A bill being considered in the House Ways and Means Committee that would extend Trump tax cuts that would otherwise expire at the end of the year is looking to international trade to pay for part of the cost of income tax reductions. The bill also adds new tax breaks, such as on overtime pay and tips.
The Court of International Trade on May 13 heard arguments in the lead case on the president's ability to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Judges Jane Restani, Gary Katzmann and Timothy Reif pressed counsel for the plaintiffs, the Liberty Justice Center's Jeffrey Schwab, and DOJ attorney Eric Hamilton on whether the court can review whether a declared emergency is "unusual and extraordinary," as well as the applicability of Yoshida International v. U.S., a key precedential decision on the issue, and whether the major questions doctrine applies and controls the case (V.O.S. Selections v. Trump, CIT # 25-00066).
The Fossil Energy Office of the Department of Energy has issued a direct final rule saying that the agency has amended the regulations for administrative procedures related to the import and export of natural gas. These amendments seek to update and streamline the general requirements for filing documents with the office, according to a Federal Register notice.
Beijing has launched a "special operation" to crack down on illegal exports of critical minerals, such as gallium, germanium, antimony, tungsten and other rare earths, according to an unofficial translation of a May 9 Ministry of Commerce notice. The ministry said China's Office of the National Export Control Coordination Mechanism gathered agencies for a meeting to discuss how they can better stop export smuggling, specifically pointing to "overseas entities" that "have colluded with domestic illegal personnel" to evade Chinese export controls.
The Commerce Department has published the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review on passenger vehicle and light truck tires from China (A-570-016). These final results will be used to set final assessments of AD on importers for subject merchandise entered Aug. 1, 2022, through July 31, 2023.
Under aggressive questioning from Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that exempting tariffs on car seats, cribs, high chairs and other essential baby items "is under consideration."
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz told commerce deputy secretary nominee Paul Dabbar that, as "an experienced dealmaker," he hopes Dabbar will help to secure "freer and fairer trade with our allies, not across-the-board protectionism" -- and to also argue for that approach.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican who helped Republicans recapture the House majority in 2022, said Congress will seek to intervene if the administration seeks to re-implement the high country-specific reciprocal tariffs that it had planned but paused for 90 days.
Former U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who served in that role in President Donald Trump's first term, told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations that he thinks "there’s a reasonable chance the CIT would enjoin" tariffs levied under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. Trump used IEEPA to levy 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico over fentanyl and migration, as well as 20% tariffs on China over fentanyl, and used it to levy 10% tariffs on countries other than those three, and an additional 125% tariffs on Chinese goods.
The Commerce Department issued its final determination in its countervailing duty investigation of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, from Cambodia (C-555-004), Malaysia (C-557-831), Thailand (C-549-852) and Vietnam (C-552-842), finding countervailable subsidization of producers and exporters in the four countries. Suspension of liquidation is currently not in effect for entries on or after Feb. 1, and Commerce will require cash deposits of estimated CVD on future entries only if it issues a CVD order.