Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., and Andy Kim, D-N.J., introduced a bill last month that would cover Uruguay under the trade benefits in the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act. "Uruguay is one of America’s best friends in South America and is a shining example of how economic freedom promotes prosperity," Salazar said in a news release. She said she wants to increase economic exchange between the two nations.
The International Trade Commission posted the 2024 Basic Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The new HTS implements the restoration of AGOA benefits for Mauritania and their removal for the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger and Uganda, as well as a lengthy list of 10-digit-level changes for fruits and vegetables, chemicals, medicaments and recycled aluminum. Changes were effective as of Jan. 1 unless otherwise noted.
Presidential proclamations for Section 232 steel tariff rate quotas for EU countries, and for tariff rate quotas for aluminum, were published Dec. 28, with no changes to aggregate volume from the last two-year deal. The new quotas will last through the end of 2025.
Liquidation of imports of remanufactured auto parts from Tecnologia Modificada, a Caterpillar, Inc., subsidiary in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, may resume now that a rapid response labor complaint from the Office of U.S. Trade Representative has been resolved.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced that "after careful consultations," she has decided not to interfere with the International Trade Commission's Section 337 decision that Apple infringed on two patents owned by Masimo Corp. and Cercacor Laboratories, Inc. The ITC ruled Oct. 26. Apple last week said it would stop sales of two of its models of the Apple Watch (see 2312180066).
More than 400 products that are excluded from Section 301 tariffs will continue to enter under normal duties through May 31, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced Dec. 26. The exclusions had been scheduled to end at the end of this year.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is extending 77 COVID-19 related tariff exclusions as well as the 352 Section 301 exclusions that were restored in March 2022. Both sets of exclusions were set to expire Dec. 31; now they will last through May 31.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is reallocating 3,217 metric tons raw value of sugar to Fiji, according to a Federal Register notice scheduled to be published Dec. 26. USTR reallocated 223,740 metric tons raw value of sugar Nov. 30 for the FY2024 tariff rate quota, but inadvertently omitted Fiji (see 2311290014).
Apparel, which accounts for about 37% of imports covered by Caribbean Basin Initiative and Haiti-specific programs, may no longer support jobs in Haiti if a renewal of at least 10 years isn't passed well ahead of Haiti's HOPE and HELP programs' expiration in October 2025, industry is arguing.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced eligibility for “trade surplus” tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for sugar originating in certain free trade agreement countries for calendar year 2024. USTR found Colombia and five members of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua -- eligible for the TRQ. The agency found that Chile, the Dominican Republic, Morocco, Panama and Peru don't qualify.