On September 1, the Office of the US Trade Representative, working with the Departments of Commerce (DOC) and of Agriculture (USDA), announced a number of actions aimed at supporting domestic producers of seasonal/perishable produce. Their plans – which include new trade actions targeting certain fruit and vegetable imports – could have widespread impacts on produce … Continue Reading
Despite the Congressional recess and continued focus on COVID-19 economic relief, Trump officials announced several major trade actions over the last week that could impact global trade and supply chains. Here is a quick round-up of recent developments and what may be coming next.… Continue Reading
On Tuesday, August 11, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) is scheduled to publish a notice in the Federal Register that could end the ability of manufacturers based in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (“Hong Kong”) of the People’s Republic of China (“China”) to avoid the tariffs imposed on Chinese products by the Trump … Continue Reading
On June 2, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that it would be initiating new Section 301 investigations examining digital services taxes (DSTs) adopted or under consideration by Austria, Brazil, the Czech Republic, the European Union, India, Indonesia, Italy, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom. USTR is requesting comments to inform their … Continue Reading
On February 10, 2020, US President Donald Trump unveiled his Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Budget Request, detailing the administration’s policy and programming priorities for the coming year. The President’s proposal continues themes raised in past years, including prioritizing foreign assistance for US allies, such as those in the Indo-Pacific and African regions, and prioritizing strong … Continue Reading
In October, the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the US had won the largest arbitration award in the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) history, in its dispute with the EU over illegal subsidies to Airbus. The decision awarded US$7.5 billion, which is nearly twice the next largest award. The arbitrator calculated the amount of the award based on WTO findings … Continue Reading
On June 24, 2019, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) officially announced a product exclusion process for List 3 of the Section 301 tariffs, which imposes 25% tax on US$200 billion worth of products from China. … Continue Reading
Since taking office in January 2017, President Trump has made use of several provisions of US law – including Section 301, targeting unfair trade practices, and Section 232, targeting threats to national security – to bring trading partners to the negotiating table. Major developments over the last two weeks could impact global supply chains across a wide range … Continue Reading
The US-China trade war heated up a few more degrees in the last few days. Over the past week, the bilateral talks stumbled and actions and reciprocal actions were taken by the US and China, respectively. … Continue Reading
UPDATE: On April 17, 2019, the European Commission launched a public consultation period on a preliminary list of products from the US to be considered for countermeasures in its own separate case against the US.… Continue Reading
On March 4, 2019, the Trump Administration announced Turkey and India will be terminated from the US Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program, which allows developing countries to export goods to the US without paying duties.… Continue Reading
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed a series of documents under his executive authorities on topics ranging from trade to national security to immigration, including on “extreme vetting” of persons from select Arab countries and establishing an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) also … 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
Excess Steel Capacity – Global Forum Launched. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman issued a statement welcoming the formal launch of a global forum to address excess steel capacity on 16 December, saying: By establishing this forum, the United States and our trading partners have demonstrated a resolve to address … Continue Reading
Cuba – Fidel Castro Passes Away. In the statement released on 26 November, President Barack Obama said of the former Cuban leader: [W]e extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans – in Cuba and in the United States – with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways … Continue Reading
The U.S. House of Representatives will reconvene on Monday, 14 November, and the U.S. Senate the following day. TPP – Administration Still Stumping. In a call on 3 November, Ambassador Froman reiterated the Obama Administration is still aiming for a lame-duck congressional vote on the TPP deal, but he did not offer any details on … Continue Reading
TPP – Opposition Remains Strong. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) stated last week that the U.S. Senate will not vote on TPP’s implementing legislation during lame-duck session of Congress as many – including the Obama Administration – had hoped, saying: The current agreement, the Trans-Pacific agreement, which has some serious flaws, will not be … 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
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
Global Steel Crisis. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and the Commerce Department will hold a joint hearing on 12 April that will focus on global steel overcapacity, just ahead of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) steel committee meeting next week on the same topic. TPP Developments – Trying to … Continue Reading
U.S. Treasury Secretary Defends U.S. Sanctions. In a speech at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on 30 March, Treasury Secretary Lew defended the United States’ use of sanctions, noting they add “concentrated and meaningful pressure on governments abusing their own populations.” While acknowledging sanctions are a tool not to be used lightly, Secretary Lew … Continue Reading
President Barack Obama issued a new Executive Order and restrictions related to North Korea, while the Administration eased some U.S. sanctions against Cuba last week. The President and his family traveled to Cuba on Sunday and will stop in Argentina later in the week. The White House announced early last week that South Africa had … Continue Reading
Congress reconvened last Monday after a week-long recess for the US Thanksgiving holiday. There are several priority – or “must pass” – bills facing lawmakers. Only a limited number of legislative working days, however, remain before the first session of the 114th Congress concludes, which is expected to be no later than 18 December 2015.… Continue Reading
TPP Text Release Delayed, While the Obama Administration Strongly Advocates for the Deal. On Thursday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack sought to explain the delay around publicly releasing the final text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), attributing it to the Canadian election. Reports around Washington indicate the release of the text is weeks away. At a … Continue Reading
