Description:
H.R. 1907 would amend various trade statutes with the goal of strengthening agency enforcement efforts and improving the efficiency of the regulatory process. The bill would:
- Authorize the appropriation of $154 million annually over the 2016-2018 period for the Automated Commercial Environment program in Customs and Border Protection (CBP);
- Require the International Trade Administration (ITA) to develop a system to investigate allegations of antidumping and countervailing duty evasion and would require CBP to improve and expand several trade regulation programs;
- Extend the authority to collect and increase the rate of certain customs user fees;
- Improve the claims process for refunds on duties paid for certain imported merchandise and increase the minimum value of goods for which duties must be paid; and
- Increase the amount available for distribution to eligible parties under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (CDSOA).
CBO estimates that enacting the bill would reduce revenues by $203 million over the 2015-2025 period and reduce direct spending by $4 million over the same period, resulting in a net increase in deficits over the 11-year period of $199 million. Pay-as-you-go procedures apply because enacting the legislation would affect direct spending and revenues. In addition, assuming appropriation of the necessary amounts, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 1907 would cost $944 million over the 2016-2020 period.
H.R. 1907 contains no intergovernmental mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA), and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
H.R. 1907 contains private-sector mandates on entities required to pay merchandise processing fees. CBO estimates the aggregate cost of the mandates would exceed the annual threshold established in UMRA for private-sector mandates ($154 million in 2015, adjusted annually for inflation).
