The presidential proclamation on what types of steel and aluminum products, at what quantities, will be spared Section 232 tariffs says that the melted-and-poured requirement for goods under the quotas will limit transshipment and discourage excess steel capacity.
The National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones has long argued that barring goods produced in FTZs from qualifying for USMCA tariff benefits makes no sense, if the goods would otherwise meet rules of origin, and that the restriction puts FTZ production at a disadvantage compared to Mexican and Canadian production.
Changes to the U.S. tariff schedule that implement an update to the World Customs Organization's Harmonized System tariff nomenclature (see 2112230046) are set to take effect Jan. 27, according to the presidential proclamation set for publication in the Federal Register Dec. 28. The full list of coming changes, along with descriptions, is in a newly released report from the International Trade Commission on modifications to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S.
President Joe Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Act Dec. 23. Under the act, the rebuttable presumption that goods with a nexus to China's Xinjiang province are made with forced labor will begin June 21.
The presidential proclamation amending the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to implement a hefty five-year update will likely be published in the coming days, which would set an effective date in late January for the lengthy list of changes. The White House released the proclamation Dec. 23 (see 2112230012), though a publication date in the Federal Register had not yet been scheduled as of press time. The date of publication triggers a 30-day countdown before the changes take effect.
Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng said her government has filed notice that it is bringing a state-to-state dispute under USMCA over the increase in antidumping and countervailing duties on most Canadian softwood lumber exports. The Commerce Department issued the final results of the reviews in November (see 2112020026).
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said she would like to see two bills that could fight counterfeit sales online get into the China package (see 2112150050), and Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he thinks Republicans would be open to that. Grassley told International Trade Today during a phone call with reporters that he has not talked to other Republicans about including the Stopping Harmful Offers on Platforms by Screening Against Fakes in E-Commerce Act of 2021, or Shop Safe Act, in the compromise language that will be negotiated between the two chambers. "But for me, I can say yes."
The White House is reviewing a draft proclamation about the five-year Harmonized Tariff Schedule update to implement changes to the World Customs Organization’s Harmonized System, the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America said in a Dec. 20 email to members. "For the WCO HS2022 to be effective, a proclamation from the White House must be published in the Federal Register," the trade group said. "These new tariff changes will then go into effect 30 days following publication. We have learned that a draft proclamation has been provided to the White House for review." CBP recently said the changes wouldn't take effect Jan. 1 and that it planned to continue to use the current HTS until more guidance is given (see 2112170068).
The Seafood Import Monitoring Program Expansion that was going to be in the bipartisan infrastructure bill did not become law, but H.R. 3075 passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in October, and the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America is warning the majority leader that he should not schedule a vote in the chamber for the bill.