The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is creating a new online portal for comments on the Section 301 retaliatory tariffs imposed on products of the European Union in connection with the World Trade Organization dispute on Airbus subsidies, it said in a notice. USTR is required to revise the tariffs every 180 days “unless certain conditions are met,” and received nearly 26,000 comments prior to its last round of revisions. USTR’s notice seeks emergency clearance from the Office of Management and Budget to create the portal. The next round of revisions is due Aug. 12, and USTR anticipates that it would begin accepting comments via the new portal on June 23, it said.
Outsourcing wasn't about competitive advantage, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said during an interview with conservative lobbyist Matt Schlapp, in a video branded Conservative Political Action Conference/Live. He said that while the Trump administration believes in competitive advantage, classic economists “never thought of the notion they can create scale through economic nationalism and gain advantage over another country.”
The United States Council for International Business, in comments submitted to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, is arguing that nearly 100 tariff lines should be spared Section 301 tariffs because those imports help to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tariffs include ventilator, anesthesia, X-ray, patient monitoring, ultrasound, MRI and computer tomography systems and electrical parts used in all of those systems. But they also include general IT equipment, such as computers, monitors, printers, scanners, 3D printers and computer accessories.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will not hold public hearings on whether African Growth and Opportunity Act countries should have changes to their eligibility for the preference program, but is welcoming comments at regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2020-0020. Written comments are due June 24, and the AGOA Implementation Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee will respond with its questions by July 7. Commenters will need to respond to those questions by July 16, and other parties can also respond to the conversation. Follow-up questions from the subcommittee will come by Aug. 4, and final responses will be due Aug. 13.
Both the U.S. and China still plan to meet their commitments under the phase one trade deal despite the economic disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said. During a May 7 conference call, he, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and China’s Vice Premier Liu He agreed “good progress” is being made by both sides to “make the agreement a success,” USTR said. The officials also discussed measures being taken by the U.S. and China to support their economies during the pandemic and agreed to hold more conference calls on a “regular basis.”
The United States notified the World Trade Organization that it has fully complied with the WTO's findings in the Boeing subsidies dispute, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said May 6. The European Union and U.S. have been battling for 15 years over whose subsidies to their aircraft manufacturers distort trade. The WTO has said that both sides were in the wrong, and the U.S. currently has Section 301 tariffs on about $7.5 billion worth of European aircraft, food, apparel, linens, tools, wine and spirits in a WTO-sanctioned retaliation for past Airbus subsidies.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will accept comments on whether various kinds of rice should be removed from the list of products under the Generalized System of Preferences benefits program, and whether roses should be added. Comments are due May 27. Instead of an in-person hearing, due to the COVID-19 prevention guidelines the GSP Subcommittee of the Trade Policy Staff Committee instead will respond to petitioners and commenters with any questions, and they will have time to reply to the subcommittee.
The U.S. officially announced the launch of the first round of trade negotiations with the United Kingdom (see 2005040034) on May 5, saying nearly 30 negotiating groups will discuss trade terms over the next two weeks. The first round of virtual talks will be followed by more rounds every six weeks until international travel is safe, the U.K.’s Department for International Trade said. Both sides said they are seeking an “ambitious agreement” and plan to negotiate quickly. “We will undertake negotiations at an accelerated pace,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is requesting comments on whether 11 sets of tariff exclusions granted to Chinese imports on Section 301 List 3 that are set to expire Aug. 7, 2020, should last another year, it said in a notice. The exclusions being considered for extensions are all the List 3 exclusions granted through March 26, it said. The agency will start accepting comments on the extensions on May 1. The comments are due by June 8, it said. Each exclusion will be evaluated independently. The focus of the evaluation will be whether, despite the first imposition of these additional duties in September 2018, the particular product remains available only from China. The companies are required to post a public rationale.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is requesting comments on whether the set of tariff exclusions on Chinese imports on Section 301 List 1 that are set to expire July 9 (see 1907080023) should last another year, it said in a notice. The agency will start accepting comments on the extensions on May 1. The comments are due by June 1, it said. Each exclusion will be evaluated independently. The focus of the evaluation will be whether, despite the first imposition of these additional duties in July 2018, the particular product remains available only from China. The companies are required to post a public rationale.