Legislative Update

MTB: hundreds of tariff suspensions and reductions provided under the previous MTB expired on December 31. There is a bipartisan bill to renew those benefits which will be reintroduced in the new Congress, but the bill could meet resistance in the Senate which views the duty suspensions and reductions as earmarks.

Customs Reauthorization: no new bill has been introduced in the new Congress, but any bills will likely be similar to those previously put forth by both parties.

As reported by our friends at Sandler, Travis, here's a partial list of new trade legislation introduced in Congress:

H.R. 22 - a bill to allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to provide certain information concerning imported or exported merchandise to the owner of a copyright or registered mark to determine whether the merchandise is infringing (introduced Jan. 3 by Rep. Poe, referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary)

H.R. 156 - to provide for the withdrawal of the United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement (introduced Jan. 4 by Rep. McIntyre, referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means)

H.R. 166 - to prevent the evasion of antidumping and countervailing duty orders (introduced Jan. 4 by Rep. Boustany, referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means)

H.R. 191 - to assess the impact of NAFTA, require further negotiation of certain provisions of NAFTA, and provide for withdrawal from NAFTA unless certain conditions are met (introduced Jan. 4 by Rep. Kaptur, referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means)

H.R. 214 - to lift the trade embargo on Cuba (introduced Jan. 4 by Rep. Serrano, referred to the House committees on Foreign Affairs, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, the Judiciary, Oversight and Government Reform, and Agriculture)

Please contact your Liberty representative with any questions.