Analysts from the Tax Foundation and from the Center for Strategic and International Studies said that hiking tariffs on all imports by 10% would not boost domestic manufacturing, with CSIS's Bill Reinsch noting "you would be hard pressed to find an economist who thinks they make any sense."
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce's senior vice president for international policy said that when the trade ministers for the G-20 nations meet in India later this week, they should pledge not to hike tariffs, impose new export restraints or add digital trade barriers.
UPS and the Teamsters union, which represents UPS employees, reached a tentative five-year collective bargaining agreement, the two sides announced July 25, ending the possibility of a strike at the beginning of next month. The agreement covers union employees in "small-package roles," UPS said, and will need to be approved and rarified by union members. The Teamsters said voting will take place from Aug. 3 to Aug. 22.
CBP awarded Altana a “multi-year contract” to map supply chains for the agency for CBP’s use in addressing forced labor, the company said in a news release July 20. “This new award expands Altana’s relationship with CBP to help enable CBP officers and analysts to quickly understand the complexities of rapidly-shifting global supply chains, all using Altana’s Atlas,” Altana said. “The Atlas will assist CBP officers and analysts to analyze highly messy data at scale, harness artificial intelligence to triage and prioritize actions, and collaborate across borders to stop the flow of goods created by forced labor,” it said. CBP did not immediately comment.
Sixteen trade groups, including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, PhRMA and BIO, asked U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to press Mexico to comply with its USMCA commitments during her trip to Mexico for the Free Trade Commission meeting.
The Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union reached a tentative agreement on a six-year contract, both unions announced June 14. This comes amid repeated slowdowns at several West Coast ports, including at Los Angeles and Long Beach, that the PMA said were directed by the ILWU (see 2306050077).
The Port of Los Angeles has been able to function "close to normal" since June 1 despite issues arising from labor negotiations between dockworkers and terminal operators, Port Executive Director Gene Seroka said at a press conference June 13. "The Port of L.A. terminals are open, trucks are moving, and vessels by and large have been on schedule," Seroka said (see 230609004, 2306050077 and 2303270032).
UPS plans to close the Sandler Travis Trade Advisory Services headquarters in Southfield, Michigan, and cut 82 jobs, according to an April 4 report in Crain’s Detroit Business. UPS acquired the trade consultancy in 2017 (see 1712040023).
Nuvocargo, a digital platform focused on U.S.-Mexico cross-border trade, launched a new customs brokerage product this week designed to streamline customs operations at the U.S.-Mexico border. The product is meant to “reduce complexity at the border by providing a single point of contact throughout the entire process,” the company said, and will “fully outsource supply chain management by combining freight, customs, and insurance products” with “software designed for” trade between the two countries. “The product captures 7 border-specific data points, including reception and review of documents, MX and US Customs clearance status, and Exam flags; a level of detail never before experienced in the market,” Nuvocargo said.
Three trade groups thanked U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai for starting consultations with Mexico over what they call "discriminatory policies" in the energy sector, but warned: "It appears that the administration of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will not change the course of his country’s energy policy without continued, direct and forceful pressure from the U.S. government."