The EU is again postponing implementation of its new deforestation reporting requirements, proposing a one-year delay because its IT system isn't ready to handle all the transactions for products covered by the regulation, Environment Commissioner Jessika Roswall told the European Parliament Sept. 23.

Olof Gill, a spokesman for the European Commission, told reporters in Brussels that the top trade negotiator for the EU, Maros Sefcovic, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were meeting Sept. 25 to talk about the EU's proposal to allow historical levels of steel exports under a tariff rate quota system. Such a system was in place during the Biden administration.

Wendy Cutler, a former career negotiator with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and chief negotiator for the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement, said that South Korea may not want to lower its 25% reciprocal tariff to 15% if the price is $350 billion for U.S. investments. Cutler was speaking on a podcast hosted by the Washington International Trade Association on Sept. 26.

Global trade stakeholders must adopt a posture of trade facilitation where companies inform their governments on how to produce regulations that make it easier for companies to trade, according to Valerie Picard, head of trade for the International Chamber of Commerce, who spoke on a trade webinar last week hosted by vessel operator and logistics provider Maersk.

The Mexican government has introduced legislation to reform its customs laws, which would tighten compliance obligations, expand the use of digital tools, and increase liability for customs brokers and importers.

British news outlets reported that there was an agreement to allow a small quota of British steel to enter the U.S. duty-free, and subject the rest of steel and aluminum products to the currently applicable 25% Section 232 tariff, but that the deal was abandoned shortly before President Donald Trump's arrival in London this week.

The Indian government said that the chief negotiator from the American side for a bilateral trade agreement agreed with Indian officials "to intensify efforts to achieve early conclusion of a mutually beneficial Trade Agreement."

The World Trade Organization's Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies took effect Sept. 15 during a special General Council meeting after instruments of acceptance were received from Brazil, Kenya, Vietnam and Tonga, the WTO announced. Those acceptances brought the total number over the two-thirds threshold needed for the deal to enter into force (see 2508250013).

The president of Mexico has introduced a bill increasing tariffs on goods from countries with which it does not have a free trade agreement, including China. The measure would bring most tariffs to a rate of 35%, with some as high as 50%.

The European Parliament on Sept. 10 gave its final approval for a revised carbon border adjustment mechanism that it said will exempt 90% of European importers from the new rules. The change, first unveiled by the European Commission in a May proposal (see 2505230008 and 2506180053), aims to “reduce the administrative burden” for smaller and mid-sized European companies, or those that are “occasional importers,” the Parliament said.