The U.S. is dropping 10 percentage points of the 20% fentanyl tariff on China, and is also lifting port fees on Chinese commercial ships, after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in South Korea.
In a hearing on the nominations for the chief agricultural negotiator and the deputy U.S. trade representative responsible for Africa, the Western Hemisphere and Europe, senators from both parties criticized the decision to import Argentinian beef and complained about foreign non-tariff barriers in agriculture.
A majority of senators voted to end the emergency underpinning an additional 40% tariff on the majority of Brazilian goods, with four Republicans joining the entire Democratic caucus.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew in Asia, said he expects that the 20% tranche of tariffs on China, levied due to China's lack of action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, will be lowered after he meets with President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
South Korea's government said it has agreed to the details of a trade deal that lowers tariffs on goods outside the Section 232 actions to 15%, all-inclusive, and applies that rate to autos manufactured in Korea, too.
More Republicans will vote to roll back fentanyl tariffs on Canada, lead sponsor Sen. Tim Kaine predicted the evening of Oct. 28, ahead of a vote on the Brazil emergency underpinning additional 40% tariffs on the majority of Brazilian exports.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there's no hang-up preventing the South Korean trade framework from moving to a signed deal, "just a lot of details to work out. It's a very complicated deal, and I think we're very close." However, he told reporters on Air Force One on Oct. 27 that he didn't think it would be done by Oct. 29, when the president lands in Korea.
The U.S. released an outline of an agreed-to deal with Vietnam, but said it will be finalized "in coming weeks."
The U.S. and Thailand issued a joint statement on a trade framework over the weekend, which says Thailand will eliminate tariff barriers on about 99% of U.S. exports, while the U.S. will exclude some products from the Sept. 5 Annex III (see 2509050073) to spare them from 19% reciprocal tariffs. Those goods will still be subject to most-favored nation duties, and the 19% is added to MFN, as well. The final agreement will be negotiated over coming weeks, the statement says.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in an appearance on "Meet the Press," evaded a question about the scope and timing of threatened additional 10% tariffs on Canadian goods.