For more information on pursuing trade policy interests through the legislative process, please contact Nicole Bivens Collinson at (202) 730-4956 or via email.
Trade enforcement. The House of Representatives approved Aug. 31 the Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act (H.R. 1869, introduced March 5 by Reps. Hinson, R-Iowa, and Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.), which would strengthen the Department of Justice's enforcement against trade-related crimes by (1) establishing a new task force or similar structure within the DOJ’s Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute trade-related crimes (e.g., criminal acts to further duty evasion), (2) enhancing nationwide responses to trade-related offenses by providing training and technical assistance to other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, expanding investigations and prosecutions, and allowing for parallel criminal and civil enforcement actions, (3) requiring the DOJ to submit an annual report to Congress assessing its efforts, statistics on trade-related crimes, and fund utilization, and (4) authorizing funding for fiscal year 2026 to support these efforts with appropriate guard rails.
Trade preferences. Legislation (H.R. 6500) extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act and the Haiti HELP and HOPE acts through Dec. 31, 2028, was approved by the House Sept. 1 and signed into law Sept. 2.
Trade remedies. The Advancing American Innovation Act (H.R. 10218, introduced Sept. 1 by Rep. Schweikert, R-Ariz.) would amend section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to, according to a press release, (1) clarify that licensing activity satisfies the domestic industry requirement under Section 337 only when it leads to the adoption and development of products incorporating the patent for sale in the U.S., (2) require that any person relied upon to establish a domestic industry join the complaint under oath, (3) direct the International Trade Commission to identify dispositive issues at the outset of an investigation and require an initial determination on those issues within 100 days, (4) require the ITC to weigh the effect of an exclusion order on public health and welfare, the U.S. economy, competitive conditions, and U.S. consumers before barring products from entry, and (5) require complainants in patent cases to disclose the identity of any third-party litigation funder and file funding agreements with the ITC, with sanctions for noncompliance.
Forced labor. Congressional leaders wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin Sept. 3 requesting a briefing on DHS implementation of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and enforcement of other U.S. laws preventing imports of illegally-traded goods originating from China. “Publicly available information raises concerns about recent enforcement trends,” the letter said. “Reports of substantially declining detention activity in key high-risk sectors, combined with continued imports from known transshipment hubs and PRC-linked supply chains, make it important for Congress to understand how DHS is setting enforcement priorities, measuring results, and identifying gaps in enforcement capacity.”
Beef. The Protecting American Beef Producers Act (H.R. 10229, introduced Sept. 2 by Rep. Figures, D-Ala.) would (1) nullify the presidential proclamation increasing the tariff-rate quota on imports of beef, (2) ensure that any imported beef or beef product will be subject to the full amount of all applicable tariffs, taxes, and fees, and (3) prohibit the president or any other official from waiving, suspending, or otherwise reducing any such tariff, duty, or fee on beef or beef product imports unless Congress expressly enacts a law or declares a state of emergency pertaining to U.S. domestic beef supply capabilities.
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