The World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body on June 23 agreed to establish dispute panels in China's case against Canada's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles and steel and aluminum products and Canada's dispute against Chinese import duties on Canadian agricultural and fisheries products, the WTO announced.
The National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America and dozens of state and national-level trade groups representing shippers have signed a letter warning the heads of multiple federal agencies of potential supply chain disruptions that could result should tariff changes proceed as planned.
Canada is preparing new and revised tariffs, along with a tariff quota, to address what it said is the Trump administration’s “unfair trade” measures in the steel and aluminum sectors. The new tariffs and other measures will be in place as Canada negotiates a new “economic and security partnership” with the U.S., the country’s Department of Finance announced June 19.
A Texas-based industrial equipment supplier and its former CEO were fined millions of dollars for intentionally violating sanctions and export control laws, but the U.S. declined to prosecute its parent company after the firm voluntarily disclosed the violations and cooperated closely with DOJ’s investigation.
The U.S. has the power to force some manufacturing out of Canada and Mexico and have it locate in the U.S., so that those cars or other products avoid tariffs, a think-tank analyst said at a Washington International Trade Association event.
The Council of the EU on June 12 imposed tariffs on agricultural products and fertilizers from Russia and Belarus that weren't subject to the additional customs duties thus far imposed on related products. The council said the goal is to "reduce EU dependence on those imports" and "reduce Russian export revenues" in a bid to limit Russia's ability to fund its war against Ukraine.
The U.S. and China reached an agreement for Beijing to rein in export curbs on critical minerals, and for the U.S. to "provide to China what was agreed to," President Donald Trump said June 11, offering few details about the substance of the deal.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee ranking member Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said June 10 that Congress should take up a bipartisan Russia sanctions bill to spur Moscow to reach a peace deal with Ukraine.
Trade enforcement under President Donald Trump could "look a little different" than how the federal government has previously acted because of how the DOJ seems now to want to focus on holding individuals accountable, as opposed to corporations, according to a trade lawyer speaking during a June 6 webinar hosted by the Massachusetts Export Center.
The European Commission on June 4 set up a new surveillance tool to shield the EU against "sudden and potentially disruptive surges in imports." The tool provides the commission with "fact-based information building on customs data," enabling it to take action against import surges that occur when a "significant amount of goods that cannot enter other markets due to high tariffs and other restrictions are redirected into the EU."