House Democrats, including Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., are asking that Mexico and Canada agree to their commitments under the Paris Climate Accords as a condition of the USMCA. As a senator, Vice President Kamala Harris voted against USMCA because it did not address climate; the fast track legislation that directed the executive branch's negotiating priorities prohibited including climate in trade agreements.
The Commerce Department published Federal Register notices Jan. 19 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):
Mexican workers who do not have U.S. work visas should be given coronavirus vaccines, Mexico's foreign minister said during a news conference Jan. 13. Marcelo Ebrard also said his country would turn to the USMCA's labor chapter to make sure that happens. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not respond to a request for comment.
In a Jan. 12 speech to the National Foreign Trade Council, a business group that promotes free trade, President-elect Joe Biden's choice for U.S. trade representative said “U.S. trade policy must benefit regular Americans, communities and workers.” Katherine Tai added that it “starts with recognizing that people are not just consumers. They are also workers.”
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Dec. 30. The following headquarters rulings were modified recently, according to CBP:
International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories published in 2020 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference numbers.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, joined by five Republicans and two Democrats on the committee, told the Office of Management and Budget that a proposed rule to carve out items under Section 301 tariffs from de minimis needs “a thorough and complete review,” including a public comment period of 60 days. However, the letter was not signed by either of the two men who might be the chairman in January, depending on which party controls the Senate.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Dec. 21. The following headquarters rulings were modified recently, according to CBP:
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Dec. 14-18 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.