Senate Appropriators Increase USTR, BIS Funding

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill to increase funding for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative by $6 million, more than 10%, and to increase funding for the Bureau of Industry and Security, which handles Section 232 action, by $20 million -- almost 10%.

The Commerce-Justice-Science funding bill also cuts spending by almost 3% for the International Trade Administration within Commerce and flat funds the International Trade Commission.

The committee said they increased funding for USTR "to ensure adequate staffing in trade negotiations."

The bill also provides some policy directives regarding trade, including:

• directing BIS to submit a report on the impact of in-force Section 232 tariffs on the defense supply chain, including increased costs, lead-times, and shortages
• urging USTR to ask Mexico and Canada for changes to USMCA in 2026 "that would prohibit the People’s Republic of China from taking advantage of the agreement, improve the agreement’s labor standards, and onshore additional manufacturing jobs"
• urging USTR to use the Indo-Pacific Framework negotiations to strengthen supply chain security for pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients and critical minerals
• directing USTR to submit a report on non-market practices related to electric vehicles
• urging Commerce and USTR to consider the possibility of retaliation against farm products as they seek to reduce foreign tariffs and non-tariff barriers
• directing USTR to brief the committee on which countries have been negotiating with the U.S. since the announcement of reciprocal tariffs, and sharing "detailed information on any agreements reached in response, and the status of active negotiations"
• expressing support for the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council, and reminding the administration they owe Congress a report on its work
• urging ITA to add steel derivative products covered by Section 232 tariffs to the Steel Import Monitoring Analysis
• directing ITA to submit a report on U.S. shipbuilding and maintenance, including on domestic components, and also analyzing federal efforts to restore U.S. capacity to build ship-to-shore cranes and other port infrastructure
• directing ITA to submit an annual report on AD/CVD orders, investigations, administrative reviews, and final results on proceedings remanded to the agency
• directing DOJ to submit a report on the directive to increase trade-related prosecutions.