USTR holds tariff hearings April 28–29

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative opened public hearings Tuesday on Section 301 investigations into 60 economies’ forced-labor enforcement record. (ustr.gov) The hearings are running April 28 and April 29 in the main hearing room of the U.S. International Trade Commission at 500 E Street SW in Washington, starting at 10 a.m. Eastern. USTR said the sessions are on the record, but there is no livestream and no outside video recording in the room. (ustr.gov) These are Section 301 cases, the trade-law process the United States uses to decide whether foreign government practices are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden U.S. commerce. If USTR makes that finding, it can propose remedies including tariffs or import restrictions. (federalregister.gov) (ustr.gov) The forced-labor track was launched March 12 and asks whether 60 U.S. trading partners failed to impose and effectively enforce bans on goods made with forced labor. USTR says U.S. law has barred imports made wholly or partly with forced labor for nearly a century. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2) The panel schedule shows labor groups, human-rights advocates, manufacturers and trade associations testifying. Day 1 includes Eric Gottwald of the Labor Advisory Committee, Martina Vandenberg of the Human Trafficking Legal Center, Sheela Ahluwalia of Transparentem and John Booher of the U.S. Chassis Manufacturers Coalition. (ustr.gov) Speakers were required to file requests to appear and testimony summaries by April 15, and hearing remarks are limited to five minutes with possible questions from the Section 301 Committee. Post-hearing rebuttal comments are due seven calendar days after the last day of the hearings. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2) A separate Section 301 track is moving on a different calendar. USTR on March 11 opened structural excess-capacity investigations into 16 economies, including China, the European Union, Japan, India, Mexico and Vietnam, with hearings set to start May 5 and continue as needed through May 8. (ustr.gov) (federalregister.gov) In that excess-capacity case, USTR says the target economies built manufacturing capacity beyond domestic and global demand, producing overcapacity, trade surpluses and idle plants. The notice says the agency is weighing the level and scope of any duties or import restrictions and the total trade volume that could be covered. (federalregister.gov) (ustr.gov) For importers, the immediate event is the forced-labor hearing now underway. The next marker is the May 5 start of the excess-capacity hearing, after which USTR can build the record for any proposed trade penalties. (ustr.gov 1) (ustr.gov 2)