CBP will not be granting any additional extensions for new aluminum entry summary filing requirements related to Section 232 tariffs on Russia, a CBP official confirmed during a webinar hosted by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America on April 6.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, speaking April 5 at the American University Washington College of Law, said the traditional approach to trade, "which prioritized aggressive liberalization and tariff elimination," had "significant costs" in addition to "significant benefits."
Manufacturas VU, the only manufacturer in Mexico to be subject to two rapid response complaints on labor rights, has agreed to a course of action to satisfy both Mexico and the U.S., and to avoid any penalties on its automotive exports.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai reassured the members of the National Council of Textile Organizations that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has no interest in loosening rules of origin for clothing made in Central America and the Dominican Republic. Some have argued that the CAFTA-DR has not lived up to its potential because its rules are too restrictive (see 2112030045 and 2104140047).
The U.S. and Japan signed an agreement in Washington "formalizing the shared commitment of the Parties to facilitate trade, promote fair competition and market-oriented conditions for trade in critical minerals." The mini-deal that includes pledges not to impose export duties on the products, investment review within their countries for the sector, and a pledge to "confer on potential effective and appropriate domestic measures to address non-market policies and practices" that affect trade in critical minerals and critical minerals supply chains.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
In more than four hours of questioning during a hearing March 24 before the House Ways and Means Committee, no member of Congress advocated for lessening tariffs on Chinese goods under Section 301, or for reopening exclusions applications.
Almost five years after the first round of 25% tariffs were put on Chinese imports, it was trade irritants with Mexico and India, as well as concerns about tariff preference programs and the lack of a market-opening strategy, that senators dwelled on during the U.S. Trade Representative's appearance in front of the Finance Committee.
Critical mineral arrangements with the EU or other allies are likely to end up in court, Georgetown Law Professor Kathleen Claussen said during a discussion of the legality of a mini deal with the EU. There are two facets of the legality question -- is a sectoral agreement legal under World Trade Organization rules about nondiscrimination, and does the administration have the authority to qualify these agreements as free trade agreements, as it implements the Inflation Reduction Act.
The top trade official in the EU, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, said a critical minerals agreement that would secure "FTA-equivalent treatment" under the Inflation Reduction Act incentives could happen within "a few months."