International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for April 2-6 in case they were missed.

TVs imported from China could bear an especially heavy burden under the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s list of products targeted for 25 percent tariffs under the Trump administration's Section 301 investigation (see 1804040019). “This is a big impact on TV,” Bob O’Brien, president of Display Supply Chain Consultants, said in an interview. All products classified in Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheading 8528.72.64 would be prone to tariffs, “which is basically all TVs” imported from China, he said. He estimates 18.8 million TVs with a value of $3.9 billion were imported from China in 2017 under that classification. “This would have a huge impact on the TV supply chain.”

It’s “time for quick action” for companies that want to sway the U.S. Trade Representative’s office against imposing Trade Act Section 301 tariffs of 25 percent on 1,200 classifications of goods imported from China in the list released Tuesday (see 1804040054 or 1804040023), said DLA Piper in an "international trade alert." Companies “have the opportunity to present their views on specific products listed under the proposal for higher tariffs before the list is finalized and the tariffs become effective, in an effort to seek the removal of a product from the final list,” said the law firm Wednesday. Written comments are due May 11, with an April 23 deadline for requesting to appear at a May 15 public hearing, it said. May 22 is the deadline for written comments to “rebut statements made at the hearing,” it noted. The USTR notice spells out how someone who wants a product removed from the list should file comments and what those comments should say, said the alert: Commenters “should explain why the inclusion of the specific product will not be effective in curbing China's actions that are targeted by this Section 301 action, and also how the tariff would negatively impact US persons (including the affected company and its customers)." USTR didn't comment Thursday on whether the May 15 public hearing at the International Trade Commission building will be streamed live. The agency's recent history has been to hold hearings "off-camera." U.S.-threatened sanctions and the Chinese response to "reciprocate" are likely stage setting for future negotiations, Merrill Lynch analysts emailed investors. "Despite the exchange of tariff threats, we believe there is still room for negotiation between the US and China," said Helen Qiao and Sylvia Sheng Tuesday. "We maintain our view that China will continue its 'carrot and stick approach,' threatening retaliation but also proposing to expand its imports of US products, cut the auto duty, and ease restrictions for US companies investing and selling in China," they said. "We expect the final version of both the US and China trade measures to be more toned down."

Soybeans, aircraft, cars and liquefied propane accounted for the largest dollar amounts of trade from the U.S. into China among goods that would be subject to new tariffs if the U.S. goes forward with Section 301 tariffs, the United Nations' International Trade Centre said in a tweet. China's list of goods potentially subject to new tariffs came in response to a U.S. proposal to add tariffs on $50 billion worth of Chinese goods (see 1804030070). President Donald Trump has since directed the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to look into tariffs on another $100 billion worth of Chinese goods.

It’s “time for quick action” for companies that want to sway the U.S. Trade Representative’s office against imposing Trade Act Section 301 tariffs of 25 percent on 1,200 classifications of goods imported from China in the list released Tuesday (see 1804040054 or 1804040023), said DLA Piper in an "international trade alert." Companies “have the opportunity to present their views on specific products listed under the proposal for higher tariffs before the list is finalized and the tariffs become effective, in an effort to seek the removal of a product from the final list,” said the law firm Wednesday. Written comments are due May 11, with an April 23 deadline for requesting to appear at a May 15 public hearing, it said. May 22 is the deadline for written comments to “rebut statements made at the hearing,” it noted. The USTR notice spells out how someone who wants a product removed from the list should file comments and what those comments should say, said the alert: Commenters “should explain why the inclusion of the specific product will not be effective in curbing China's actions that are targeted by this Section 301 action, and also how the tariff would negatively impact US persons (including the affected company and its customers)." USTR didn't comment Thursday on whether the May 15 public hearing at the International Trade Commission building will be streamed live. The agency's recent history has been to hold hearings "off-camera." U.S.-threatened sanctions and the Chinese response to "reciprocate" are likely stage setting for future negotiations, Merrill Lynch analysts emailed investors. "Despite the exchange of tariff threats, we believe there is still room for negotiation between the US and China," said Helen Qiao and Sylvia Sheng Tuesday. "We maintain our view that China will continue its 'carrot and stick approach,' threatening retaliation but also proposing to expand its imports of US products, cut the auto duty, and ease restrictions for US companies investing and selling in China," they said. "We expect the final version of both the US and China trade measures to be more toned down."

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing April 12 on how the Section 232 tariffs are affecting the economy and jobs and how proposed Section 301 tariffs might do the same, it said in a notice. "In enforcing our trade laws, we should always take a targeted approach to address unfair practices while avoiding harm to U.S. workers and job creators," Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said.

It’s “time for quick action” for companies that want to sway the U.S. Trade Representative’s office against imposing Trade Act Section 301 tariffs of 25 percent on 1,200 classifications of goods imported from China in the list released Tuesday (see 1804040054 or 1804040023), said DLA Piper in an "international trade alert." Companies “have the opportunity to present their views on specific products listed under the proposal for higher tariffs before the list is finalized and the tariffs become effective, in an effort to seek the removal of a product from the final list,” said the law firm Wednesday. Written comments are due May 11, with an April 23 deadline for requesting to appear at a May 15 public hearing, it said. May 22 is the deadline for written comments to “rebut statements made at the hearing,” it noted. The USTR notice spells out how someone who wants a product removed from the list should file comments and what those comments should say, said the alert: Commenters “should explain why the inclusion of the specific product will not be effective in curbing China's actions that are targeted by this Section 301 action, and also how the tariff would negatively impact US persons (including the affected company and its customers)." USTR didn't comment Thursday on whether the May 15 public hearing at the International Trade Commission building will be streamed live. The agency's recent history has been to hold hearings "off-camera." U.S.-threatened sanctions and the Chinese response to "reciprocate" are likely stage setting for future negotiations, Merrill Lynch analysts emailed investors. "Despite the exchange of tariff threats, we believe there is still room for negotiation between the US and China," said Helen Qiao and Sylvia Sheng Tuesday. "We maintain our view that China will continue its 'carrot and stick approach,' threatening retaliation but also proposing to expand its imports of US products, cut the auto duty, and ease restrictions for US companies investing and selling in China," they said. "We expect the final version of both the US and China trade measures to be more toned down."

President Donald Trump tasked the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative with looking at adding another $100 billion in Chinese goods to the $50 billion already identified as part of the Section 301 investigation. "Rather than remedy its misconduct, China has chosen to harm our farmers and manufacturers," the White House said in a release. USTR promptly responded that tripling the size of the tariffs is appropriate, and promised to assemble a list. "Any additional tariffs proposed will be subject to a similar public comment process as the proposed tariffs" announced on April 3 and "no tariffs will go into effect until the respective process is completed," the agency said.

Both the U.S. proposal for Section 301 tariffs (see 1804040019) and the Chinese response (see 1804030070) are likely stage-setting for future negotiations, said Merrill Lynch analysts in an April 4 note to investors. "Despite the exchange of tariff threats, we believe there is still room for negotiation between the US and China," Helen Qiao and Sylvia Sheng said in the research note. "We maintain our view that China will continue its 'carrot and stick approach,' threatening retaliation but also proposing to expand its imports of US products, cut the auto duty, and ease restrictions for US companies investing and selling in China in negotiations," the analysts said. "As a result, we expect the final version of both the US and China trade measures to be more toned down relative to the initial announcement."

Flexport's clients would have paid about $13.6 million in additional customs duties if the proposed Section 301 tariffs (see 1804040019) were in place in 2017, the company's CEO Ryan Petersen said in a blog post. "While Flexport believes that global trade is absolutely essential to a free and prosperous society, our immediate focus in the coming weeks will be on the impact to our clients," he said. "We also believe these algorithmically chosen new taxes -- which were 'drafted to achieve the lowest consumer impact' -- are navigable by a resilient supply chain industry."