Top Stories: SME Exporter Challenges
2023 National Export Strategy Reveals SME Challenges The Department of Commerce recently released the 2023 National Export Strategy, a report to Congress that looks at U.S. trade promotion priorities. The report shows that small and medium enterprise (SME) exporters were hit particularly hard by the pandemic, falling in number by 5.8% in 2021. The report […]
Top Stories: De Minimis Concerns
Lawmaker: Import De Minimis for China Could End Soon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) says he thinks the $800 de minimis threshold rule for goods imported from China could change before the end of the year. On a recent podcast for the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), Rep. Blumenauer said bipartisan momentum has grown for passing […]
Top Stories: Fast Fashion under Scrutiny
Fast Fashion Companies Under Investigation for UFLPA Compliance The House Select Committee on the CCP released an interim report this week on major fast fashion companies, including Nike, Adidas, Shein, and Temu, to assess their compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and use of the de minimis rule. The investigation revealed that […]
Top Stories: Globalization Under Fire
USTR Spotlights Shift Away from Globalization U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai delivered a speech at the National Press Club last week highlighting the Biden Administration’s commitment to supply chain resilience and U.S. manufacturing in response to the failure of globalization. She discussed the effects of liberalization and prioritizing efficiency in trade policy: vulnerable supply chains. […]
Top Stories: Forced Labor in Supply Chains
DHS Updates UFLPA Entity List The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released an updated Entity List to strengthen enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA). DHS published a notice about it this week. The update adds two entities and eight subsidiaries that collaborate with the Xinjiang government to enable or benefit from forced […]
Top Stories: AAEI Takes Trade Future to Capitol Hill
AAEI Meets with Senate Staff on 21CCF AAEI met with the staff of Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) today to discuss his legislative proposal for customs modernization. AAEI learned that many of the Association’s general priorities are being considered. AAEI also provided additional feedback on additional facilitative measures. There is speculation that a bill would be […]
Top Stories: Veto on Solar Tariff Resolution
Biden Vetoes Bill that Would Reactivate Solar Tariffs President Joe Biden vetoed a resolution this week that would cancel his two-year moratorium on solar equipment tariffs from four Southeast Asian countries. The President granted waivers for duties on solar panels made in Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand last June. Clean energy trade groups praised the […]
Top Stories: Consumer Imports Down
Forecasters Lower US Consumer Goods Import Projection for First Half of 2023 The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Hackett Associates, a maritime trade consultancy, released their forecast for U.S. imports and say they project a 23% drop in U.S. container imports for the first half of this year. Hackett Associates blames high inflation and inventory […]
Top Stories: Vietnam Has UFLPA Cotton “Struggles”
Vietnam Suppliers “Struggling” under UFLPA Ban As U.S. importers look for safer supply chains outside of Asia, especially in the textiles industry, Vietnam is reportedly “struggling” under a U.S. ban on goods sourced from China’s Xinjiang region. A Vietnam industry association says its apparel makers depend on China for about half of their input materials. […]
Top Stories: Almost $1B Seized under UFLPA
CBP Says U.S. Seized Almost $1B Imports Linked to Forced Labor U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Executive Assistant Commissioner AnnMarie Highsmith says the agency has seized nearly $1 billion in imports since last June due to suspected forced labor violations. In an interview with NBC News, EAC Highsmith said, “The Chinese government has taken […]