NORTH AMERICA

USTR Nominee Expresses Views on Mainland China at Senate Confirmation Hearing

05 March 2021

The Senate Finance Committee on 3 March unanimously approved the nomination of Katherine Tai to serve as U.S. trade representative in the Biden administration. Her nomination will now be considered by the full Senate, which is expected to approve it. Among other things, Ms. Tai believes the Section 301 tariffs are a very important tool in the U.S. trade remedies arsenal but seemingly favours a revamped product exclusion process. More

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Supply Chain Review Could Yield Pressure for Sourcing Shifts

02 March 2021

Stung by shortages of essential products in recent years due to trade disruptions, natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic, and with an eye toward preventing similar disruptions due to potential actions by foreign competitors and adversaries, the United States is launching reviews to determine its supply chain vulnerabilities in key sectors. These reviews could ultimately lead to efforts to shift sourcing for products in these sectors. More

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China Announces Extension of Third Set of Exclusions from Additional Tariffs on US Imports

02 March 2021

As stated by the Customs Tariff Commission (CTC) of the State Council on 26 February (CTC Announcement No. 2 [2021]), a first set of exclusions from the second batch of additional tariffs on US imports expired on 27 February 2021, in line with the CTC Announcement No. 3 (2020). More

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Lawmakers Introduce Various Bills Aimed at Mainland China

26 February 2021

U.S. lawmakers recently introduced a number of bills aimed specifically at mainland China. Two of these bills would restrict investment inflows from as well as outflows to mainland China, while another bill would establish certain restrictions on software downloads. More

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WTO Panel Will Consider U.S. “Made in China” Marking Requirement for Hong Kong Goods

24 February 2021

Following a second request by Hong Kong, the WTO Dispute Settlement Body agreed at its meeting of 22 February to establish a panel to examine a U.S. requirement that all goods originating in Hong Kong be marked to indicate “China” as their country of origin. The case will take a minimum of six months to be adjudicated and the panel ruling could then be appealed to the Appellate Body, which is currently unable to consider cases due to a lack of quorum. More

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Trade Policy in the Biden Administration: A Reset in Sino-US Relations?

24 February 2021

The first two years of the Biden administration are likely to focus on domestic issues, specifically Covid-19, jobs and the economy. The new administration will also have to deal with various outstanding trade issues from the Trump presidency, including the Section 301 tariffs on a broad range of products from mainland China, as well as the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium from most foreign suppliers. More

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Business Association Highlights Significant Costs of Decoupling from Mainland China

23 February 2021

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently issued a report detailing “the magnitude and range of economic effects” that could result from a decoupling of the United States and mainland Chinese economies in order to “better illuminate the choices that policymakers will have to make to identify the optimal degree of economic engagement” with mainland China. More

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Bill to Prevent Imports Made with Forced Labour in XUAR Re-introduced

22 February 2021

Rep. McGovern re-introduced on 18 February bi-partisan legislation that would prohibit the importation of goods made with forced labour in mainland China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. McGovern’s legislation differs in many important respects from legislation re-introduced in the Senate on 27 January by Sens. Rubio and Merkley; by all indications the Senate version is more amenable than the House version to various concerns raised by U.S. importers. More

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No Section 301 Tariffs on Low-Value Shipments for Now

19 February 2021

A proposal to subject imports of low-value goods shipped directly to U.S. consumers to Section 301 and other tariffs has been removed from a list of regulations being reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. This appears to be due to the Biden administration’s decision to freeze all pending regulations for further review and approval by new agency leaders. More

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Downstream Products Included in XUAR Import Detention Order

17 February 2021

Downstream products made outside mainland China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region that incorporate cotton and tomato products produced in the XUAR may be detained upon entry into the U.S. under a withhold release order issued against the latter goods, according to information from U.S. Customs and Border Protection. More

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