Committee clears Commerce enforcement nominee

Jeffrey Kessler would be tasked with ensuring compliance of U.S. trading partners with free trade agreements.    The Senate Finance Committee on Thursday cleared the nomination of Jeffrey Kessler to be assistant secretary of Commerce for enforcement and compliance.
   Housed within the Commerce Department’s International Trade Administration, the Enforcement and Compliance division enforces antidumping and countervailing duty laws, administers the U.S. Foreign-Trade Zones program and works to ensure compliance of U.S. trading partners with free trade agreements.
   During his June 12 confirmation hearing, Kessler, a trade attorney at Wilmer Hale, said if he’s confirmed he would seriously consider Commerce self-initiating AD/CV duty cases, in line with current department policy.
   Commerce on Nov. 28 announced the self-initiation of AD and CV duty investigations of imports of common alloy aluminum sheet from China, the first self-initiated AD or CV duty cases in more than a quarter century.