Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., introduced a bill that would prohibit all trade with Russia, and then the next day, on March 9, introduced a bill that would prohibit the importation of nickel or copper from Russia. The latter bill has one co-sponsor, Rep. Mary Miller, R-Ill.
The National Electrical Manufacturers Association is asking House and Senate leadership to "expeditiously advance" a compromise China package by resolving differences between the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA) and the America Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength (America Competes) Act.
Democrats who lead the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis are asking major carriers for extensive documents and proprietary information, saying they have the authority to investigate price gouging and profiteering connected to the pandemic.
The House China package's trade title includes a major rewrite of antidumping duty and countervailing duty laws, but the Senate China package doesn't, so a conference committee from both chambers would have to agree to get the changes into law. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, who co-sponsored the Senate bill colloquially known as Leveling the Playing Field Act 2.0, said in a Capitol hallway interview that he thinks the chances of that happening are good.
As rhetoric in Congress grew for banning Russian oil imports, the White House poured cold water on the idea. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said March 3 that "our objective ... has been to maximize impact on President Putin and Russia while minimizing impact to us and allies and partners. That would raise prices at the gas pump on the American people because it would reduce the supply available. And that is certainly a big factor for the president at this moment." She also said that sending more liquefied natural gas to Europe will help "accelerate its diversification from Russian gas." Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., who introduced one of the bills that would ban crude oil imports, said 7% of America's oil comes from Russia (see 2203010044).
Two Democrats and two Republicans in the House have introduced a bill that would require the Department of Homeland Security to offer third-party logistics providers slots in a Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) pilot. The bill, introduced Feb. 25, would give 10 non-asset-based logistics companies and 10 logistics companies that use their own warehouses slots in the pilot program, which would be required to last at least one year and as many as five years. The department would have to open applications for the pilot within the first year after the bill's enactment. Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, Steve Womack, R-Ark., and Elaine Luria, D-Va., co-sponsored the bill.
House Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee told U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai that she needs to provide "a detailed analysis" of how China did or did not live up to the phase one trade deal. "We have great confidence in your abilities to address the many challenges China presents to the United States and other market economies, and we hope you will expand detailed communication on these matters so that Congress and the Administration can be partners in developing effective U.S. responses," they wrote Feb. 24.
The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, which has both passed the House and was included in the House version of a China package, is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Commerce Committee next month. The hearing will be March 3.
The American Association of Port Authorities announced Feb. 23 that its legislative policy council endorsed the Senate version of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act, sponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Thune, R-S.D. (see 2202040009). AAPA CEO Chris Connor earlier this month said, "U.S. ports are moving more goods than ever -- to foreign markets, to American homes, to American businesses. As shovels start hitting the ground for port capacity expansion, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Klobuchar-Thune bill will further help the system by prioritizing cargo fluidity and increasing access for American businesses and consumers."
In preparation for considering the renewal of trade preference programs for Haiti, House Ways and Means Chair Richard Neal asked the International Trade Commission to study the role of the preferences programs in shaping Haiti's economy. The ITC has 10 months to produce the report.