Asserting that importers who evade antidumping and countervailing duties in place against them expose U.S. employers to unfair competition and deprive the U.S. government of lawful revenue, President Trump signed an executive order, “Establishing Enhanced Collection and Enforcement of Antidumping and Countervailing Duties and Violations of Trade and Customs Laws,” on March 31. The order
Trump Announces Creation of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy
On April 29, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order creating the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy (OTMP) within the White House. Peter Navarro, who was previously named to head the White House’s National Trade Council which was never formally established, will lead the office.
OTMP’s stated mission is “to defend and serve American…
Trump Issues Executive Order Directing USTR and Secretary of Commerce to Review Trade Agreement Violations and Abuses
On April 29, 2017, his 100th day in office, President Trump announced an executive order directing the U.S. trade representative (USTR) and secretary of the Department of Commerce to commence a review of “all bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral trade agreements and investment agreements to which the United States is a party” and “all trade relations…
Congressional Research Service Issues Report on the Border Adjustment Tax
With the Trump administration preparing to release its tax reform plan in the next several weeks, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has just released a timely report on the border adjustment tax (BAT). The report offers an analysis of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s proposal of a destination-based cash flow tax (DBCFT), a type of national…
Hearing and Request for Comments on U.S. Trade Deficit
The Department of Commerce and United States Trade Representative will hold a public hearing and seek written comments to assist in the analysis called for in Executive Order 13786 (see our prior update, “Executive Order Calls for Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits”). The trading partners with which the United States had a…
President Trump Signs “Buy American and Hire American” Executive Order
On April 18, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order seeking stricter enforcement of federal procurement policies and revamping the H-1B guest-worker visa program. In remarks on signing the order, Trump stated, “With this action, we are sending a powerful signal to the world: We’re going to defend our workers, protect our jobs, and finally…
Draft Notice to Congress Indicates Administration’s Intent to Begin Renegotiating NAFTA
In a draft letter to the Senate and House of Representatives, the Trump administration appeared closer to formally announcing and notifying Congress of its intent to begin renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The draft notes that the “persistent U.S. deficit in goods trade with Canada and Mexico demands that this administration take…
Commerce Moves to Review China’s “Nonmarket Economy” Status
The Trump administration on April 3, 2017 issued a notice of initiation and request for public comment and information pertaining to whether the People’s Republic of China (PRC) should continue to be treated as a nonmarket economy (NME) country under the antidumping and countervailing duty laws. The notice in the Federal Register indicates that this…
Executive Order Calls for Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits
President Trump signed an executive order on March 31 requiring that the secretary of Commerce prepare and submit a report that examines the causes of trade deficits within 90 days (i.e., by June 29, 2017). The analysis will focus on the major causes of trade deficits, including, as applicable, differential tariffs, non-tariff barriers, injurious dumping,…