule of law may burden U.S. commerce.