Rep. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., on July 28 introduced legislation that would reauthorize the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) for the first time in 11 years, McSally’s office announced. The bill would ensure the program provides C-TPAT participants “tangible benefits” and that it is updated to “meet the dynamic threats” facing the global supply chain, the announcement says. “CBP’s partnership with entities throughout the global supply chain helps ensure high standards of security, and it also streamlines cross-border commerce by pre-vetting companies, allowing their cargo to be expedited through our overburdened and undermanned ports of entry,” McSally said in a statement. “It’s been eleven years since this program first began, and it is time for it to be updated to reflect our modern global economy.”
The Senate on July 27 passed legislation that would authorize new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea. H.R. 3364 now goes to the White House for consideration, after the House approved the bill on July 26 (see 1707270002). "We will review the bill now that this legislation is final but we strongly support sanctions against all three countries," a White House spokeswoman said in an email.
More trade, “not less,” and doing no harm should be the guiding principles of the Trump administration as it renegotiates NAFTA, House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Kenny Marchant, R-Texas, wrote in a July 27 commentary for the Dallas Morning News. “Using the original framework and enhancing the agreement to reflect the modern landscape of goods and services, physical and digital, is the path forward,” Marchant wrote. “There's broad consensus on the need to update NAFTA to benefit future generations of American workers and American companies.”
Fiscal year 2018 Commerce spending legislation passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee July 27 would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make shrimp imports subject to the National Marine Fisheries Service's Seafood Import Monitoring Program, the office of committee Chairman Thad Cochran, R-Miss., said. “This provision sends a signal that the Senate is serious about protecting consumers, while leveling the playing field for our domestic shrimpers harmed by illegal and unfair foreign competition,” Cochran said in a statement. “Imported shrimp should be included in the enforcement of U.S. trade laws, particularly since violations of those laws are well-documented.” The office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn’t comment on when the full Senate might vote on the bill.
Lawmakers recently introduced the following trade-related bills:
The Senate Banking Committee on July 27 cleared by voice vote the nomination of Richard Ashooh to be assistant secretary of commerce for export administration. The office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn’t comment on when the full Senate might vote on whether to confirm him. President Donald Trump sent Ashooh’s nomination to the Senate in May (see 1705300005).
The House on July 26 passed legislation that would authorize new sanctions against Iran, Russia and North Korea. H.R. 3364 now goes to the Senate for consideration. The office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn't comment on when the Senate might consider the bill, but Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., in a statement said he expects the Senate "in short order" to pass the legislation. "At that point, it is incumbent upon President Trump to immediately sign this legislation into law, or risk endorsing Moscow’s interference in future elections," Warner said. “We must also make clear to Iran and North Korea that they will be held accountable for their actions, including North Korea’s advancement of its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons program, the detention and death of University of Virginia student Otto Warmbier, and the continued imprisonment of American citizens.”
Twenty-three House lawmakers signed a letter this week to President Donald Trump urging him to exempt tinplate steel and aluminum for food packaging in any import restrictions initiated to the administration’s ongoing Section 232 national security reviews of steel and aluminum imports, the office of Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., announced. “The domestic canned food supply chain and flexible packaging industry generates more than $100 billion in total economic activity in the U.S. and employs tens of thousands of American workers,” Bacon said in a statement. “This industry provides some of the safest, most affordable food available to consumers today. We will continue to keep pressing for what we believe is right for America and our constituents.” Tinplate steel composes about 60 percent of the cost of a can, meaning a tariff even as low as 5 percent would raise the cost of goods by 4.2 cents each, “inevitably” passing along higher expenses to consumers, the announcement says.
Thirty-seven senators on July 26 urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to work to open the Chinese market to U.S. poultry exports, after the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently welcomed Chinese technical representatives for a training course and a review of U.S. avian flu control measures, according to an Agriculture Department spokesman. China banned all U.S. poultry and egg products in January 2015 following the detection of a wild duck with highly pathogenic avian influenza (see 1501130021). A letter led by Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., says continued enforcement of the ban is inconsistent with World Organization for Animal Health standards, but adds that the senators are pleased China has started its animal health audit of the U.S. poultry industry.
Protecting the use of common food names, avoiding any country-of-origin labeling (COOL) rules, and embedding internationally observed sanitary/phytosanitary considerations were among the goals that industry executives on July 26 outlined for House lawmakers to advocate in NAFTA talks.