The fourth round of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) concluded in South Korea last week, and the Commerce Department and Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said the countries' delegations "continued to make progress" toward the trade, clean economy and fair economy pillars, and advanced the legal review of the supply chain pillar.
Canada and Mexico talked about the panel ruling on auto rules of origin -- a decision that went their way but that the U.S. has chosen not to implement -- and Canada brought up the issue with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai as well, according to readouts from Mexico and Canada about the bilateral meetings July 6 ahead of the official Free Trade Commission meeting in Cancun, Mexico.
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Deputy USTR Jayme White headed to Cancun, Mexico, to meet with Mexican Economy Secretary Raquel Buenrostro and Canada's trade minister, Mary Ng, ahead of the official USMCA Free Trade Commission meeting on July 6.
The Labor Council of the USMCA discussed several topics, including "key labor policies on violence and discrimination in the workplace," as well as "cooperation and technical assistance projects," and "implementation of the USMCA’s provision related to imports produced with forced labor," at a meeting June 28-29 in Mexico City. The meeting included government representatives who oversee labor issues from all three member countries. The council also discussed "the USMCA’s Labor Chapter implementation and conferred on further opportunities to collaborate on labor priorities as a North America Region," the joint statement from the meeting said. This was the Labor Council's second meeting, after the first took place in June 29, 2021 (see 2106300043).
The U.S. and India announced a deal June 22 that will end India’s retaliatory tariffs on some U.S. goods while leaving in place the Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs that prompted them, and also end six World Trade Organization disputes brought by both the U.S. and India.
The U.S. invoked the rapid response labor mechanism for a lead, zinc and cooper mine owned by Grupo Mexico, the second time the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has used the USMCA tool outside the auto parts sector.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments for the North American Competitiveness Committee, it said in a Federal Registernotice. The focus areas include "expanding trilateral cooperation" on North American Workforce development issues, "establishing mechanisms for cooperation during emergency situations that affect North American trade flows, including by establishing a joint understanding of critical infrastructure priorities in North America," and any other "additional workstreams," USTR said. Comments are due July 17.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is asking for comments on how to make sure trade benefits "underserved and marginalized communities" in the U.S., and how trade benefits marginalized communities in foreign countries that export to the U.S.
The U.S. is asking Mexico to review whether an Industrias del Interior (INISA) garment factory near Aguascalientes is coercing workers by favoring workers who support the company's collective bargaining agreement and disciplining -- and dismissing -- workers if they support the union Sindicato de Industrias del Interior. The administration made the announcement June 12. It is the first complaint not in the auto sector.