CBP May Add "Prior Disclosure-Like Process" on Forced Labor for CTPAT
CBP May Add “Prior Disclosure-Like Process” on Forced Labor for CTPAT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP’s) Director of Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT) Manny Garza reportedly said recently during a CBP webinar that the agency is working on a new benefit for CTPAT members involving forced labor compliance.
International Trade Today’s Brian Feto reports that Garza described a kind of “prior disclosure process” that would allow CTPAT members to “report they’ve found forced labor in their supply chain without triggering CBP penalties or additional detentions.”
Garza reportedly said that CBP recognizes companies want to disclose information on forced labor in their shipments but don’t want to get in trouble for providing that information. CBP is working on a CTPAT solution so participating companies can provide information to CBP “without worrying about it getting issued penalties or having additional shipments stopped.” No such benefit currently exists.
House & Senate Committees Announce Rosters
The Chairmen of Congressional committees that will be at the center of any new trade legislation this year published their rosters for the 118th Congress.
Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) is the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID) as Ranking Member. The other 22 committee members are:
Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) is the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, with Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA) as Ranking Member. The other 41 committee members are:
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
Sen. Thomas R. Carper (D-DE)
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD)
Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-CO)
Sen. Robert P. Casey (D-PA)
Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-VA)
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH)
Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)
Sen. John Thune (R-SD)
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC)
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)
Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT)
Sen. Todd Young (R-IN)
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)
Vice Chairman Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL)
Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)
Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ)
Rep. Darin LaHood (R-IL)
Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH)
Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA)
Rep. Ron Estes (R-KS)
Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA)
Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK)
Rep. Carol Miller (R-WV)
Rep. Greg Murphy (R-NC)
Rep. David Kustoff (R-TN)
Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)
Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL)
Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY)
Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)
Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT)
Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA)
Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R-TX)
Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA)
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY)
Rep. Mike Carey (R-OH)
Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL)
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA)
Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY)
Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL)
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA)
Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Dan Kildee (D-MI)
Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA)
Rep. Dwight Evans (D-PA)
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL)
Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
U.S. Reportedly Denying Export Licenses for Hauwei
The Wall Street Journal and Reuters are reporting that the Commerce Department has temporarily stopped granting export licenses for U.S. companies to export goods to Huawei in China over national security concerns.
Reuters reported this week, “One person familiar with the matter said U.S. officials are creating a new formal policy of denial for shipping items to Huawei that would include items below the 5G level, including 4G items, Wifi 6 and 7, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing and cloud items.”
Until now, export restrictions to Huawei focused on 5G technology and related components. See more from Reuters.
Rep. Michael McCaul Reacts to Hauwei News
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) says he’s shocked that the Commerce Department is pausing all exports of critical U.S. technology to Huawei.
In a statement yesterday, Rep. McCaul said, “Our committee was shocked when we learned the U.S. Department of Commerce approved $60 billion worth of license applications to Huawei over six months in 2020 and 2021. Reports the Department of Commerce is halting exports to Huawei is a positive step, but I strongly urge the Department to consider a permanent halt of critical technology to Huawei for the sake of U.S. National Security.”
Rep. McCaul sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in January saying the Bureau of Industry and Security was derelict in failing to provide Congress with documents on technology transfers to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) despite multiple requests. Read McCaul’s letter.