Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., urged President Donald Trump in an Oct. 20 letter to direct the U.S. to vote against any UN General Assembly resolution demanding an end to the U.S. embargo against Cuba, ahead of a potential vote next month. The U.S. abstained during last year’s vote on the measure, after voting against it every year since first presented in 1991 (see 1610270009).
Twenty-one senators told U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley in an Oct. 20 letter they want to work with her on “strong multilateral sanctions” against specific senior Myanmar military officials associated with “gross human rights abuses” and suspend all international military weapons transfers to the nation, presuming Myanmar won’t take steps to curb its violence against its Rohingya Muslim minority. Led by Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., the senators urged President Donald Trump in the letter to appoint a “Special Representative and Policy Coordinator” to persuade the UN Security Council on the steps they outlined.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to consider legislation reauthorizing the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism program on Oct. 23, according to a schedule of the day’s events sent by the office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California. The bill would authorize CBP to establish additional and updated security criteria, direct CBP to consider extending C-TPAT benefits to importers of non-containerized cargo and “non-asset-based” third-party logistics providers, and require an annual assessment of tangible benefits being realized by program participants (see 1709070034). The House will also hold a vote on the International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming Contraband with Technology (INTERDICT) Act, which would expand the use of chemical screening devices to detect narcotics arriving at U.S. ports shipped through international mail and express carriers (see 1709050035). The bills will be considered under suspension of the rules, which allows for quick approval of non-controversial legislation.
The Senate Agriculture Committee voted to advance to the full Senate the nomination of Gregory Ibach to be under secretary of agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs, the committee announced Oct. 19. Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., and ranking member Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said in a statement they expect a "quick confirmation" by the full Senate.
House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Ohio, won’t seek re-election for 2018, and will lead the Ohio Business Roundtable, his office announced. As chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee 2015-2016, Tiberi shepherded key pieces of trade legislation through the House, including what is now known as Trade Promotion Authority and the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act, as well as 2015 African Growth and Opportunity Act renewal legislation. In a statement, Tiberi said he would leave Congress by Jan. 31.
The House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee on Oct. 25 will hold a hearing to focus on potential temporary tariff relief for imports not made in the U.S. through the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process, the committee announced. The committee is preparing legislation to implement MTB recommendations made by the International Trade Commission in August (see 1708080068), the committee said. “After a full, transparent investigation under the new process, the independent International Trade Commission recommends to Congress more than 1,800 petitions for inclusion in an MTB bill that will help our businesses, benefit our consumers, and grow our economy,” subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert, R-Wash., said in a statement. “This hearing provides an opportunity for us to discuss these important benefits in advance of imminent House consideration of the MTB to deliver tariff relief to our manufacturers.” There's been some discussion of moving a Generalized System of Preferences renewal along with MTB legislation (see 1709120021).
The Senate Finance Committee on Oct. 24 will hold a hearing to consider the nomination of Acting CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to serve as the permanent head of the agency, the committee announced. Finance postponed a confirmation hearing for McAleenan originally scheduled for July 13, citing a need to “complete its review of the nomination” (see 1707130015).
The Trump administration should start working now to articulate a comprehensive Asia-Pacific strategy, including trade, ahead of his scheduled visit Nov. 3-14, to Japan, South Korea, China, the Philippines and Vietnam, Center for Strategic and International Studies William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy Matthew Goodman said in testimony to the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Oct. 11. Goodman suggested that progressing toward bilateral free trade agreements would help the U.S. promote certainty regarding its commercial relationships with Asian nations. He also indicated support for an administration agenda that addresses South Korean, Taiwanese and Thai intervention in foreign exchange markets to devalue their currencies relative to the dollar, with those countries “often skirting just around the criteria for designation as a currency manipulator by the U.S. Treasury Department.”
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Oct. 5 cleared legislation to require greater publicizing of and technical assistance for foreign use of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), after the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 28 passed companion legislation. The bills, introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., and Rep. Ed Royce, R-Calif., would require the executive branch to maintain a public website to disseminate AGOA information, including information and technical assistance already provided at U.S. Agency for International Development regional trade hubs. The bills also say the president should provide capacity building training to promote diversification of African products and value-added processing, as well as capacity building and technical assistance funding to help African companies and institutions comply with U.S. counterterrorism policies and initiatives.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, on Oct. 11 called for the NAFTA renegotiation to tackle issues including customs barriers, market access for U.S. dairy producers and intellectual property protection, speaking alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Washington. “I would ask for the Prime Minister’s help and open mind achieving a meaningful outcome on these issues,” Brady said during the start of a meeting between Trudeau and bipartisan membership of the committee. U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials are meeting for the fourth round of NAFTA renegotiations in Arlington, Virginia, Oct. 11-17. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative didn’t comment.