USTR Initiates Section 301 Investigations for China, EU, Mexico, India and 12 Other Countries
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on March 11 announced the initiation of investigations regarding the acts, policies, and practices of various economies under Section 301(b) of the 1974 Trade Act of 1974 relating to “structural excess capacity and production” in manufacturing sectors. The investigations will determine whether those acts, policies, and practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce, according to USTR.
The economies subject to the Section 301 investigations include China, the European Union, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Bangladesh, Mexico, Japan, and India.
“Across numerous sectors, many U.S. trading partners are producing more goods than they can consume domestically. This overproduction displaces existing U.S. domestic production or prevents investment and expansion in U.S. manufacturing production that otherwise would have been brought online. In many sectors, the United States has lost substantial domestic production capacity or has fallen worryingly behind foreign competitors,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.
USTR said a docket for comments regarding the investigations will open on March 17. To be assured of consideration, interested persons should submit written comments, requests to appear at the hearing, along with a summary of the testimony, by April 15. USTR will hold a hearing in connection with these investigations starting on May 5.
The NCBFAA Customs Committee and Counsel of Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A., will continue to monitor the USTR's activities as it relates to these Section 301 investigations and provide updates to our members.
