The Biden administration will complete its review of the Section 301 tariffs "this fall," U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai wrote to senators, and while she did not commit to any course of action, she wrote: "As part of the 4-Year Review of the Section 301 tariffs, USTR is reviewing the effectiveness of the tariffs in achieving the objectives of the investigation, as well as the effect of the tariffs on consumers, workers, and the U.S. economy at large. As part of this review, we are considering the existing tariffs structure and how to make the tariffs more strategic in light of impacts on sectors of the U.S. economy as well [as] the goal of increasing domestic manufacturing."
Mara Lee
Mara Lee, Senior Editor, is a reporter for International Trade Today and its sister publications Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. She joined the Warren Communications News staff in early 2018, after covering health policy, Midwestern Congressional delegations, and the Connecticut economy, insurance and manufacturing sectors for the Hartford Courant, the nation’s oldest continuously published newspaper (established 1674). Before arriving in Washington D.C. to cover Congress in 2005, she worked in Ohio, where she witnessed fervent presidential campaigning every four years.
Sens. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and Bill Cassidy, R-La., have reintroduced a bill that would refund some tariffs paid to importers of goods that were hit with tariffs as a result of the Airbus dispute with the EU. The bill also would prohibit future actions by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that would hike tariffs on goods already in transit -- unless the tariffs were on a nonmarket economy, such as China. The bill would require USTR to set an effective date for the tariff hike no sooner than 60 days from the publication of the target list.
The House Select Committee on China, having heard from witnesses advocating a punitive approach to Chinese trade and investment (see 2305180064), asked to hear from advocates for both that approach and a more moderate one in a debate on Capitol Hill.
A bill that says the Taiwan trade initiative can't take effect until the administration submits an economic analysis of its effects and answers questions from Congress on implementation has passed both chambers of Congress. The bill also says the next deal between Taiwan and the U.S. must gain congressional approval.
Although the administration does not believe Mexico is doing enough to help its vaquita population recover, President Joe Biden said he isn't ready "to impose trade measures on Mexican products" because he expects high-level dialogue with Mexico on how to implement its CITES action plan and assistance to Mexico to build capacity in anti-trafficking (if it requests such assistance) to address the problem. CITES stands for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who has in the past been a skeptic of the utility of the broad scope of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports (see 2205180036), rejected the premise of a reporter's question that the U.S. could remove tariffs to "extend an olive branch" to China.
Importers of apparel from Africa and exporters of auto parts, apparel, food and metal from South Africa are making the case to renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act ahead of schedule, renew it for at least 10 years, if not 20, and, some are arguing directly, restore Ethiopia's eligibility.
Members of the Select Committee on China led a letter from 66 House members to the leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee, complaining that the expiration of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program has benefited China and led importers who had capitalized on GSP to return to China.
Advocates for the African Growth and Opportunity Act, watching the lengthy expiration of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, continue to say that renewal in 2023 rather than 2024 is necessary to retain manufacturing contracts, because businesses don't want to wait to see if the program continues in October 2025.
Homeland Security Undersecretary Robert Silvers, who chairs the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force that maintains UFLPA's entity list, told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China that FLETF has an "active pipeline of referrals we are examining, and we anticipate more additions in coming months."