National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones President Erik Autor told two think tank scholars Feb. 11 that the organization's goal is to get Congress and other policymakers to see how the FTZ program can fit in the broader trade policy agenda. The trade group was disappointed that the USMCA technical fixes returned to the NAFTA rules of origin approach for FTZs, and wants to ensure that language is not repeated in any future free trade agreements, he said during his group's virtual summit. NAFTZ believes that allowing goods constructed in FTZs to receive USMCA benefits, if they meet the rules of origin, supports the new administration's Made in America ethos.
Blueberries will escape Section 201 safeguards, after the International Trade Commission on Feb. 11 voted that the domestic blueberry industry isn’t injured by a flood of imports. As a result of the ITC’s negative injury finding, the commission’s investigation will end, and it will not recommend any import restrictions to the president.
Labor and civil society representatives, along with a former Democratic House Ways and Means Committee staffer, said dramatic changes are needed in the trading system, not just tweaks, to make trade a force for good in the world.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Feb. 1-5 in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., told an online audience Feb. 9 during a Washington International Trade Association conference that the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program will be restored this year, and that the benefits will be retroactive. He added, “I think that for all of its past successes, and I have been a supporter, it needs to be updated to keep us in line with progress as it relates to trade policy.”
The Biden administration announced a slew of appointments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that do not require Senate confirmation, allowing the agency to get its agenda underway as U.S. trade representative nominee Katherine Tai awaits a hearing and a floor vote.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 8. The following headquarters rulings were modified recently, according to CBP:
A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted to CBP's website Feb. 4, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADD CVD Search page.
The U.S. has not publicly released all the companies that have applied for an extended period to get their North American-made vehicles into compliance with the tighter rules of origin, but both Canada and Mexico have published the list of 12 companies that have been approved. Since all three countries must approve alternative staging regimes, it follows that these companies' transition plans are cleared by the U.S., as well. The press office of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is in transition with a change in administrations.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Jan. 31. The following headquarters rulings were modified recently, according to CBP: