The Mexico Institute asked whether it was a mistake for Mexico's president to visit President Donald Trump four months ahead of Election Day, particularly since Trump has been so hostile to Mexican immigrants.
The Trump administration issued an advisory for companies doing business with China’s Xinjiang region, which could expose companies to sanctions, export controls and forced labor risks. In a 19-page guidance issued July 1, the departments of State, Commerce, the Treasury and Homeland Security describe supply chain risks and possible sanctions exposure for companies trading with the region, and includes suggested due diligence practices. The guidance comes less than a month after President Donald Trump authorized sanctions against Chinese officials for human rights violations against the country’s Uighur population in the Xinjiang region (see 2006170064).
The U.S. may add new tariffs on cars from the European Union unless the EU ends tariffs on U.S. lobsters, President Donald Trump said while speaking in Maine June 5. “European Union charges us a tariff; they don’t charge Canada a tariff,” Trump said. “This is for the press: So Canada doesn’t pay a tariff for the same exact lobster in the same waters, but we pay a tariff. If European Union doesn’t drop that tariff immediately, we’re going to put a tariff on their cars, which will be equivalent -- coming in -- come in for nothing, which is ridiculous.” Trump said White House adviser Peter Navarro would be in “charge of that one.” Navarro will “be the lobster king now,” Trump joked.
President Donald Trump issued an executive order May 19 to provide “regulatory relief” for companies during the COVID-19 pandemic, stressing that agencies should be fair when issuing enforcement decisions. Government agencies should modify, waive or provide exemptions for any regulations “that may inhibit economic recovery,” the order states, adding that agencies should abide by “principles of fairness.” The order emphasizes that agencies “bear the burden” of proving alleged violations of regulations and says enforcement actions should be “prompt and fair.” Penalties for violations should be “proportionate” and transparent, the order says, and liability for violations should be imposed “only for violations of statutes or duly issued regulations” with an opportunity for the penalized party to respond. “Agencies must be accountable for their administrative enforcement decisions,” the order says. The order says it does not apply to national security or homeland security functions of the U.S., except for “procurement actions and actions involving the import or export of non-defense articles and services.”
The Trump administration continues to seek some major changes to the Section 321 provisions that allow for streamlined customs processing for low-value shipments, said Megan Costello, a lobbyist with Sorini, Samet and Associates. Some in the administration want a total removal of the benefit, while others only want to make sure low-value shipments are subject to Section 301 tariffs, she said. Costello gave a presentation as part of the National Association of Foreign-Trade Zones virtual conference on May 13. An administration official said in April the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative was looking at how it can address some issues with the provisions (see 2004290052)
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on May 15 that establishes a task force focused on forced labor issues under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “The Task Force shall be chaired by the Secretary of Homeland Security and shall be composed of representatives from the Department of State, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative,” it said. “The Chair may invite representatives from other executive departments or agencies, as appropriate, to participate as members or observers.” House Democrats recently complained that the task forced hadn't been created by the required April 28 deadline (see 2005120035).
When asked if he is satisfied with China's follow-through on phase one trade deal promises, President Donald Trump said May 6, “I will be able to report on that at the end of next week. They're buying a lot of farm product, but are they buying to the level that they were supposed to? You know, they were going to buy 50 billion dollars' worth. The most they ever did was 15 or 16, and now they're going to 50.” He said he would be able to report on purchases from many other industries in a week or two, as well. He declined to answer a question about whether he would use tariffs to punish China for its handling of the novel coronavirus outbreak, saying, “We're in the midst of some very big things, so I just don’t want to talk about that now.”
During a Fox News town hall held at the Lincoln Memorial May 3, President Donald Trump was asked if he would hike tariffs on Chinese goods as a punishment for its role in the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. “Well, it's the ultimate punishment, I will tell you that,” Trump said. He said he didn't want to say “because, you know, we're all playing a very complicated game of chess or poker. Name whatever you want to name, but it's not checkers -- that, I can tell you. We have a very complicated game going.”
On a day that news broke that the U.S. is considering punishing China for the way it handled the novel coronavirus outbreak by not honoring U.S. bonds held by that country, President Donald Trump said that idea is off the table, but that tariffs could accomplish the same goal. “Well, I can do it differently. I can do the same thing, but even for more money, just by putting on tariffs. So, I don't have to do that,” Trump told reporters April 30, according to a story from Reuters.
A former White House economic adviser said he's “very worried” about the possibility of an executive order that would expand Buy American rules to pharmaceutical purchases by the Veterans Administration or other government agencies. Currently, there is a waiver for federal procurement if supply is not available or if it would be much more expensive; in order for this to drive pharmaceutical production or medical device production to the U.S., that loophole would have to be closed.