On July 14, 2021, the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) was passed unanimously by the US Senate. It now moves to the House, where it is expected to pass easily – a previous version of the bill passed 406-3 in September 2020. The UFLPA reverses the previously applied burden of proof, creating a presumption … Continue Reading
On Tuesday, January 7, 2020, the Senate Finance Committee approved the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) by a vote of 25-3. The markup of President Trump’s replacement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) provided several surprises, at least from a traditional trade policy perspective. … Continue Reading
On November 2, 2017, Representative Christopher Smith (R-NJ), introduced a bill that would “authorize a review of financial services industry requirements of the People’s Republic of China and the implications of such requirements on national security interests of the United States.” (H.R. 4235, 115th Congress, Nov. 2, 2017). The bill would require the Secretary of … Continue Reading
On May 18, 2017, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer formally notified the US Congress of President Donald Trump’s intent to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). In letters transmitted to senior Congressional leaders, Ambassador Lighthizer pledged that the administration will consult closely with Congress to ensure its negotiating positions are consistent with the … Continue Reading
House lawmakers introduced a new bill, the Korean Interdiction and Modernization of Sanctions Act (H.R. 1644), that would expand existing sanctions targeting trade with the North Korean regime. Further, two new Iran sanctions bills were introduced in the House and Senate – the Iran Ballistic Missiles and International Sanctions Enforcement Act (H.R. 1698) and the … Continue Reading
On February 28, 2017, his 40th day in office, President Donald J. Trump made his first appearance before a joint session of Congress. In his speech, he set forth his vision for what he expects to accomplish in the next 40 days and beyond.… Continue Reading
Welcome to 2017. The 115th Congress convened on Tuesday, 3 January. U.S. businessman Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 45th President of the United States on Friday, January 20. Trump Transition News. President-Elect Trump continues to announce senior officials who will serve as part of his Administration. The Trump Transition Team noted at … Continue Reading
Both chambers of the U.S. Congress recessed last week after passing a Continuing Resolution to fund the U.S. Government until April. The 114th Congress stands adjourned for the year. The 115th Congress will convene on Tuesday, 3 January 2017. China – Trump’s Call with Taiwan. In an interview that aired on Sunday, President-Elect Donald Trump … Continue Reading
U.S. businessman Donald Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination last week at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Trump called for a “new, fair trade policy that protects our jobs and stands up to countries that cheat.” He also said that he would “make individual deals with individual countries. … Continue Reading
TPP – ITC Report Released. Late Wednesday afternoon, the ITC released its report on the effects of the proposed TPP on the U.S. economy. The nearly 800-page report examines specific industry sectors in the United States and seeks to ascertain which would benefit or suffer from the deal. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman immediately issued … Continue Reading
TPP Developments – Prospects for Congressional Action Dim. The hostile political environment toward trade continues to dim the prospects that Congress would likely move this year on a bill to implement the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Both leading presidential candidates – Mr. Trump and Secretary Clinton – have stated their opposition to the TPP deal. Secretary … Continue Reading
Global Steel Crisis Examined. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker co-chaired a two-day hearing last week on the global steel crisis, where U.S. lawmakers called for a better way to prevent foreign suppliers from flooding the U.S. market with subsidized steel. While chairing the first day, Ambassador Froman stated that the … Continue Reading
TPP Deal – Text Eagerly Awaited. US Trade Representative Michael Froman said this week that the Obama Administration will work with congressional leadership on a yet-to-be-determined timetable for consideration of the final Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest suggested the Obama Administration is taking into consideration the timeline to ensure a … Continue Reading
Following the conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, President Obama has committed to working with Congress to secure support for TPP, saying today: Once negotiators have finalized the text of this partnership, Congress and the American people will have months to read every word before I sign it. I look forward to working with lawmakers … Continue Reading
After multiple extensions of negotiations in Atlanta, Georgia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Ministerial Meeting concluded early Monday morning with the announcement of a final deal. TPP negotiators spent Saturday into Monday morning hashing out final compromises on biologics exclusivity, dairy market access, sensitive products, investor-state dispute settlement, and other last-minute issues. The deal culminates negotiations … Continue Reading
