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 Senate has approved three separate resolutions that would terminate the national emergencies declared by President Trump to impose tariffs on imports from Brazil and Canada as well as the “reciprocal” tariffs imposed on imports from virtually all countries. Several Republicans voted in favor of these resolutions, signaling at least some resistance to the tariffs within the president’s party. However, the Senate votes have no practical effect as the House of Representatives is not expected to take up these measures anytime soon, if at all.
The No Coffee Tax Act (S. 3072, introduced Oct. 29 by Sens. Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Paul, R-Ky.) would prohibit the imposition of additional tariffs on coffee imported from countries to which the U.S. has extended normal trade relations.
Imports. More than a dozen members of Congress wrote to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins Oct. 29 to express their concern that the Trump administration’s “recently announced plan to expand imports of Argentine beef” could “undermine American cattle producers, weaken our position in ongoing trade negotiations, and reintroduce avoidable animal-health risks.” Among other things the letter pointed out that Argentina maintains a substantial trade surplus in beef with the U.S. and that “this persistent imbalance, combined with Argentina’s continued tariffs on U.S. beef and its documented history of foot-and-mouth disease, raises serious questions about reciprocity, safety, and long-term fairness.”
Exports. H.R. 5885 (introduced Oct. 31 by Rep. Moolenaar, R-Mich.) would require entities seeking a license to export advanced artificial intelligence chips to countries of concern to certify that U.S. persons have priority in acquiring those chips.
Origin labeling. The Let Americans Buy with Explicit Labeling Act (S. 3065, introduced Oct. 28 by Sen. Hyde-Smith, R-La.) would require the country of origin label for fish and shellfish to be printed in a font size at least as large as the product name on packaging, displays, or bins. This requirement would take effect 180 days after the bill is adopted.
Product safety. The Protecting Americans from Harmful CCP Products Act (S. 3069, introduced Oct. 29 by Sen. Scott, R-Fla.) would give the Consumer Product Safety Commission expanded authority to issue mandatory recalls of hazardous products manufactured or sold by Chinese companies, including those operating through online platforms. Scott said this bill “addresses reports of baby products and toy pieces manufactured in Communist China that are hazardous or deadly, yet continue to be shipped into the United States.”
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