For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
Tariffs. Several Democrat senators urged President Biden and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai in a May 1 letter to maintain or increase Section 301 tariffs on imports from China. The letter was sent amid reports that the Biden administration could soon announce potential changes to those tariffs, which are increasingly expected to comprise increases and additions.
Among other things, the letter asserts that keeping the Section 301 tariffs in place and increasing them where necessary “maintains a critical piece of a pro-worker trade agenda” needed to respond to the “generations of free trade agreements that prioritize multinational corporations [that] have devastated our communities, harmed our economy, and crippled our job market.”
Exports. The Remote Access Security Act (H.R. 8152, introduced April 29 by Reps. Lawler, R-N.Y., and Jackson, D-N.C.) would “close a loophole in U.S. export control laws that is being exploited by China,” a press release from Lawler’s office said. “While the U.S. has recently prohibited the export of advanced semiconductor chips to Chinese companies, these companies have been circumventing this prohibition by accessing this tech remotely and using it to develop AI and modernize China’s military forces. The Remote Access Security Act will ensure China can no longer access this tech through the cloud.”
The End the Cyprus Embargo Act (H.R. 8212, introduced May 1 by Rep. Pappas, D-N.H.) would provide for the non-applicability of a policy of denial for exports, re-exports, or transfers of defense articles and services destined for or originating in Cyprus. A press release explains that this bill would extend the waiver renewal period for the arms embargo on Cyprus from one year to five years, allow the president to reconsider the arms embargo waiver only every five years, and prohibit the president from terminating the waiver unless Congress receives certification that Cyprus is no longer (1) cooperating with U.S. efforts to implement anti-money laundering regulations and financial oversight reforms and (2) denying Russian military vessels access to ports for refueling and servicing.
Imports. The Senate approved April 30 the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042), which would prohibit imports of un-irradiated low-enriched uranium produced in Russia. The bill was passed by the House in December 2023 and now goes to President Biden for his signature.
Supply chains. The Senate passed April 30 the Strengthening Support for American Manufacturing Act (S. 2116), which would require the Department of Commerce to produce a report that provides recommendations to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of DOC programs related to supply chain resilience and manufacturing and industrial innovation.
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