ATLANTA -- CBP has assessed about $2.7 billion in duties under the recent major trade remedies started during the Trump administration, said John Leonard, executive director-trade policy and programs, during an Aug. 14 meeting with reporters at the CBP 2018 Trade Symposium. That includes $477 million in duties from the Section 301 tariffs on goods from China so far, he said. The first tranche of Section 301 tariffs took effect on July 6 (see 1807050033) and more are scheduled to take effect on Aug. 23 (see 1808070046). CBP also has assessed just over $2 billion under the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and $263 million under the Section 201 trade remedies on washing machines and solar cells (see 1801230052). Leonard also noted that the Section 201 tariff-rate quota for washer parts was recently reached. According to the most recent quota status report, the washer parts TRQ was filled as of July 23.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for Aug. 6-10 in case they were missed.
President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Aug. 10 that a deal with Mexico is nearly in hand. Canada will have to wait, and he plans to put heavy pressure on Canadian officials to make concessions, because "their Tariffs and Trade Barriers are far too high," he said. "Will tax cars if we can’t make a deal!"
The proposed third tranche of 25 percent Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports targets equipment “critical for the build-out” of 5G mobile phone technology, the Internet of Things and “big data,” according to K.C. Swanson, Telecommunications Industry Association director-global policy, in prehearing testimony posted in docket USTR-2018-0026. Though the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative hasn’t released a schedule of witnesses to testify at four days of public hearings on the tariffs beginning Aug. 20, Swanson is scheduled to testify Aug. 21, she said. Requests to testify were due Aug. 13 under the deadline USTR Robert Lighthizer extended from July 27 when he announced Aug. 1 he will “consider,” under President Donald Trump’s direction, raising the third tranche of proposed duties to 25 percent from 10 percent (see 1808010070).
The increased Section 232 tariffs on steel from Turkey will take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Aug. 13, the White House said in a proclamation. CBP issued filing instructions for Turkish steel on Aug. 12 in a CSMS message. Importers are to include the classification "9903.80.02 (50% ad valorem duty rate for products of iron and steel that are the product of Turkey)" in addition to the regular Chapter 72 or 73 classifications, the agency said.
President Donald Trump said he will double tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum because of the movement of the Turkish lira. " Aluminum will now be 20% and Steel 50%," he tweeted. "Our relations with Turkey are not good at this time!" The Turkish Embassy did not immediately respond with a comment. The country is also facing potential removal from the Generalized System of Preferences due to its tariffs on U.S. goods in response to the Section 232 tariffs (see 1808060021).
The European Union only accounts for 10 percent of U.S. liquefied natural gas exports, but European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said U.S. regulations are a barrier to faster growth. "The growing exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas, if priced competitively, could play an increasing and strategic role in EU gas supply; but the U.S. needs to play its role in doing away with red tape restrictions on liquefied natural gas exports," Juncker said in a press release issued Aug. 9. He noted that there has to be prior regulatory approval before each export to Europe.
A Trump ally on trade says getting Mexico and Canada to agree to country-of-origin labeling for beef and pork should be part of the NAFTA negotiations. Bringing back COOL was not in the NAFTA negotiating objectives presented to Congress last year. The Coalition for a Prosperous America says that bringing COOL back will boost domestic agriculture. "If the president wants to extend his ‘Buy American, Hire American’ agenda to the nation’s agricultural sector, then we need to revise our food labeling policies,” CPA Chairman Dan DiMicco said. "Americans undoubtedly want to buy safe, domestically farmed beef and pork."
China plans to hit a wide range of goods from the U.S. with 10 percent tariffs in response to the Trump administration's most recent proposed tariffs on Chinese goods (see 1808030013). Among the major items by value targeted by the Chinese on its 5 percent tariff list are bleached coniferous wood pulp in 4703.21.00 and untanned cow hide and skin in 4101.50.19, according to International Trade Centre data cited in a tweet.
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 30 - Aug. 3 in case they were missed.