Bill to Establish USTR Inspector General Introduced
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., introduced a bill with 12 Democratic Finance Committee co-sponsors, to establish an inspector general at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The bill, introduced Aug. 6, would require the president to appoint an IG within…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
120 days of passage. A companion bill is expected to be introduced Aug. 7 in the House of Representatives by Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J. In a press release, Pascrell said, “Sunlight remains the ultimate disinfectant, and that is especially true when it comes to our trade policy. Our nation’s trade policies impact virtually every aspect of our economy and so Americans deserve to know that they are being formulated free of tainting influences and double-dealing. The opaqueness and outright corruption of Trump’s regime has revealed the need for a watchdog in all corners of our government. Our bill will ensure our trade policy will not be wielded for personal or political gain.” The bill says that within 180 days, the IG is to begin an audit of the process of granting Section 301 exclusions for Chinese goods.