Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has introduced a bill that would end most favored nation tariff treatment for China, part of what he calls the workers' agenda.
Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Miss., reintroduced a bill last week that would extend normal trade relations to Uzbekistani exports. It's co-sponsored by Reps. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., a member of the House Ways and Means Committee; Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas; and Don Bacon, R-Neb.
The Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board said it is not prepared to say that Mexico is not in compliance with the labor obligations under USMCA, given the steps the government is taking to reform the labor laws. But, with barely more than a year before the deadline to give all workers the chance to vote for independent unions, "we are increasingly concerned that the transition period for full implementation of Mexico’s labor reform will end next May with large segments of the old protection contract system still intact, including in critical manufacturing sectors and their suppliers."
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will be sharing information with Mexico about "the safety of biotech products," which is something the president of Mexico brought up repeatedly in explaining his decrees about genetically modified corn, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at a Senate oversight hearing.
The U.S. should do more to address China’s growing trade influence in Ecuador and throughout Latin America, Rep. Jason Smith, the chair of the House Way and Means Committee, said during a March 15 visit to Ecuador. Smith, R-Mo., told Ecuador President Guillermo Lasso and members of his Cabinet that he is concerned about the country’s “expanding trade ties” with China.
The Treasury Department is working “24/7” to implement tax credit regulations and guidance under the Inflation Reduction Act, including credits that would support the domestic solar industry and help the U.S. reduce reliance on Chinese imports, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the Senate Finance Committee this week. Yellen’s comments came as lawmakers expressed frustration with the implementation process, with at least one senator criticizing its approach to critical minerals.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., complained this week that Brazil is not in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity, and that APEP, once its negotiations are completed, is unlikely to increase U.S. agricultural exports to member countries. Young, speaking at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the future of U.S.-Brazil relations, said farmers in his state rely on market access-opening trade deals, and said the U.S. should try to convince Brazil to lower its tariff barriers on corn, soybeans and ethanol.
Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Tom Carper, D-Del., introduced a bill that would create a pilot program under the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) for third party logistics providers. The bill is similar to one that was introduced last year in the House (see 2203010076).
While the Section 232 tariffs increased domestic steel production by 5% and increased smelter utilization by about 15%, there was $3.4 billion less manufacturing across the most impacted metal consuming industries -- industrial machinery, cutlery and handtool factories; motor vehicle suspension and steering components; agricultural/mining/construction manufacturing, and metal fabricators, according to an International Trade Commission report.
The Senate recently passed, through unanimous consent, a bill that says that public disclosure of manifest information, such as the name and address of the importer or consignee and the name and address of the shipper, will not happen if the "Secretary of the Treasury makes an affirmative finding on a shipment-by-shipment basis that disclosure is likely to pose a threat of personal injury or property damage."