Nine pro-free-trade Democrats sent a letter to the White House Feb. 13 demanding that the administration release its autos Section 232 report -- as required by law -- and abandon the idea of hiking tariffs on imported autos and auto parts. The letter says that despite the White House receiving the report a year ago, it's hidden from Congress and the public. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said earlier this week that he still wants the auto 232 report, despite the administration's claim it's protected by executive privilege (see 2002120023).
A bipartisan group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, introduced a bill Feb. 13 that would allow importers of European goods hit by the Airbus tariffs to receive refunds for goods that were on the water at the time the tariff hikes were announced. They are calling the bill “For Accurate Import Relief To Aid Retailers and Importers of Foreign Freights” (FAIR TARIFF) Act. The Cheese Importers Association of America previously voiced its support for the bill (see 2001290043).
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that while he has not discussed the idea of raising the U.S. bound tariff rate at the World Trade Organization, the administration better not be thinking of bypassing Congress on this strategy. Grassley, who was responding to a reporter's question at a press roundtable Feb. 13, said flatly, “They can't do it without Congress's approval.” A report from Bloomberg said the administration is considering changes to the bound rate.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is complaining that he has not gotten a response from the FDA and CBP to a letter he sent in November asking what the agencies are doing to stop unsafe non-prescription drugs imported from China (see 1911180056). Schumer, who did a press event Feb. 10 in western New York to highlight the issue, noted that his previous press event in November got results locally, but that's not enough. “After we pushed Dollar Tree stores in Manhattan on this issue, they were seen clearing the shelves, but we can’t do this store-by-store, the company needs to do it on its own and the Food and Drug Administration needs to keep the pressure on. The stores across Western New York should not be allowed to continue receiving these questionable or even dangerous over-the-counter drugs, and that’s where Customs and Border Protection need to hold them to account, too,” he said. CBP declined to comment on why it has not responded yet.
Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., is asking CBP to follow up on a Cherry Marketing Institute complaint that tart cherry exports from Turkey are evading antidumping duties by sending those products through Brazil. Peters sent a letter to CBP on Feb. 11 saying that Brazil's exports of tart cherry juice increased 1,200% from 2018 to 2019, and that Brazil has no identifiable tart cherry industry. Meanwhile, domestic tart cherry production was down 18 percent in 2019 compared with 2018, and Michigan produces two-thirds of U.S. tart cherries, Peters noted. “Failing to investigate and prosecute alleged violations such as those made by the Cherry Marketing Institute threatens to undermine an industry that has weathered years of unfair competition,” he wrote.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said that the Trump administration's argument that the Section 232 report justifying tariffs on imported autos is protected by executive privilege (see 2001210054) is not the last word. Grassley, who was speaking Feb. 11 on a conference call with reporters, said he will keep pushing, though he has not yet contacted the White House or the Commerce Department. He said the next step is to consult with Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., the top Democrat on the Finance Committee.
A bill that authorizes CBP to hire 240 more agriculture specialists, 200 more agriculture technicians and 20 more agriculture canine teams each year until the agency is fully staffed passed the House of Representatives Feb. 10 without any “no” votes. The same bill passed the Senate in October. The union that represents CBP employees hailed its passage and said CBP believes it needs an additional 721 agricultural specialists to be fully staffed. The union said short staffing is “taking a toll” on workers.
Union officials, port officials, airport executives and the head of the American Trucking Associations on Feb. 6 asked members of Congress to raise user fees so that they can invest in -- or benefit from -- capital projects that could speed cargo, reduce congestion and make their properties more resilient in the case of natural disasters.
The Cheese Importers Association of America is asking members to lobby their members of Congress to co-sponsor a bill that would refund tariffs on European Union goods that were on the water on or before the day of the Federal Register notice announcing the tariffs, Oct. 9, but arrived in port Oct. 18 or later. The tariffs took effect on Oct. 18. The trade group says that Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., and Rep. Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, will introduce the bill. The CIAA also released a description of the bill.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, as he talked about attending the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signing ceremony, acknowledged that there are a number of steps before the NAFTA replacement can come into force. He said on a Jan. 28 phone call with reporters that he thinks Canada will ratify “probably within the next 30 days,” but then all parties will have to show how they “will be able to carry out their USMCA obligations so that this can enter into force.” Here at home, uniform regulations for the new rules of origin have to be promulgated before the U.S. can certify it's ready for USMCA. Still, Grassley said, Trump will be running his re-election campaign on replacing NAFTA. “I'm glad he can say that, and I'm willing to say it for him, too,” he said. “He likes to brag, and this is legitimately something to brag about.”