The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the following voluntary recalls April 4-5:
USDA's Commodity Credit Corporation announced April 4 that Special Import Quota #25 for upland cotton will be established April 11, allowing importation of 6,902,347 kilograms (31,702 bales) of upland cotton, up from 6,526,283 kilograms in the previous quota period. The quota will apply to upland cotton purchased not later than July 9, 2024, and entered into the U.S. by Oct. 7, 2024. The quota is equivalent to one week's consumption of cotton by domestic mills at the seasonally adjusted average rate for the December 2023 through February 2024 period, the most recent three months for which data is available.
The U.S. and the EU will consult each other on planned action, and "may develop joint or cooperative measures to address distortionary effects on the global supply chain for legacy semiconductors," a joint statement from the ministerial meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council said. Both regions are offering government incentives to produce semiconductors, but if Chinese semiconductors are still cheaper than their own, delayed projects in Ohio and Arizona could be canceled.
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.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during a visit to China to meet with U.S. businesses that produce there and with Vice Premier He Lifeng, said that China and the U.S. disagree on Chinese policy to grow its economy through exports.
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.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website April 4, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.
CBP is asking for comments on a new forced labor portal and forced labor case management system that will centralize submissions related to forced labor allegations, as well as withhold release order revocation and modification requests and Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act applicability review submissions, the agency said. Comments are due by June 7, the agency said in a notice released April 5.
CBP announced a new Enforce and Protect Act investigation, saying it has reasonable suspicion that Guy & O’Neill evaded the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on xanthan gum from China and has enacted interim measures against the importer.