The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is readying to launch a review on competitive need limitations (CNLs) in the Generalized System of Preferences, said lobbyists with GSP expertise in recent interviews. The process will include a request for industry stakeholder input, expected in the coming weeks, the lobbyists said. President Barack Obama signed GSP renewal into law on June 29 and the retroactive renewal will take effect a month after that date. Congress put language in that legislation (here) to require USTR to conclude the CNL review by Oct. 1. Importers have 180 days after the date of enactment to submit filings retroactively for reliquidation.
President Barack Obama hailed recent Congressional action on trade legislation in remarks on June 25, following a critical House vote that capped months of intense Capitol Hill wrangling on trade. The House overwhelmingly supported the package, which includes renewals for the Generalized System of Preferences, the African Growth and Opportunity Act and Trade Adjustment Assistance. “This week's votes represent a much-needed win for hardworking American families,” said Obama. “I look forward to signing these bipartisan bills into law as soon as they reach my desk.” Many trade supporters expect the U.S. to now step up focus on closing Trans-Pacific Partnership talks. Obama didn’t mention the 12-nation pact directly, but said TPA will help the U.S. “write the rules of our global economy.” Lawmakers now are likely to head to conference over Customs Reauthorization, but that bill is now legislatively disconnected from TPA and the trade package.
Lawmakers introduced the following trade-related bills since International Trade Today's last legislative update:
The House overwhelmingly passed a trade preferences package that would renew the Generalized System of Preferences on June 25. The vote came just a day after the Senate passed a host of trade bills and resolutions, ending a months-long legislative battle over Trade Promotion Authority. President Barack Obama is now set to sign TPA and the preference package into law in the coming days and renew GSP, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, and two Haiti tariff preference level programs (see 1506120015). After his expected signature, importers would soon be able to file retroactive relief for duties incurred over the past two years of GSP expiration.
The Senate is poised pass standalone Trade Promotion Authority on June 24, and will continue to push forward on the trade preferences package in order to shoot that legislation over to the House by June 25, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., in comments on the Senate floor on June 24. Senate leadership is likely to hold the TPA vote on June 24 at 5:30 p.m. unless lawmakers reach an agreement to do so earlier in the day, said staffers with Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, a Finance Committee member and one of the fiercest trade critics in the Senate, aims to support the trade preferences package in a vote expected this week, said a spokeswoman for Brown on June 22. The package now includes Trade Adjustment Assistance and a trade remedy bill, on top of renewals for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Generalized System of Preferences and two Haiti tariff preference level programs. Brown floated the trade remedy bill, named the Leveling the Playing Field Act, in April (see 1504080013). The legislation is designed to strengthen antidumping enforcement. "Senator Brown intends to support the trade preferences package with or without his Leveling the Playing Field act included," said the spokeswoman. "He’s always preferred putting assistance for American workers ahead of fast tracking trade deals that could cost jobs."
The Senate squeaked through a procedural motion on standalone Trade Promotion Authority on June 23 with 60 votes in favor and 37 opposed. The move paves the way for final passage of the legislation the following day, said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., on the Senate floor before the TPA vote. Senate passage of the underlying TPA bill will allow leadership to deliver that legislation to President Barack Obama for his signature after weeks of political wrangling.
The Senate is readying to vote on standalone Trade Promotion Authority and an amended preference package that will include Trade Adjustment Assistance in the coming days after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., filed cloture on the both bills on June 18. The window for filing amendments on the legislation is the afternoon of June 22, said the office of Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas. The House passed standalone TPA legislation on June 18 (see 1506180025).
The House passed a standalone Trade Promotion Authority bill 218-208 on June 18 in a move that now sends the bill back to the Senate. Final approval in that chamber would send TPA to President Barack Obama for his signature, but lawmakers and experts expect more procedural wrangling between the two chambers before that takes place. The House TPA bill is now an amendment (here) to HR-2146, an unrelated revenue bill (here).
The House passed its preference package with an overwhelming 397-32 majority on June 11. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., joined Republicans in opposing the bill. The House then initiated the process to send the legislation back to the Senate. The latest version of the House legislation (here) includes different offset provisions than the bill produced by the Senate. Therefore, another vote is required in that chamber before Senate leadership can ultimately send the bill to the president's desk for his signature.