Companies, Trade Groups Push Senate Finance to Move on Customs Bill, AD/CV Language Remains an Issue
The Senate Finance Committee should resolve the questions on antidumping and countervailing duty enforcement and work to get customs reauthorization legislation to the Senate floor this year, a group of companies and trade associations said in a letter to committee leaders. The Oct. 24 letter was sent to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Ranking Member Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and emphasized the importance of the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2013 (S. 662), which has stalled over disagreement on how to handle and update AD/CV duty enforcement (see 13040911).
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The groups would like the "committee to markup and move this bipartisan legislation to the Senate floor this year," the letter said. The legislation would make "improvements to address cross-border friction that would smooth the flow of trade and ensure efficient delivery of inputs and final products." While the question as to AD/CVD enforcement language "remains controversial," the Senate Finance Committee should "find a balanced solution that would reduce risk and provide certainty for businesses, or remove the provision so that it does not delay the bill from moving forward," the group said.
The legislation would make important updates to CBP's and ICE's abilities to deal with imports that violate intellectual property laws, they said. Industries that rely on IP protections make up a significant amount of U.S. jobs and exports, but "American creativity, innovation, and respected brands are under attack by those who seek to profit by illegally copying and distributing goods into the U.S. marketplace or into other markets around the world," the letter said. "To combat this massive threat, this bill would provide appropriate legal authority and resources to CBP and ICE. This bill would also promote collaboration by these agencies with rights holders and provide authorization for the National IPR Coordination Center."
The customs bill would also set an important "benchmark" as negotiations continue on various trade agreements, they said. With the World Trade Organization working on "completing a global Trade Facilitation Agreement and both the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations focused on raising the global standards for supply chains, customs, and trade facilitation, the timing of this legislation is critical," it said.
Groups and companies that signed the letter include:
- The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Associations of America
- American Association of Exporters and Importers
- Air Forwarders Association
- American Apparel & Footwear Association
- Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America
- The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition
- Wal-Mart
- U.S. Council for International Business
- Retail Industry Leaders Association
- Express Association of America
- NBCUniversal
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Viacom