[CTC] USITC expects 35-day delays caused by shutdown, slowing NAFTA process

[Arthur Stamoulis]

Politico Trade

U.S. ITC expects 35-day delays caused by shutdown, slowing USMCA process
By Alexander Panetta and Megan Cassella
01/29/2019 02:45 PM EDT
Updated 01/29/2019 04:37 PM EDT

The U.S. International Trade Commission announced today that the federal shutdown will slow all its investigations by 35 days, apparently delaying the new North American trade pact's consideration by Congress.

Several lawmakers have said they want to see the commission's study on U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement before deciding on how to vote on the new deal. The study, required under fast-track rules, was originally due <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=159e0d6c749ffc86f40a2104c3d5091c54572843a3ca36307f9a949bb8e16388a4de001191d239e4853d687537779761> by March 15.

The shutdown had cast uncertainty over the timeline because the commission was among the agencies affected by the funding lapse.

"I can now tell you that all investigations that were ongoing at the time of the lapse in appropriations will be tolled by 35 calendar days," ITC spokeswoman Margaret O'Laughlin said in an email. "The commission will issue scheduling Federal Register notices for all investigations in the coming days that will provide more detailed information for each investigation. These notices will be posted on the USITC web site as they are issued."

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley <http://go.politicoemail.com/?qs=159e0d6c749ffc8626960fc0e0f77c7fb86a6740a38c053abc4219970505ad82a8f603cca9a002204b8b697576bbcf85> said later on Tuesday that delays to the ITC report will in turn postpone any congressional vote on the deal.

"It'll slow it up," he told POLITICO. "I don't think there's any way that this is going to really be seriously considered until that report's out."

A delay would push congressional consideration of the trade deal later into the spring. The could force Canada's Trudeau government to decide whether to start votes in its Parliament before the U.S. does.

Canada has an election this fall. The House of Commons is expected to recess in June and isn't scheduled to return before the October election.


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