Michael Nemelka was approved by the Senate Finance Committee to be a deputy U.S. trade representative for investment, services, labor, environment, Africa, China, and the Western Hemisphere. If his nomination is confirmed by the whole Senate, he will replace C.J. Mahoney, who is moving to legal adviser position at the State Department (see 2003200034).
There appears a “connection” between the “proliferation” of e-commerce and its third-party sellers and the increase in counterfeit goods from China, three House Commerce Committee Republicans wrote the CEOs of Amazon, eBay and Facebook Aug. 4. President Donald Trump “negotiated important provisions to combat counterfeits” in the U.S.-China phase one trade agreement, but “government action alone is not enough,” said ranking member Greg Walden, R-Ore.; Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., ranking member on the Consumer Protection Subcommittee; and Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C. “More must be done by the private sector to address these concerns,” they said. They asked for written responses and “documentation” by Aug. 17 to questions about policies and procedures for vetting third-party sellers, including for links, “direct or indirect, to the Chinese Communist Party or Chinese state-owned entities.” The lawmakers also want to know what procedures are in place “to address the sale of counterfeit and stolen goods on your platform,” and what “proactive actions” they take to prevent the sale of bogus goods. The companies didn’t comment Aug. 4.
A bipartisan bill introduced in the House last week would require protective gear in the national stockpile to be made by U.S. firms. The bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., is similar to one introduced by Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., (see 2007280032) and part of the Republican proposal for COVID-19 relief.
Pushing back against geographical indications for food names and wine names needs to be a priority “in all trade-related discussions,” Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., and Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., argued in a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue on July 30. Fifty-nine other senators joined the letter. Without naming the European Union, they said, “Our competitors continue to employ trade negotiations around the world to prohibit American-made products from using common food names and wine grape varietal designations or traditional terms, such as bologna, parmesan, chateau, and feta, which have been in use for decades.” Farm and agricultural industries issued a press release in support of the letter.
Witnesses that represent companies that make masks, gowns and face shields, a group purchasing organization that provides that gear to healthcare organizations, and a hospital chief supply chain officer told the Senate Finance Committee that while moving more production from Asia to the U.S. and close-by countries would help in the next crisis, it's not the solution to the shortages the country has.
More than 150 House members, across the ideological spectrum and both parties, sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, urging him to remove 25% duties on all European beverages and food, but to not lower the total value of duties as he adjusts the target. In the current Airbus retaliation tariff list, aircraft is the first by value, at 39%; whiskeys and liqueurs second, at 21%, and wine third, at 17%.
Experts disagreed on the utility of the Trump administration approach to World Trade Organization reform, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the topic, and senators on the left and right suggested that the negotiated trade rules disadvantage Americans.
The American Association of Port Authorities is asking for $1.5 billion in funding, in a letter to the chief negotiators for the administration on the COVID-19 relief package. The letter, sent July 23, said, “Our ports have kept vital goods moving to medical professionals and first responders, have ensured that our Nation’s shelves remain stocked, and have enabled commerce to continue flowing during these uncertain times.” But commercial cargo has plummeted, and the revenue drop from passenger traffic is even worse. They say the money would keep workers employed, cover debt service, paid leave, cleaning, and pay for masks, face shields and the like. Without support, they said 130,000 jobs could be lost at coastal ports, according to a recent study.
House Ways and Means Committee Democrats are asking Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer why the money provided for the Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs is not supporting worker organizing, as the implementing act suggested.
The House Ways and Means Committee Trade Subcommittee sought to learn lessons for trade and manufacturing from COVID-19, but panelists diverged on whether more money should be spent standing up domestic suppliers of masks and gowns, or whether the government should look to identify sources around the world that can respond to surges in demand like those this year.