TSA readies for busiest Thanksgiving travel period
on record, provides passengers with time-saving travel tips – Transportation Security Administration

WASHINGTON —
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is prepared for
the busiest Thanksgiving     travel period on record
and is projected to screen 18.3 million people from Tuesday, Nov.
26 to Monday, Dec. 2, representing a volume increase of
approximately 6% from this time in 2023. Passenger volumes have
reached record highs in 2024, with an increase of 17% since
2022. 

TSA projects the three
busiest travel days will be Tuesday and Wednesday before
Thanksgiving and the Sunday after the holiday. The agency expects
to screen more than 2.8 million people on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2.9
million for Wednesday, Nov. 27, and more than 3 million people on
Sunday, Dec. 1.  

“This holiday season is
expected to be one of the busiest travel periods on record, and the
vigilant people of the Transportation Security Administration stand
ready to ensure the security and ease of travel,” said Secretary of
Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Many members of the TSA
workforce will be on duty throughout Thanksgiving Day and week and
I am immensely grateful for their selfless dedication and
professionalism. I encourage travelers to plan ahead, follow TSA’s
travel tips, and take advantage of programs like TSA PreCheck® –
simple steps that will make everyone’s journey smoother, our skies
safer, and TSA’s job easier.”

TSA has screened more
than 2.9 million passengers on multiple days in 2024, but the
record for the heaviest passenger volume in TSA history was on
Sunday, July 7, when Transportation Security Officers screened more
than 3 million people at airport security checkpoints nationwide.
TSA may exceed that record this Thanksgiving travel period.

“As we approach
Thanksgiving, TSA is ready to accommodate record passenger
volumes,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “The 10 busiest
travel days in TSA’s history have all occurred in 2024, and we
anticipate that trend to continue. Working alongside our airport
and airline partners and the FAA, we have optimized staffing and
will do our best to maintain our wait time standards:  less
than 10 minutes for TSA PreCheck lanes and less than 30 minutes for
standard screening lanes. I am extremely grateful for our dedicated
employees across the agency who continue to remain vigilant and
focused on the mission to ensure security of our transportation
systems and keep the traveling public safe.”

To travel with ease,
TSA advises passengers to pack smart and start with an empty bag.
Passengers who do so are less likely to bring prohibited items
through the checkpoint. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be 3.4
ounces or less when packed in a carry-on bag. Certain foods, such
as gravy, cranberry sauce, wine, jam and preserves – which are
considered liquids or gels – must be packed in a checked bag if
they exceed 3.4 ounces. 

If you can spill it,
spray it, spread it, pump it or pour it, it is a liquid, aerosol or
gel and must be packed in your checked bag if it exceeds the
3.4-ounce limit. As always, passengers may bring solid foods such
as cakes and other baked goods through the checkpoint. Check for
prohibited items by using the What Can I Bring? page on TSA.gov or
just ask @AskTSA.
 

Federal Register Notices:

• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Certain Steel Wheels From the People’s Republic of China:
  Continuation of Antidumping Duty and Countervailing Duty
  Orders
• Cast Iron
  Soil Pipe From the People’s Republic of China: Continuation of
  Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders
• Large Top
  Mount Combination Refrigerator-Freezers From Thailand:
  Postponement of Preliminary Determination in the
  Less-Than-Fair-Value Investigation
• Certain New
  Pneumatic Off-the-Road Tires from India: Amended Final Results
  of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Vanillin
  from the People’s Republic of China: Preliminary Affirmative
  Countervailing Duty Determination and Alignment of Final
  Determination with Final Antidumping Duty Determination
• Investigations;
  Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Aluminum
  Lithographic Printing Plates From China and Japan:
  Determinations
• Certain
  Electronic Eyewear Products, Components Thereof, and Related
  Charging Apparatuses; Institution of Investigation
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Thermoformed Molded Fiber Products From the People’s Republic
  of China and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of
  Countervailing Duty Investigations; Correction
• Circular
  Welded Carbon Quality Steel Pipe From the People’s Republic of
  China: Initiation of Circumvention Inquiry on the Antidumping
  and Countervailing Duty Orders
• Oil
  Country Tubular Goods From Ukraine: Final Results of
  Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Paper File
  Folders From Cambodia: Initiation of Countervailing Duty
  Investigation
• Mattresses
  From Indonesia: Final Results and Partial Rescission of
  Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Stainless
  Steel Flanges From India: Preliminary Results and Rescission,
  in Part, of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review; 2022-2023
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Dioctyl Terephthalate (DOTP) From Malaysia, Poland, Taiwan,
  and Turkey; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Antidumping Duty
  Investigations
• Investigations;
  Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Certain
  Raised Garden Beds and Components Thereof; Notice of a
  Commission Determination Not To Review an Initial
  Determination Granting a Joint Motion for Termination of the
  Enforcement Proceeding Based on Settlement; Termination of the
  Enforcement Proceeding
• Certain Photovoltaic
  Connectors and Components Thereof; Notice of a Commission
  Determination To Review in Part a Final Initial Determination;
  Request for Written Submissions on the Issues Under Review and
  on Remedy, the Public Interest, and Bonding; Extension of
  Target Date
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Aluminum Extrusion From the People’s Republic of China:
  Preliminary Results of Countervailing Duty Administrative
  Review; 2013, Final Results of Countervailing Duty
  Administrative Review; 2013, and Amended Final Results of
  Countervailing Duty Administrative Review; 2013; Correction
• Hard Empty
  Capsules From Brazil, the People’s Republic of China, India,
  and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam: Initiation of
  Countervailing Duty Investigations
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations Orders or Reviews:
  Antidumping Duty Order on Alloy and Certain Carbon Steel
  Threaded Rod and Countervailing Duty Order on Carbon and Alloy
  Steel Threaded Rod From the People’s Republic of China: Final
  Results of Changed Circumstances Reviews, Revocation of the
  Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders, in Part, and
  Rescission of Scope Inquiry
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Welded Carbon Steel Standard Pipes and Tubes From India:
  Notice of Court Decision Not in Harmony With the Results of
  Antidumping Administrative Review; Notice of Amended Final
  Results
• Ferrosilicon
  From the Russian Federation: Antidumping and Countervailing
  Duty Orders
• Refillable
  Stainless-Steel Kegs From Mexico and the People’s Republic of
  China: Final Results of Sunset Reviews and Revocation of
  Orders
• Hexamethylenetetramine
  From the People’s Republic of China and India: Postponement of
  Preliminary Determinations in the Countervailing Duty
  Investigations
• Antidumping
  or Countervailing Duty Investigations, Orders, or Reviews:
  Epoxy Resins From China, India, South Korea, Taiwan, and
  Thailand; Scheduling of the Final Phase of Countervailing Duty
  and Antidumping Duty Investigations
• Investigations;
  Determinations, Modifications, and Rulings, etc.: Aluminum
  Extrusions From China, Colombia, Ecuador, India, Indonesia,
  Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand,
  Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam
   

Forward Operating Lab in Cincinnati helps CBP Identify
Dangerous Shipments – U.S. Customs
& Border Protection

CINCINNATI —
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Laboratories and
Scientific Services (LSS) opened a Forward Operating Laboratory
(FOL) in Cincinnati on November 12 that brings responsive and
timely scientific support to CBP’s mission.  FOLs are co-located
at strategically chosen ports of entry to achieve an
operator-focused, field-forward posture.  The FOL operates
under the concept of integration and side-by-side coordination with
law enforcement personnel. 

CBP is now able to
expedite enforcement actions and generate information capitalizing
on the agency’s collective expertise to address current and
emerging threats. Previously, for an identification of complex or
newly emerging substances, it would have to be sent to a lab in
Chicago, which could take weeks. 

“The shipper would
know that due to the length of time their shipment was missing, it
had probably been seized,” said Cincinnati’s Port Director, Eric
Zizelman. “They would be wary of an investigation and would have
the opportunity to change up their smuggling tactics, but now, it
never leaves the building and can take four seconds for
identification.” 

The integration of
laboratory personnel with CBP operators and intelligence analysts
provides several benefits to generating timely information:
corroboration of collected information / intelligence, immediate
identification of suspected controlled substances, and quick
discovery of a shipper or receiver’s identity.
 Field-forwarded scientific support may lead to swifter
prosecutions, closure of intelligence gaps, seizures of illicit
substances, and arrests of suspects.  Ultimately, this level
of collaboration contributes to efficient use of individual parts
to better serve justice to individuals and groups that threaten the
security of the United States.

“Synthetic drugs,
like fentanyl, are a dangerous and deadly threat facing the United
States – Forward Operating Laboratories staffed by highly trained
CBP chemists help protect our communities,” said CBP Assistant
Commissioner Dave Fluty. “This laboratory will help us stay ahead
of emerging drug threats and save lives.”

“Partnerships like
these are essential for CBP to stay on the cutting edge of
interdicting contraband safely and efficiently,” said LaFonda D.
Sutton-Burke, Director of Field Operations for the Chicago Field
Office. “Our dedicated workforce’s highest priority is to protect
the American people against foreign and domestic threats and place
America’s safety first.

Front line needs are
constantly evolving, and the lab must continuously adapt by rapidly
developing or deploying new capabilities and resources.
 Strategic alignment allows for redirecting these resources to
critical Agency operational requirements to meet the dynamic law
enforcement environment.
 

The Restoring Trade Fairness Act – The Select
Committee on the CCP

Chairman John
Moolenaar (R-MI) of the the House Select Committee on the Chinese
Communist Party introduced the Restoring Trade Fairness Act today,
a bill that would revoke China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations
(PNTR). In 2000, as China prepared to enter the WTO, Congress voted
to extend PNTR status to the People’s Republic of China (PRC),
hoping that the Chinese Communist Party would liberalize and adopt
fair trading practices. Achieving PNTR status meant that the
Chinese state-run economy received preferential tariff treatment
under U.S. law, opening the door for the mass influx of products
made in the communist nation. This gamble failed. In the two
decades since, the United States manufacturing industry has been
depleted, American firms have had their intellectual property
pillaged by CCP economic coercion, and the CCP grew into America’s
foremost adversary.

Senators Tom Cotton
(R-AR), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Josh Hawley (R-MO) introduced
companion legislation in the Senate earlier this year.

Following the bill’s
introduction, Chairman Moolenaar said, “Today, I have introduced
the Restoring Trade Fairness Act to stop the Chinese Communist
Party from taking advantage of America and to level the playing
field for American workers and our allies. Having permanent normal
trade relations with China has failed our country, eroded our
manufacturing base, and sent jobs to our foremost adversary. At the
same time, the CCP has taken advantage of our markets and betrayed
the hopes of freedom and fair competition that were expected when
its authoritarian regime was granted permanent normal trade
relations more than 20 years ago.

“Last year, our
bipartisan Select Committee overwhelmingly agreed that the United
States must reset its economic relationship with China. Today,
building on tariffs from the Trump and Biden Administrations, the
Restoring Trade Fairness Act will strip China of its permanent
normal trade relations with the U.S., protect our national
security, support supply chain resilience, and return manufacturing
jobs to the U.S. and our allies. This policy levels the playing
field and helps the American people win this strategic competition
with the CCP.”

“China’s Permanent
Normal Trade Relations status has enriched the Chinese Communist
Party while costing the United States millions of jobs. This
comprehensive repeal of China’s PNTR status and reform of the
U.S.-China trade relationship will protect American workers,
enhance our national security, and end the Chinese Communists’
leverage over our economy,” said Senator Cotton.

Read the Restoring
Trade Fairness Act HERE.

Background:

To combat the CCP’s
economic warfare, President Trump implemented a series of tariffs
in 2018 on hundreds of billions worth of Chinese goods. President
Biden continued those tariffs and even expanded them to include
Chinese electric vehicles. This bipartisan consensus across
presidential administrations has effectively already revoked
China’s PNTR status. As a result, the Select Committee voted nearly
unanimously in 2023 to recommend revoking China’s PNTR status in
statute. The Restoring Trade Fairness Act achieves this bipartisan
goal and codifies a series of tariffs to push back against the
CCP’s state-run economic aggression. The bill provides American
businesses a clear structure and strategy to compete against
CCP-aligned companies, provides assurances in the case of Chinese
retaliation, and rectifies the jobs-killing mistake of granting
Communist China privileged access to the American market. 

The recent United
States International Trade Commission (ITC) report confirms that
Section 301 tariffs on products from the PRC have not contributed
meaningfully to inflation. Instead, these tariffs encouraged a
shift in supply chains, reducing U.S. reliance on PRC imports in
key sectors like electronics, automotive parts, and apparel. For
every 1 percent increase in tariffs, imports from the PRC declined
by about 2 percent, as U.S. importers diversified their
manufacturing. Ultimately, the report highlights that the tariffs
achieved a reduction in PRC dependence without causing significant
price increases for U.S. consumers.

 How The Bill Works:

• The
  bill would end PNTR for China. There would be no annual
  Congressional vote for recertification. It would codify
  tariffs in statute and create a new tariff column for China.
• The
  new column would create a minimum 35% ad valorem (in
  proportion to the estimated value of the goods or transaction)
  tariff for non-strategic goods and a minimum 100% ad valorem
  tariff for all strategic goods.
• Phase-in
  period: The new tariff column rates would be phased-in over
  five years with 10 percent of the tariff increase implemented
  in year one, 25 percent of the increase implemented in year
  two, 50 percent of the increase implemented in year four, and
  100 percent of the increase implemented in year five.
• Strategic
  Goods: Strategic goods are listed in the bill by HS code. They
  are based on the Biden administration’s Advanced Technology
  Product List and China’s Made in China 2025 plan.
• The
  bill would end De Minimis treatment for covered nations
  (including China) and require customs brokers for other de
  minimis shipments.
• It
  would provide tariff revenue to U.S. farmers and manufacturers
  injured by possible Chinese retaliation. Additional revenue
  would be used to purchase munitions vital to deterring CCP
  aggression in the Pacific.
   

ICYMI: First Shipment of American Turkey Departs for
India – U.S. Trade
Representative

This week, the first
shipment of U.S. turkey – which takes advantage of the agreed upon
reduced tariff rate – departed for India, allowing American
producers to access a critical global market.

This announcement signifies the beginning of
historic market access for United States poultry producers and
reflects the elevated bilateral cooperation on trade achieved
between the United States and India during the Biden-Harris
Administration under United States Trade Representative Katherine
Tai.

In September 2023,
the United States and India agreed to resolve the poultry dispute,
which was their last outstanding dispute at the World Trade
Organization. As part of the resolution, India agreed to reduce
tariffs on a range of U.S. agricultural products, including frozen
turkey. The tariff cuts have enabled greater economic opportunities
for American agricultural producers, and allowed producers to
access Indian markets.

Read more below:

Press Trust of India:
First American turkey shipment leaves for
Indian market

[Lalit K. Jha, 11/14/2024]

The first shipment of
American Turkey products for India left on Tuesday, marking a new
phase in the bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

The shipment comes
over a year after India agreed to the American request to reduce
high tariffs on US turkey products.

US Senator from
Virginia Mark Warner, who is also co-chair of the Senate India
Caucus, said this marks a historic milestone in international trade,
expanding the reach of American turkey products in global markets,
and opening new doors for US turkey producers.

“This shipment is a
tremendous opportunity for Virginia’s poultry producers and a huge
step forward for US-India trade,” he said.

“As co-chair of the
Senate India Caucus, I look forward to the ongoing cooperation
between our two nations and to seeing a wealth of new opportunities
open up for Virginia’s poultry producers,” Warner said.

This shipment comes as a result of a trade agreement
and tariff reduction, facilitated by a collaborative effort between
the two countries.

Last year, ahead of
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States,
Warner was joined by a number of his colleagues in urging
Ambassador Katherine Tai to increase market access for US turkey
and poultry products.

These products
previously faced significant barriers from the Indian market due to
prohibitively high tariff.

“Our US turkey
producers have long been committed to providing safe, nutritious,
and versatile protein options worldwide, and we’re excited to see
Indian consumers experience the exceptional quality of American
turkey,” said Leslee Oden, CEO of the National Turkey Federation.

This first shipment
is a testament to the strength of US-India trade relations and a
reflection of our shared commitment to expanding food diversity and
quality, he said.

John King, president
of Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative said the cooperative is
“excited to be part of this new market opportunity”.

He added that the
move will help nearly 200 independent turkey grower owners.

Hobey Bauhan,
president of the Virginia Poultry Federation, also expressed hope
of good returns, saying, “Virginia turkey farmers are pleased to
offer high quality, lean protein for export to India, and we are
grateful for those who facilitated this opportunity.”

Under the trade
agreement announced in September 2023, India eliminated and reduced
retaliatory tariffs on US turkey products, paving the way for
increased access to the nation’s rapidly growing protein market.
 

What Airline Passengers Need to Know About DOT’s
Automatic Refund Rule – Department
of  Transportation

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation
issued a final rule to address persistent issues reported by
airline passengers who were trying to obtain refunds they were
owed. 

The DOT rule created
universal standards for refunds owed to airline passengers
traveling on flights to, from, or within the United States. It
specified for the first time the types of flight changes deemed
significant that entitle a passenger to a refund if the passenger
chooses not to continue with booked travel. It also made clear that
a cancelled flight would entitle a passenger to a refund if the
passenger does not continue with booked travel and required
airlines provide automatic refunds to passengers when refunds are
owed, rather than the passenger needing to initiate the process for
a refund. Prior to this rule, airlines were 1) permitted to set
their own standards for what kind of flight changes warranted a
refund; 2) alter those standards at their discretion; and 3) force
passengers to navigate a patchwork of cumbersome processes to
request refunds owed to them. 

The final rule also
requires airlines to provide prompt notifications to passengers
affected by a cancelled or significantly changed flight of their
right to a refund of the ticket and extra service fees. This allows
passengers to be better informed when they have the right to a
refund. 

When Passengers Are Entitled to a Refund
Under the Automatic Refund Rule
 

DHS Conducts Removal Flight to the People’s Republic
of China – Department of
Homeland Security

WASHINGTON –
On November 16, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS),
through U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted a
third large-frame charter removal flight in less than six months to
the People’s Republic of China (PRC) of Chinese nationals with no
lawful basis to remain in the United States. This removal flight is
yet another example of the Department’s ongoing cooperation with
the PRC and other international partners to reduce and deter
irregular migration through enforcement of immigration law. DHS and
its counterparts in the PRC also continue joint work to counter
human smuggling networks. Our messaging has been clear: Do not
believe the lies of smugglers. The United States continues to
enforce immigration law, and those without a legal basis to remain
will be removed.

DHS is enforcing U.S.
immigration laws and delivering tough consequences for those who
enter unlawfully or without authorization. This includes swiftly
returning those without a legal basis to remain in the United
States, while encouraging the use of safe, lawful, and orderly
pathways; holding transnational criminal networks accountable for
abusing our lawful trade and travel systems; and preventing the
smuggling and exploitation of vulnerable people.

President Biden’s
June 4 Proclamation temporarily suspending the entry of certain
noncitizens across the southern border has led to a more than 52%
decrease in Border Patrol encounters. DHS regularly engages
counterparts throughout the hemisphere and around the world to
accept removals of their nationals who have no legal basis to
remain in the United States. From the implementation of President
Biden’s Proclamation on June 4th through the end of October, DHS
has operated more than 640 international repatriation flights to
more than 155 countries—including the PRC, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,
Egypt, Mauritania, Senegal, Uzbekistan, and India — removing or
returning more individuals in FY2024 than any year since FY2010.
Efforts to expand removal flights continue.

FYI: Calling a Funeral Home about Prices and
Services – Federal Trade Commission