A new Congressional Maritime Caucus has been formed, co-chaired by Reps. Cedric Richmond, D-La., and Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. They said the caucus will work to raise awareness on a broad range of maritime-related topics. They cited the importance of ports and the maritime industry to the nation's economy and jobs. The caucus "will function as a devoted ally of all components of the maritime industry," they said in a press release, but did not cite specific issues to be targeted.
On Feb. 6, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) said he plans to introduce legislation next week that will improve border security. “As part of my agenda, next week I will lay out a framework for legislation to gain operational control of our borders," he said in a press release. "It is this Committee’s duty to oversee the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs and Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, and we must ensure they cohesively develop a long overdue comprehensive plan to secure our borders."
Congress should immediately renew the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, according to a letter sent to members by the National Foreign Trade Council and 137 other companies and associations. It said the GSP program saves American importers hundreds of millions of dollars by eliminating tariffs on imports from about 130 developing countries, but it's scheduled to expire at the end of July. "GSP is a critically important program that helps U.S. companies of all sizes, but particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, access low-cost inputs they need to manufacture a wide range of exports," said NFTC Vice President-Regional Trade Initiatives Chuck Dittrich. The Coalition for GSP released its 2013 GSP Supporter List Feb. 5 (here).
On Feb. 4, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
The Border Trade Alliance said it backed legislation recently introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) that would allow for public-private partnerships at ports of entry. The legislation, (S-178) the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2013, was reintroduced by Cornyn Jan. 30. Cornyn's press release on the bill is (here). "This bill acknowledges that a new way of doing business on our borders is necessary if we're going to keep up with the demands put on our ports of entry by travel and trade flows," said BTA President Nelson Balido. "Federal budgets are just too tight to expect that Congress will be able to fully meet the needs of our borders. We must think creatively to ensure that our ports of entry reflect today's international commerce environment."
New lobbyist registrations on trade issues include:
On Jan. 31, the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
The U.S. "must better protect our ports" in order to assure continued world trade, said House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) in a statement after meeting with the Port of Houston Authority. "It's important we have the security in place, the security grants in place that have gone down over the years," he said. We want to see Houston's share increase." McCaul said it "wasn't too long ago ... they found documents from Bin Laden indicating he wanted to target oil tankers, and that puts this port at risk." He also cited the expansion of the Panama Canal, which he said "will bring great opportunity with increased imports of liquid natural gas into what is already the energy capital of the United States and a national leader in the movement of cargo."
CBP agents would get "clear authority" to seek the assistance of trademark and copyright owners in identifying illegal products at the border, under legislation (HR-22), the Foreign Counterfeit Merchandise Prevention Act, being proposed by Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas). Among other things, the bill would reverse a legal interpretation of the Trade Secrets Act by CBP that was communicated to field staff in 2008, according to a "Dear Colleagues" letter that Poe is circulating.