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 No Coffee Tax Act (H.R. 5516, introduced Sept. 19 by Reps. Khanna, D-Calif., and Beyer, R-Va.) would prohibit the imposition of additional tariffs on coffee imported from countries to which the U.S. has extended normal trade relations.
Sen. Scott, R-Fla., sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick Oct. 3 urging them to immediately impose Section 232 tariffs on foreign generic medicines (including active pharmaceutical ingredients and key starting materials). Scott was critical of the U.S. “overreliance on foreign-manufactured generic drugs,” asserting that 70-80 percent of them use APIs from China and India. If the administration is not willing to immediately impose Section 232 tariffs, Scott said, it should at least offer “a public commitment to a phased-in tariff regime that places generics on the same tariff footing as other imported pharmaceuticals within 12 months.”
De minimis. Sen. Wyden, D-Ore., sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Lutnick Oct. 3 regarding the DOC’s preparation for the recent global suspension of de minimis imports. Wyden questioned Lutnick’s judgment and his role in the decision to “abruptly end de minimis without proper systems in place to handle the change,” which he said “has resulted in mass disruptions in international shipments” as well as “confusion and increased costs for American consumers and small businesses.”
Trade barriers. The Prioritizing Offensive Agricultural Disputes and Enforcement Act (H.R. 5620, introduced Sept. 30 by Rep. Crawford, R-Ark.) would establish a task force made up of appointees from the Department of Agriculture, USTR, and other federal agencies that would (1) identify foreign trade barriers to U.S. agricultural product exports that are potentially vulnerable to World Trade Organization dispute settlement or other trade agreements, (2) develop and implement a strategy for enforcing violations of trade agreements related to these trade barriers, (3) consult with the private sector, government agencies, and trading partners on best practices to achieve a positive outcome for U.S. agricultural exports, and (4) submit a quarterly report to Congress on progress toward resolving cases or filing disputes.
AGOA. S. 2958 (introduced Sept. 30 by Sen. Kennedy, R-La.) would extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act and require a full review of the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and South Africa.
Customs. The Combatting International Drug Trafficking and Human Smuggling Partnership Act of 2025 (H.R. 4071) was favorably reported by the House Homeland Security Committee Oct. 3. This bill would enable authorized U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers and agents to provide support to foreign governments within their countries with respect to the monitoring, locating, tracking, and deterrence of illegal drugs to the U.S., the illicit smuggling of persons and goods into the U.S., terrorist threats to the U.S., and other threats to U.S. security or economy. The governments of the U.S. and the foreign country would first have to enter into an arrangement permitting such support.
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