In This Issue:

- Trade-Related Energy Issues at Forefront of Political Debate in 2015

- Customs and Border Protection Issues Update of Enforcement Activities Related to Trade Orders

- News of Note

..Congress Passes Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act

..U.S. Department of Commerce Initiates Investigations on Melamine from China and Trinidad and Tobago

..New Competition Announced for Manufacturing Innovation Hubs

- Excerpt from Trade-Related Energy Issues at Forefront of Political Debate in 2015:

When the 114th U.S. Congress convenes this month, two key trade-related energy issues will be near the top of its agenda. First, the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on a bill that would authorize construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Second, the U.S. House of Representatives will consider a bill introduced by Representative Joe Barton (RTX) that would repeal the U.S. ban on exports of crude oil.

As currently proposed, the Keystone XL Pipeline would connect crude oil reserves in Canada to existing pipelines in the United States by way of a 1,179-mile pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska. While proponents argue that the pipeline would create American jobs and reduce dependence on oil from outside North America, opponents are concerned with the environmental impact of both pipeline construction in the United States and oil extraction in Canada. The State Department’s January 2014 determination that the project would have little effect on carbon emission and oil extraction rates has not resolved the environmental debate.