Trump tariffs

The White House has posted a September 27, 2007 letter from President Bush to Congress transmitting legislation and supporting documents to Congress to implement the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA).

The White House has issued a press release announcing that President Bush signed the conference version of H.R. 1, the "Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007," into law on August 3, 2007. H.R. 1 will, among other things, establish deadlines for 100% scanning of U.S.-bound containers at foreign ports, etc. (White House press release, dated 08/03/07, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/08/20070803-1.html.)

The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the current and immediate past commissioners of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Basham and Bonner, took a stand against scanning 100% of U.S.-bound containers at foreign seaports before they are loaded aboard ships at the recent conference sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The article opines that a bill to implement the remaining recommendations of the 9/11 Commission report (which calls for 100% scanning) is expected to go to the White House before the August Congressional recess. Basham states that he and Bonner feel the concept is fundamentally flawed, and that trying to legislate 100% scanning does not make sense, and that at a minimum, Congress should be willing to wait for results from the pilot program. (JoC, dated 07/11/07, www.joc.com)

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted a statement expressing disappointment regarding the collapse of recent Doha Round negotiations in Potsdam. According to MSNBC, the World Trade Organization's four biggest powers (G4) - the U.S., India, Brazil, and the European Union - left negotiations early after failing to break a six-year logjam between rich and poor countries over eliminating barriers to trade in farm produce and manufactured goods. (USTR's statement, dated 06/21/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/June/Statement_from_USTR_Ambassador_Susan_C_Schwab_USDA_Secretary_Mike_Johanns_on_Doha_Round.html. MSNBC article, dated 06/22/207, available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19368605/)

CNN reports that the House passed a $37.4 billion appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security on June 15, 2007, but minority Republicans rallied enough votes to uphold a promised veto by President Bush. The bill exceeds Bush's request for the department by $2.1 billion, or 6%, thus drawing a veto threat from the White House. (CNN, dated 06/19/07, available at http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/18/congress.spending.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest)

Truth About Trade and Technology reports on a Wall Street Journal article about a showdown brewing between the White House and Capitol Hill over how to best address China's undervalued currency and other alleged unfair trade practices. Though little progress was made on the issue during the recent semiannual economic summit between the U.S. and China, at least one bill sponsored by Senators Schumer and Graham, which is due to be made public in mid-June, is reported to have a chance of passing. Earlier versions of the Schumer-Graham bill had proposed imposing a 27.5% import tariff on all Chinese goods in response to China's failure to boost the yuan's rate. (Truth about Trade and Technology, dated 06/06/07, available at www.truthabouttrade.org/print.asp?id=7674)

On December 20, 2006, President Bush signed H.R. 6111, the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, into law. The Act includes trade provisions which:

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a final report to the President in connection with its investigation of proposed modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) that are expected to take effect on January 1, 2007.

According to Washington Trade Daily, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Grassley has stated that he will not move legislation to reauthorize the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program - slated to expire on December 31, 2006 - because some beneficiary countries, particularly India and Brazil, are holding up the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks. The article also states that Ways and Means Chairman Thomas last month suggested that GSP and all other U.S. trade preference programs be allowed to expire. (WTD, dated 05/17/06, www.washingtontradedaily.com )

The Washington File reports that the Bush administration is sending trade negotiators to China to discuss that country's progress on improving enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). A meeting is scheduled to take place on March 1, 2006 and is intended to gather information on the Chinese government's efforts to combat piracy of U.S. copyrighted material. (Washington File Pub 02/24/06, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=February&x=20060224163828tjkcollub0.347027&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html )