This week: USTR Comment Request on Forced Labor; US Drops Tariffs on Canadian Solar Imports; Some GOP Senators Object to Senate China Bill for Easing Exclusion Requirements on Imports from China
USTR Requests Comments on Forced Labor in US Trade Strategy
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published a notice this week requesting comments on developing a focused trade strategy to combat forced labor. Questions include, “How can the U.S. Government bolster the forced labor components of trade agreements and trade preference programs to have greater effect?” The deadline for comments is Friday, August 5, 2022. See the notice for details.
US Drops Tariffs on Canadian Solar Imports
The U.S. has agreed to remove “safeguard” tariffs on Canadian solar imports. Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng made the announcement. The move comes after Canada won a dispute settlement earlier this year, saying the tariffs violated the terms of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Read more.
Some GOP Senators Object to Senate China Bill
A group of Republican senators, including Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, issued a letter this week opposing segments of the Senate version of the China competition bill. One criticism is over the bill’s exclusion provision, which would make it easier for U.S. companies to gain relief from Section 301 tariffs on good imported from China, saying it makes the tariffs effectively “useless.” The letter to Congressional Conferees also underscores the group’s support of provisions to scale back the de minimis tariff exception on low-value shipments from China. See the full text of the letter.
