More than 430 businesses and trade groups asked the leaders of the Senate and House committees with jurisdiction over tariffs to ask the U.S. trade representative for a delay in his decision to bar India and Turkey from the Generalized System of Preferences program (see 1903040073). India accounted for more than $5 billion of the $21 billion in imports covered by GSP.
A bill that would provide $600 million for additional investigations into which Chinese companies are supplying fentanyl that is sold to drug dealers was introduced April 4, with the intention of holding China's feet to the fire in fulfilling its promise to crack down on fentanyl that is not intended for legitimate medical purposes. Three Republicans and four Democrats -- including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. -- introduced the Fentanyl Sanctions Act. The bill is also co-sponsored by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio; Marco Rubio, R-Fla.; Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H.; Bob Menendez, D-N.J.; and Pat Toomey, R-Pa.
A Texas Republican and a Michigan Democrat in the Senate are co-sponsoring a bill that would require CBP to hire at least 600 additional officers a year until its staffing needs are met. Sen. Gary Peters, the ranking member of the committee that oversees CBP, and Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced Securing America's Ports of Entry Act of 2019 on April 3.
The Mexican undersecretary for North American affairs, who was the current administrator's chief negotiator in the NAFTA renegotiations, said as he meets with Democrats in Congress, "we are making progress" in convincing them that the labor reforms under consideration in Mexico are very strong. Jesus Seade, speaking at a press conference April 4 at the Mexican Embassy, added, "It doesn't mean that anybody asked, 'Seade, where do I sign?'"
President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House April 4 that he's giving Mexico a year to crack down on migration through its territory and prevent illegal drug shipments into the U.S. "Mexico understands that we're going to close the border or I'm going to tariff the cars. I'll do one or the other. And probably start off with the tariffs. That will be a very powerful incentive," he said. He said the other problem is drugs.
A bill that would ban the sale of shark fins in the U.S. passed out of the Senate Commerce Committee April 3. The bill, led by Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., also passed out of committee two years ago (see 1705180030), and had more than 30 co-sponsors and a companion House bill, but never came up for a vote in either chamber.
Pro-trade Democrats said that given the barrier of Section 232 tariffs, the fact that Mexico has not yet passed labor law reform, and other concerns, it's premature to be talking about the timing of a vote in the House of Representatives to ratify the new NAFTA. The president of the New Democrats, as well as two other trade leaders in the pro-growth caucus, talked to reporters April 2 after meeting with Canada's U.S. Ambassador David MacNaughton at the Capitol.
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, complained again April 2 that President Donald Trump doesn't understand that to get the new NAFTA ratified, he has to lift tariffs on Mexican and Canadian aluminum and steel. "The president has to come to the conclusion," he told reporters on a conference call, "and I don’t know why it’s taking him so long, because he wants U.S.-Mexico-Canada [Agreement] to get through. It’s a real victory for him. It’s a real campaign promise kept. So why the slow movement on it? Get rid of them!"
The suggestion that the U.S. could shut down the ports of entry at the Mexican border "is an applause line, but it's not an idea," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said at an event hosted by Politico on April 2. She said she would hope there would be enough maturity at the White House not to make the threat a reality. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters at the White House later in the day, both reiterated the threat and softened his tone on the likelihood of it happening. While he said that if Congress doesn't make a deal to stop the practice he called "catch and release," "the border's going to be closed -- 100 percent." But he also said that Mexico has started to prevent more Central Americans from crossing their territory into the United States.
A senior member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee said he sees a path forward for ratification of the new NAFTA, and thinks some of the concerns of Democrats can be solved without going back to the table. But some freshman Democrats who belong to the pro-growth New Democrat Coalition said U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer was unbending on a provision critical to their votes.