Vehicles that meet the USMCA rules of origin will be able to enter the U.S. duty-free again, for one month, two White House spokespeople said March 5.
ACA Connects CEO Grant Spellmeyer and two other communications industry executives set to appear at a House Communications Subcommittee hearing Wednesday urge lawmakers in written testimony to revamp the NTIA-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program. Some also say they want quick congressional action on a potential U.S. Supreme Court overturn of USF’s funding mechanism. Sarah Morris, acting deputy NTIA administrator during the Biden administration, is also set to testify. Her written statement wasn’t available Tuesday afternoon. The panel will begin at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
International Trade Today is providing readers with the top stories from last week in case they were missed. All articles can be found by searching on the titles or by clicking on the hyperlinked reference number.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed data broker rule exceeds the CFPB's authority under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), tech and open finance groups told the agency in comments this week (see 2503030069).
The Trump administration is inflicting “real damage” by halting the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s proposed data broker rule, Better Markets said Monday (see 2308150075).
TV broadcast executives during Q4 earnings calls last week were bullish on merger and acquisition opportunities under the new White House and FCC leadership, but several also mentioned “softness” in some advertising categories, possibly connected to tariffs. Concern with tariffs is “putting a natural chilling effect upon advertising in the automobile sector” but should eventually “settle out,” said Gray Media co-CEO Hilton Howell.
The Bureau of Industry and Security for the past month has been led by a key Project 2025 contributor entrusted by the Trump administration with overseeing an export control policy review, an effort that resulted in a licensing pause and coincided with multiple senior career employees leaving the agency. BIS resumed processing and approving certain license applications around the same time the Trump official was removed from his position late last month, Export Compliance Daily has found.
DOD should pause further investment in intersatellite laser link technology until it demonstrates that it works, the Government Accountability Office said Wednesday. GAO said an initial tranche of satellites produced by the Space Development Agency that employ laser tech have yet to demonstrate all the planned communications capabilities, yet the agency has awarded almost $10 billion in contracts for two more tranches of satellites. GAO said DOD concurred with its recommendation that the space agency should demonstrate laser communications capabilities before making further investments in subsequent tranches.
The House Communications Subcommittee scheduled a March 5 hearing that lobbyists expect will examine how lawmakers can revamp the NTIA-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program, which panel Republicans’ notice called former President Joe Biden’s “Broadband Blunder.” Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz of Texas, House Commerce Committee Chairman Brett Guthrie of Kentucky and other GOP leaders have been eyeing a revamp of BEAD (see 2501150056) after repeatedly criticizing NTIA’s rollout of the program under then-Administrator Alan Davidson. Cruz said in November that the 119th Congress would review BEAD and requirements that have drawn GOP criticism. He sought a “pause” in NTIA BEAD activity ahead of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House (see 2411220035). The House Communications hearing will begin at 2 p.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
From the removal of China from de minimis eligibility on Feb. 4 until the announcement that de minimis would be restored for China on Feb. 7, CBP rejected 79,995 bills of lading in the truck lane, 15 entries coming by truck, 271,662 bills of lading coming by air, and 285,005 entries coming by air. It also rejected 3,684 entries that arrived by ship.