The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is making minor changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States to correct tariff treatment for certain USMCA-qualifying textile and apparel goods, it said in a notice released Oct. 2. All of the changes consist of renumbering existing provisions of chapter 98 subchapter XXIII. The changes are retroactive to July 1.
The U.S.-Japan mini-deal is not consistent with World Trade Organization rules, a former White House trade negotiator said, so the two sides mentioned a future phase two deal to cover substantially all trade to convince Japan's parliament to pass the accord. Because of the way the deal was structured, with small tariff reductions for Japanese exporters, it did not require a vote in Congress, Clete Willems, speaking recently on a webinar for University of Nebraska students, said. In calling the mini-deal phase one, “I think both sides were playing it cute, to be honest,” Willems, now at Akin Gump, said. He said Japan was not interested in a comprehensive bilateral trade deal, because it still wants the U.S. to rejoin the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
A lead negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership released a paper arguing that reentering the rebranded Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for TPP is still the best way to deal with China's trade distorting practices, but her paper, and speakers on a Sept. 30 webinar, revealed the many barriers to reentry.
Mexico's cabinet members in charge of implementing labor law changes and managing the USMCA more broadly said they are helping the private sector evaluate whether businesses could be a target of the rapid response mechanism, and they are working on the four-year process of democratizing labor unions in the country. Labor Secretary Luisa Maria Alcalde de Lujan said new laws include eliminating the former arbitration system, which was part of the executive branch, and creating a system of labor judges.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has asked the International Trade Commission to initiate a global safeguard investigation into imported blueberries, and whether those imports are causing serious injury to domestic blueberry growers. The agency said it would make this request nearly a month ago, but only just recently put the request in, on Sept. 29.
The International Trade Commission issued Revision 22 to the 2020 Harmonized Schedule on Sept. 22, implementing extensions to exclusions from List 3 and List 4 Section 301 tariffs that had been set to expire Sept. 20 (see 2009170037). The extended exclusions are to be filed under new subheadings 9903.88.58 and 9903.88.59, respectively. The ITC also made changes to an already extended exclusion, as directed by USTR in a notice issued Sept. 16 (see 2009150051). The ITC also made technical corrections to a General Note 11 provision on USMCA regional value content for passenger vehicles and light trucks, as well as a Chapter 98 note on the third-country fabric provision for the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
As trade and labor attorneys wait to see which company is the target of a promised AFL-CIO rapid response complaint, Warren Payne, a senior adviser for Mayer Brown's public policy and international trade practices, said there can be informed speculation on who might be first.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from Sept. 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.
The International Trade Commission recently issued Revision 21 to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This latest revision implements a cut to Section 232 quotas on Brazilian semi-finished steel that took effect Aug. 28 (see 2008310010), and changes to the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement rules of origin that had been part of the proclamation implementing USMCA at the end of July (see 2006300079). It also reflects extensions to List 4 Section 301 exclusions that had been set to expire Sept. 1 (see 2008310013), now filed under new tariff subheading 9903.88.57.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) for CBP will next meet Oct. 7, remotely, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT, CBP said in a notice. Comments are due in writing by Oct. 6. The COAC will hear from the following subcommittees on the topics listed below and then will review, deliberate and formulate recommendations on how to proceed on those topics: