House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo) unveiled a Trade agenda for His committee, including broad oversight of whether China is living up to its trade commitments.
committee yesterday approved its oversight and authorization plan for the 11th Congress. On the trade front, the committee plans to keep an eye on the various ongoing negotiations, with the possibility of considering specific Congressional authorization for the President to enter negotiate trade agreements.
Enforcement of existing trade agreements, preference program renewals and World Trade Organization issues also are on the agenda. The committee’s oversight plan on trade includes the following:
Trade Negotiations. Including possible consideration of other legislation to reassert Congressional prerogatives on trade policy.
Enforcement. Oversight of enforcement of trade agreements. Particular oversight of enforcement activities related to China’s WTO commitments, as well as continuing barriers imposed by other countries and economies, including digital services taxes.
China. Oversight of systemic problems in U.S.-China trade, including oversight of China’s compliance with the January 2020 Phase One trade agreement and the Administration’s enforcement of that agreement. Oversight of U.S. tariff treatment of imports from China, including Section 301 tariffs and Permanent Normal Trade Relations. Oversight of China’s track record with respect to its 2001 agreement to accede to the WTO.
Tariff policy Particularly those imposed under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 and Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974. Analysis of the goals and effectiveness of such tariffs, including the impact of tariffs and retaliation by other countries on U.S. manufacturers and consumers as well as U.S. allies engaged in fair trade.
Implemented Trade Agreements. Oversight of implemented agreements with Colombia; Panama; Peru; Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua (i.e., CAFTA-DR); Oman; Bahrain; Singapore; Chile; Australia; Morocco; Jordan; Canada and Mexico (USMCA); and Israel.
Preference Programs. including the Generalized System of Preferences, the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act, and the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act.
Agriculture. Oversight and promotion of Administration efforts to increase enforcement and remove tariff and non-tariff barriers to markets for U.S. agriculture, including non- science based sanitary and phytosanitary measures and barriers to agriculture biotechnology. C
Digital Trade and E-commerce. particularly with respect to data issues (localization measures and data flows).
WTO Oversight. including reform proposals, negotiations, the functioning and reform of the dispute settlement system, and WTO accessions.
Trade Sanctions. Oversight concerning import sanctions with, among others, China, Iran, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, and Cuba.
Trade Adjustment Assistance. Continued oversight concerning the Trade Adjustment Assistance program for workers to monitor the effectiveness of the program in providing training and new jobs for displaced workers in a simple and cost-effective manner.
Priorities of the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR).
Priorities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Priorities of the U.S. Department of Commerce. including trade enforcement (particularly antidumping, countervailing duty, and Section 232 tools) and trade negotiations (particularly IPEF).
Priorities of the United States International Trade Commission.
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