The Federal Maritime Commission is preparing for another uptick in enforcement and is expecting a range of rulemakings to be finalized during or before FY 2025, including a new charge complaint process, a new container data collection effort and a new electronic court case management system. The commission previewed those updates as part of a $48.4 million congressional funding request released this week for FY 2025 -- about a $5 million increase from the $43.7 million it requested the previous year (see 2303200063).
If the EU can’t agree to new corporate supply chain due diligence rules, European companies will instead face a growing, complex patchwork of national due diligence laws that will strain their compliance departments, leaders of two Dutch nonprofits said in an opinion piece this week for the Business and Human Rights Resource Center.
Thailand last month eliminated import duties and reduced its excise tax for wine, USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service said in a March 5 report. The change allows U.S. wine exports to enter Thailand duty free as of Feb. 23, which is expected to reduce the Thai retail price of American wine by about 35%-40%, USDA said. The agency said Thailand imported $132 million worth of wine in 2023, and 8% came from the U.S.
Companies should continue to see more Chinese additions to the U.S. Entity List this year, although Russia sanctions likely will continue to dominate the government’s time and resources, trade lawyers said this week.
Mexican Economy Secretary Raquel Buenrostro said in Mexico this week that if the U.S. reimposes 25% tariffs on Mexican steel exports over alleged surges, Mexico will retaliate. Mexico's steel exports are only 2.5% of the U.S. market, and U.S. steel exports are 14% of the Mexican market, so the U.S. has more to lose if Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel return, she said.
The Agriculture Trade Caucus asked the administration to negotiate market-access trade agreements, saying it needs "to proactively engage and secure enforceable, high-standard agreements with our trading partners to ensure our farmers and ranchers can compete globally on a level playing field."
EU member state ambassadors on Feb. 21 approved two European Council proposals to renew for another year the suspension of import duties and quotas on goods from Ukraine and Moldova, the council announced.
Maersk violated the Shipping Act by failing to keep its "automated tariff system" open for public inspection, shipper OL USA said in a complaint filed with the Federal Maritime Commission on Feb. 14. The shipper accused Maersk of being "deceptive" and its tariff platform of lacking "functionality," adding that it was "unable to verify Maersk’s representations regarding the substance of its tariffs."
For Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., the future of U.S. trade policy is to make climate a trade policy priority, work with global allies to set digital trade standards and deepen the U.S. trading relationship with the global south.
The Treasury Department should “carefully scope” its proposed new outbound investment restrictions (see 2308090066 and 2310050035) to ensure U.S. capital does not help China’s military develop its artificial intelligence capabilities, a U.S. congressional commission heard this month.