China has met 71% of its 2020 purchase goals for U.S. agricultural commodities under the phase one trade deal, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in an “interim report.” The Oct. 23 report, released 11 days before the election, said the U.S. is on track for its “best year ever in sales to China.”
The Bureau of Industry and Security on Oct. 2 announced new export controls (see 2008100013 and 2005190052) on six emerging technologies. The controls, which were agreed to by Wassenaar Arrangement members during its 2019 plenary, include:
The administration should increase export controls and sanctions pressure on China, place more scrutiny on Chinese foreign direct investment and push for the modernization of multilateral export regimes, the House’s Republican-led China Task Force said in a Sept. 30 report. It urged the administration to act quickly, saying China and other U.S. “adversaries” are flouting international export control laws and undermining U.S. technology industries.
The European Union announced new initiatives to support its Customs Union and tackle a rise in smuggling, fraud and other trade challenges faced by member states. The initiatives, part of the EU’s Sept. 28 Customs Union Action Plan, include measures to combat customs duty fraud, a rollout of modern customs equipment under the next EU budget and an EU-wide single customs portal.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his fellow New York colleague, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and the Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, urging them to monitor the elimination of Class 6 and Class 7 pricing programs in Canadian dairy, the avoidance of geographical indications for cheese names in Mexico, and the implementation of more generous tariff rate quotas for dairy imports in Canada. “While the new tariff-rate quota commitments were intended to provide U.S. dairy producers with greater access to Canada’s dairy market, it is our understanding that Canada’s announced TRQs place U.S. producers at a disadvantage and are inconsistent with the market access provisions secured in agreement,” they wrote Sept. 15.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee (COAC) for CBP will next meet Oct. 7, remotely, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT, CBP said in a notice. Comments are due in writing by Oct. 6. The COAC will hear from the following subcommittees on the topics listed below and then will review, deliberate and formulate recommendations on how to proceed on those topics:
The Bureau of Industry and Security is seeking comments on an information collection related to the Defense Production Act, BIS said in a notice released Sept. 15. The collection is related to the DPA's authority with regard to performance of contracts and orders “supporting national defense and emergency preparedness program requirements.” Comments are due Nov. 16.
The Federal Maritime Commission said its May rule on detention and demurrage charges (see 2004290037) is helping to reduce unfair penalties imposed by carriers, but industry said the fees are continuing and the FMC’s guidance is not being followed. The rule “at first seemed to be a great victory,” said Rich Roche, vice president of international transportation at Mohawk Global Logistics, speaking during a virtual conference hosted by the National Customs Brokers & Forwarders Association of America Sept. 14. But Roche, who is also the chair for the NCBFAA’s Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier Subcommittee, said some carriers increased their demurrage and detention fees the same week the rule was finalized.
Twenty-three senators from both political parties urged U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to press Canada to uphold its promises to give U.S. dairy exporters more market access. In a letter, released by Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., Aug. 26, they said that they agree with concerns about enforcement of USMCA dairy provisions expressed in a July letter sent by House members (see 2007020040), and that they are concerned that Canada's plans to fill its quotas are not consistent with those provisions. “Canada must not be permitted to effectively recreate the harmful impacts of Canada’s highly trade-distortive Classes 6 and 7 milk pricing programs,” the Aug. 25 letter said. “Canada must ... clearly establish prices for any new classes based on the end use of dairy products, and ensure that export surcharges for certain dairy products are implemented properly.”
Moldova's Tudor Ulianovschi told the Washington International Trade Association that the fact that he's coming from a neutral country is an advantage in his candidacy for director-general of the World Trade Organization. Ulianovschi, who was speaking Aug. 26 on a WITA webinar, served as foreign minister of Moldova in 2018 and 2019, and during that time Moldova became a member of the WTO government procurement agreement.