The top Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee said it will make allies laugh if Congress passes a bill that urges the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to work to convince other countries to remove Russia from their normal tariff schedule offered to World Trade Organization members, given that the U.S. is not doing that.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer said that although the House will vote to endorse the administration's decision to ban oil, natural gas and coal imports from Russia, ending Russia's normal trading status will not be part of the legislation. He said he expects a vote before House Democrats leave for a retreat at noon on March 9.

House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chairman Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., and Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Texas, introduced legislation to end permanent normal trade relations with Russia, and they are seeking to remove Russia from the World Trade Organization as well. “In seeking multiple ways to respond to Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, we should close every possible avenue for Russian participation in the world economy,” Doggett said in their Feb. 25 press release. "As Putin undermines the stability carefully built since World War II, he and his oligarch pals should not benefit from the trading system created to ensure that stability and peace.”

The International Trade Commission published notices in the Feb. 17 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):

The International Trade Commission voted Feb. 11 to not review an ITC administrative law judge's determination that found a Section 337 violation of in vitro fertilization drugs and equipment (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1196). The investigation followed a complaint, filed in March 2020 by EMD Serono, that alleged that Fast IVF, HermesPharmacy and General Plastik Drug Stores imported gray market products that copied trademarks held by EMD Serono and also are purported to be falsely advertised (see 2004220032). EMD Serono initially asked for a general exclusion order (see 2003180052) but changed to a request for a limited exclusion order after the commission vacated the summary determination. The ITC is seeking public comment on the form of remedy, if any, that should be ordered. Submissions are due to the ITC by Feb. 28.

The following are short summaries of recent CBP NY rulings issued by the agency's National Commodity Specialist Division in New York:

Poland recently revised its value-added taxes for some food, agricultural and energy goods, which could impact imports, KPMG said Jan. 31. The country eliminated the 5% VAT rate on various food items, including fish, dairy products, vegetables, fruit, cereals, baked goods and some beverages, the firm said. It also eliminated VATs on fertilizers, pesticides and potting soil and reduced VATs on diesel fuel and motor fuels from 23% to 8%. The new VAT rates are in effect through July 31.

OCP North America, the U.S. subsidiary of a Moroccan fertilizer exporter, penned a letter to U.S. farmers urging their support of the company's court case against the countervailing duty order on phosphate fertilizer from Morocco. The letter, sent through public relations firm Cogent Strategies, linked to a website also established by Cogent to serve as a platform for farmers to express their dissatisfaction with the order. The case the letter references is at the Court of International Trade and is challenging the International Trade Commission's injury determination that led to the imposition of the CVD order.

The Navy detained a stateless fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman, finding urea fertilizer used to make explosives, the Navy said in a Jan. 23 news release. The ship was detained as it was traveling from Iran along a path traditionally used to ship weapons to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the Navy said. Following a search of the vessel, the Navy discovered 40 tons of urea fertilizer, a chemical compound with dual uses as an agricultural and explosives component. The Navy had previously detained the ship in February 2021 and confiscated weapons on board bound for Yemen. This time, after the Navy detained the ship, it transferred the vessel, its cargo and five Yemeni crew members to Yemen Coast Guard officials, the release said.

The International Trade Commission posted the 2022 Preliminary Edition of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The new HTS does not include the five-year World Customs Organization Harmonized System update, which will take effect toward the end of January at the end of a 30-day period following their proclamation Dec. 27 (see 2112270032). It does, however, implement annual changes to 10-digit "statistical" provisions of the tariff schedule, as well as the removal of Ethiopia, Mali and Guinea from the African Growth and Opportunity Act preferences program and a new tariff-rate quota system for iron and steel and aluminum from the EU. These changes took effect Jan. 1.