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. The Stop Mexico’s Steel Surge Act (H.R. 7638, introduced March 12 by Reps. Mrvan, D-Ind., and Baird, R-Ind.; and S. 3917, introduced March 12 by Sens. Cotton, R-Ark., and Brown, D-Ohio) would reinstate Section 232 tariffs on steel imports from Mexico at 25 percent for at least a year. The bill would also allow the White House to impose certain quotas or tariff-rate quotas on specific goods that have experienced major import surges.
Rep. Banks (R-Ind.) asked Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in a March 15 letter to initiate a Section 232 investigation into imports of electric vehicles and their components, including batteries. Banks said China’s “dominance of the global EV supply chain creates complex risks to national security that must be remedied by U.S. tariffs on global EV imports.”
China. The Combatting China’s Pilfering of Intellectual Property Act (H.R. 7608, introduced March 11 by Rep. Curtis, R-Utah) would impose sanctions with respect to persons that operate in a sector of China's economy in which the person has engaged in a pattern of significant theft of the intellectual property of a U.S. person.
S. 3945 (introduced March 14 by Sen. Vance, R-Ohio) would restrict the Chinese government from accessing U.S. capital markets and exchanges if it fails to comply with international laws relating to finance, trade, and commerce.
Pharmaceuticals. The Promoting Readiness and Ensuring Proper Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Reserves of Essential Medicines Act (H.R. 7709, introduced March 15 by Reps. Spanbergerr, D-Va., and Bacon, R-Neb.) would (1) require the Department of Health and Human Services to establish and make public a list of essential generic medicines that are medically necessary to have available at all times, (2) create a national stockpile of APIs for these medicines, (3) establish a plan to store, track, test, and convert APIs stored in the reserve into finished dosage form and strengthen U.S. capacity for API production, and (4) cut red tape that could prevent a manufacturer from ramping up production in an emergency.
Haiti. The American Apparel and Footwear Association appealed to House and Senate leaders in a March 14 letter to ensure the long-term reauthorization of the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act and the Haiti Economic Lift Program Act, which allow duty-free access for certain apparel products from Haiti and are scheduled to expire in 2025.
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