FORT LAUDERDALE -- CBP is expanding its partnership with the Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Unit, and is including large brokers and software developers in the effort to use "these HSI resources to help identify cyber attacks before they happen, said Shari McCann, director of commercial operations for CBP's Office of Trade.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai gave testimony April 17 to the Senate Finance Committee regarding President Joe Biden’s 2024 trade policy agenda. She touched mainly on trade deal enforcement, U.S. exporters’ access to new markets and the USTR’s new stance on digital trade, though she also discussed issues such as forced labor and the upcoming legislation on the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is beginning a new Section 301 investigation on alleged unfair practices in China’s maritime, logistics and shipbuilding sectors, the agency said in a news release April 17.

President Joe Biden on April 17 called for a “tripling” of Section 301 tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum, urging the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to “consider” the increase from the current average 7.5% rate in its ongoing review of Section 301 tariffs.

FORT LAUDERDALE -- Just weeks after the Agricultural Marketing Service's rules on import filing and certification requirements for organic goods took effect March 19 (see 2402270052), the agency is still facing the problem of "many uncertified importers," but "we're making good progress," said Jennifer Tucker, deputy director of USDA's National Organics Program, on April 16.

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The House Ways and Means Committee is set on April 17 to consider several just-introduced trade bills, including a retroactive extension of the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, new restrictions on de minimis and restrictions on electric vehicle tax credits.

FORT LAUDERDALE -- The effective date for the Federal Maritime Commission's new rule on detention and demurrage may not provide a long enough "runway" for industry to prepare, given that it's a "systemic alteration" of how the industry operates, said Ashley Craig of Venable. He said he suspects there will be a lot of "head scratching" after the rule becomes effective on May 28 (see 2402230049).

A new bill from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's top Republican and a Democratic member would renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act trade preference program for 16 years, offer more flexibility on country eligibility reviews, and soften the high-income graduation rules.

A recent bill from House Ways and Means Committee member Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, would change the drawback statute so that items that have a Harmonized Tariff Schedule description beginning with "other" no longer would be ineligible for unused substitution drawback, drawback expert Dave Corn said.