The American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) differed on whether import restraints on primary aluminum should be on the table for the Trump administration’s ongoing review of the national security impacts of aluminum imports. The Commerce Department posted comments on the administration's ongoing Section 232 investigation into aluminum imports last week (here). NFTC said that measures limiting importation of primary aluminum would hurt U.S. jobs supported by the aluminum industry and reduce exports of can sheet to Canada and Mexico, assuming primary aluminum costs rise (here).
Congressional Steel Caucus leaders Tim Murphy, R-Pa., and Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., led a letter to President Donald Trump calling for broad and lengthy application of any Section 232 remedies for the steel industry, Murphy’s office announced June 28 (here). Any remedy should also avoid exceptions that could be exploited by foreign producer dumping or duty circumvention, the lawmakers wrote. “The domestic steel industry’s ability to provide material to the military, electrical steel for the grid or drilling equipment for the energy industry may be fatally undermined if foreign countries and producers are allowed to destroy other lines of business that are critical to American steel producers’ economic viability,” Reps. Murphy and Visclosky said. “Taking away one or two legs of a chair makes the entire platform unusable. A remedy must encompass the entirety of the American steel industry in order to safeguard our national security.” The letter was also sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Defense Secretary James Mattis. Ross has a self-imposed deadline of June 30 to announce any remedial actions pursuant to his department's ongoing national security investigation into steel imports.
Lawmakers urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to streamline customs procedures in the upcoming NAFTA renegotiation during a June 22 hearing at which House Republicans also joined their Democratic colleagues in calling for discretion in the Trump administration’s ongoing Section 232 metals investigations. During a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Trump administration trade policy, Lighthizer said trade facilitation would be part of the negotiations. While acknowledging the possibility for "technical" disagreements on customs provisions, he said he “can’t imagine” that NAFTA parties would differ in "direction” on customs talks. Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, in his opening statement called for updates to NAFTA to reflect “modern realities” of customs barriers, digital commerce, intellectual property and state-owned enterprises, among other areas.
Twelve Democrats from the House and Senate are calling for the Trump administration to give stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback on the Commerce Department’s ongoing Section 232 investigations on steel and aluminum imports, according to a June 20 letter they sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer (here). The lawmakers also requested that the administration fully consult with Congress on its considered approach before a decision is made. “Given the significant implications these proceedings could have for jobs and economic growth across the country, it is particularly essential that the Administration provide full transparency and due process when conducting these investigations,” the lawmakers wrote. “While swift relief is vital, it need not come at the expense of due process.” If the reviews find metal imports endanger U.S. national security, the Trump administration could impose tariffs, quotas or other import restraints.
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The canned food industry on June 12 urged President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to exclude tinplate steel from tariffs or other restrictions on such imports that could be taken pursuant to Commerce’s ongoing Section 232 steel investigation, the Can Manufacturers Institute said in a press release (here). Almost 20 groups representing the canned food industry asked the administration to exempt tinplate steel because it isn’t used in defense or national security applications. Tariffs or trade barriers would harshly impact those on governmental food assistance and diminish the value of taxpayer-funded federal food assistance programs, the release says. The White House and Commerce didn’t immediately comment. Commerce is expected to finish its Section 232 investigation this month (see 1705240034).
Actions resulting from the Commerce Department’s ongoing national security investigation on steel imports could disrupt U.S. import-intensive industries and any remedies should be tailored to specific types of steel, companies said in comments to Commerce (here). Commerce recently posted comments it accepted through May 31 on its Section 232 investigation on steel imports, which would allow the Trump administration to impose tariffs, quotas or other import restraints if the review finds steel imports endanger U.S. national security. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has said the department should finish the examination this month (see 1705240034).
The Bureau of Industry and Security is shortening the period until deadline for comments on its investigation into how aluminum imports affect national security, the agency said (here). BIS must now receive written submissions by June 23 to be considered in drafting the final report, but commenters are “encouraged” to submit information by June 20, BIS said. The agency’s previous deadline was June 29 (see 1705080004). “Moving the deadline for all written submissions to June 23, 2017 will enable the Commerce Department to more expeditiously finalize the report, taking account of the time-sensitive nature of the national security implications related to this section 232 investigation of aluminum, and of the President’s direction to move quickly on this important matter,” BIS said. “The Commerce Department has included one additional day after the [June 22 investigation] hearing concludes to allow people who attend or view remotely the hearing to submit any additional comments they may have in response to testimony during the hearing.”
A slew of steel industry executives urged Trump administration officials to take action against steel imports in its ongoing Section 232 investigation during a May 24 Commerce Department hearing, as foreign industry and government representatives pleaded for a more measured approach. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross during the hearing said that his department is working to conclude the investigation by the end of June, much sooner than the legal deadline of 270 days after the administration’s April 19 launch of the investigation, which would allow the administration to assess tariffs, quotas or other import restraints if the examination finds steel imports endanger national security (see 1704200029).
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