Although solar module suppliers and manufacturers say they have split their supply chains to create product lines that comply with U.S. forced labor requirements, some continue to have ties to forced labor in China's Xinjiang region, Sheffield Hallam University said in a new report this week. The university also said it’s “sometimes impossible” to verify whether some of those companies' product lines are truly “XUAR-input-free,” adding that several major companies haven't disclosed “sufficient supply chain information” to prove their claims.
The U.S. and Mexico this week resolved a complaint involving workers' rights at the Draxton auto parts foundry in Irapuato, Guanajuato, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced July 31, marking the fifth time the countries agreed on a formal course of remediation under the USMCA's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Canada's International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) reached a new tentative labor agreement days after ILWU members voted against the previous tentative deal, ILWU Canada and BCMEA announced July 30. BCMEA said both sides are again "recommending ratification of the collective agreement to the union’s membership and member employers."
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
Compliance with the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act has "significantly impacted" U.S. fashion companies' "sourcing practices," and many importers are diversifying away from China and other countries in Asia to mitigate supply chain risks, the U.S. Fashion Industry Association said in its annual survey of industry executives released July 31. Nearly 80% percent of survey respondents said they plan to reduce apparel sourcing from China over the next two years, with a record high 15% planning to “strongly decrease” sourcing from the country.
Rebecca Dye of the Federal Maritime Commission proposed new sets of best practices for ocean carriers and marine terminal operators at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and the Port of New York and New Jersey, covering activities surrounding container returns, earliest return dates and container pickups.
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:
CBP will increase Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) fees by 26.67% to adjust for inflation in FY 2024 (by comparing the current year to the base year, FY 2014), the agency said in a notice. Affected fees include the merchandise processing fee, vessel and truck arrival fees and the customs broker permit user fee. For example, the Commercial Vessel Arrival Fee for FY 2023 was set at $518.41 last year (see 2207290026). This year, it is being set at $553.55 for FY 2024. The Customs Broker Permit User Fee is going from the current $163.71 to $174.80 in FY 2024. The year-over-year increase is about 6.79%, according to the notice. The fees are effective Oct. 1, the start of FY 2024.