Wyden Blasts Administration Over USMCA Enforcement
The Democrat who would lead the Finance Committee if the Senate majority changes parties after the election blasted President Donald Trump over labor, auto rules of origin, dairy and biotech export regulations, in a letter that said the benefits promised in renegotiating NAFTA have not been delivered. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote in the Oct. 30 letter that “the Administration has yet to bring any enforcement action under either the state-to-state dispute settlement or the new Rapid Response Mechanism despite the persistence of labor violations in Mexico.”
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
He also complained that “tremendous gaps remain” in information on how to comply with the auto rules of origin for manufacturers. “Further, several months after entry into force, automakers continue to negotiate 'transition plans' with the Administration that will excuse non-compliance for years to come with little to no transparency regarding what dispensations have been given.”
Like other members of Congress, Wyden complained that Canada's new tariff rate quota regulations for dairy imports aren't consistent with the USMCA text. And, he said, Mexico still isn't approving U.S. biotechnology products, which keeps them out of the market. “Due to your inaction, USMCA is in danger of becoming just another in a string of empty promises made by you and your administration to American workers,” Wyden said in closing.