For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact trade consultant Nicole Bivens Collinson.
Origin Marking. The Online Retailer Product Origin Disclosure Act (H.R. 6941, introduced May 19 by Rep. Kinzinger, R-Ill.) would require both vendors and online retail marketplaces to prominently disclose product country-of-origin information.
Ocean Freight. The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee approved May 20 the Federal Maritime Commission National Shipper Advisory Committee Act (S. 2894), which would establish a committee to advise the FMC on policies related to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity, and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system. Press reports indicate that this committee, which would be authorized through 2029, would be split evenly between importers and exporters that use ocean common carriers.
Pharmaceuticals. The Manufacturing API, Drugs, and Excipients in America Act (H.R. 6930, introduced May 19 by Rep. Carter, R-Ga.) aims to make the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain less dependent on foreign countries by (1) incentivizing the domestic manufacturing of drugs, active pharmaceutical ingredients, personal protective equipment, and diagnostics via a new tax credit that would only apply to manufacturers operating in certain opportunity zones across the U.S. and (2) implementing measures to mitigate drug shortages such as improving Food and Drug Administration reporting of facility inspections, working more closely with overseas regulators, and streamlining FDA standardization processes for overseeing pharmaceutical manufacturing and the supply chain.
The Help Onshore Manufacturing Efficiencies for Drugs and Devices Act (S. 3780, introduced May 20 by Sen. Peters, D-Mich.) would encourage domestic advanced manufacturing of critical drugs and medical devices to (1) address economic, health, and security concerns, (2) combat shortages of critical drugs and devices, and (3) promote increased domestic diversification of, and independence from foreign reliance on, pharmaceutical and medical device supply chains.
Dog Imports. The Healthy Dog Importation Act (H.R. 6921, introduced May 19 by Rep. Abraham, R-La.) would require every dog entering the U.S. to be permanently identified, in good health, and certified by a licensed veterinarian that it has received all the proper vaccinations. Dogs entering the U.S. for resale, transfer, or donation would have to be at least six months of age and accompanied by a Department of Agriculture import permit. The bill would also ensure that documentation and import permits are shared electronically between the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection while clarifying APHIS' key enforcement authority.
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