U.S. opens two-day tariff hearings

The Trump administration opened tariff hearings Tuesday on whether to penalize 60 trading partners over imports tied to forced labor. (ustr.gov) The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the hearings are part of Section 301 investigations launched March 12 by Ambassador Jamieson Greer. They began at 10 a.m. Eastern at the U.S. International Trade Commission in Washington and continue on April 29, with the Federal Register notice allowing sessions to run as needed until May 1. (ustr.gov) (federalregister.gov) USTR is examining whether those economies failed to impose and effectively enforce bans on goods made with forced labor, a practice U.S. law has restricted for nearly a century. The agency says the 60 economies account for more than 99% of U.S. imports in 2024. (federalregister.gov) (ustr.gov) Section 301 is the same trade law Washington has used to investigate foreign practices and then impose tariffs or other import restrictions. In this case, the hearings are the public step before USTR decides whether the conduct is unreasonable or discriminatory and what action, if any, to take. (federalregister.gov) The hearings land as another tariff fight is moving in the opposite direction. U.S. Customs and Border Protection opened its CAPE system on April 20 so importers can seek refunds for duties collected under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, after court rulings invalidated those tariffs. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) CBP says CAPE is being built inside the Automated Commercial Environment, the trade system importers already use, and that it will process valid refund requests under court order or other legal authority. The agency’s fact sheet was dated April 17 and last modified April 24. (cbp.gov 1) (cbp.gov 2) Some businesses say the refund rollout has been rough. CBS News reported error messages, account problems in the Automated Commercial Environment, and claims from small importers that the portal was overwhelmed after launch. (cbsnews.com) The two tracks show how U.S. tariff policy is now split between new cases and old reversals. One agency is collecting testimony on possible new Section 301 duties while another is building a system to return money from emergency tariffs that courts struck down. (ustr.gov) (cbp.gov) (apnews.com) For now, the immediate date is April 29, when the second day of testimony is scheduled in Washington. After that, USTR can take post-hearing rebuttal comments for seven days and decide whether this latest tariff case turns into actual trade penalties. (federalregister.gov)