For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
De minimis. The Secure Revenue Clearance Channel Act (H.R. 7224, introduced Jan. 22 by Reps. Miller, R-W.V., and Beyer, D-Va.) would allow express consignment carriers or operators to informally enter imported shipments valued at not more than $600. Exceptions would be provided for imports subject to antidumping or countervailing duties, tariff-rate quotas, and certain taxes and fees collected or imposed, respectively, by agencies other than U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Covered shipments would be free from Section 232 tariffs and most-favored-nation duties but would be subject one of three fees, as chosen by the importer of record.
Trade preferences. The House of Representatives approved Jan. 12 separate bills that would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Haiti HOPE and HELP acts until Dec. 31, 2028. However, the House also passed Jan. 22 separate legislation making fiscal year 2026 appropriations for various federal agencies that includes language only extending these trade preference programs through Dec. 31, 2026.
Exports. The House Foreign Affairs Committee advanced Jan. 21 the AI Overwatch Act, which the committee said “applies longstanding congressional oversight to exports of America’s sensitive, military-enhancing AI chips.”
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