For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
Section 232. The Section 232 Public Transparency Act (S. 4563, introduced May 19 by Sens. Peters, D-Mich., and Collins, R-Maine) would explicitly require the Department of Commerce to publish summaries of its Section 232 investigations relating to imports that allegedly impair national security by the time those findings are submitted to the president (which current law requires within 270 days of the initiation of an investigation).
Section 301. Dozens of House members wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer May 20 urging him to initiate a Section 301 investigation of “unfair and discriminatory trade practices by foreign sugar-producing countries,” which have led to “more than a 700% increase in out-of-quota (tier two) sugar imports” over the last five years. If that investigation finds actionable conduct, the lawmakers want Greer to “take appropriate action to help level the playing field,” which could include the imposition of tariffs or other import restrictions.
China. Sen. Cotton, R-Ark., asked the Department of Justice in a May 19 letter to investigate Chinese-controlled third-party logistics networks, specifically (1) the ownership and control structures behind Chinese-linked last-mile delivery and 3PL platforms operating in the U.S., (2) the data they collect and the Chinese government’s access to it, (3) whether their pricing violates federal antitrust law, and (4) whether these firms or their parent companies facilitate tariff evasion and customs fraud at industrial scale.
FTZs. Reps. Bean, R-Fla., and Strickland, D-Wash., launched May 19 the bipartisan Congressional U.S. Foreign-Trade Zone Caucus, which will serve as a forum for lawmakers, economists, industry leaders, and policy experts to discuss the economic benefits of U.S. FTZs and explore opportunities to improve supply chain efficiency, encourage investment, and support economic growth in communities across the nation.
Exports. The Moving Away from Risk to Key Export Markets Act (S. 4560, introduced May 19 by Sen. Ricketts, R-Neb.) would require the Department of Agriculture to (1) conduct an annual assessment determining market access for commodities displaced by a potential trade dispute with foreign adversaries like China (e.g., soybeans, corn, beef, chicken, pork, tree nuts, sorghum, cotton, and dairy) and (2) provide recommendations that mitigate potential threats from China, including legislative and regulatory actions that reduce barriers to agricultural exports in markets outside of China.
The Senate amended and passed May 20 the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act (S. 1473, introduced by Sens. Rounds, R-S.D., and Warner, D-Va.), which would amend the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 to (1) require the Bureau of Industry and Security to create a secure public platform for submitting whistleblower reports of illegal exports and (2) establish a fund, financed by fines collected from export control violations, to cover whistleblower rewards and program operations.
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