Mexico said it disagrees with the U.S. government allegation that Grupo Yakazi, an auto parts factory in Guanajuato, was violating the rights of its workers. The U.S. filed the complaint in early August (see 2308070065); the Mexican Economy Secretary announced on Aug. 18 it is rejecting the complaint.

The U.S. has initiated the formation of a dispute settlement panel over Mexico's decree to not allow biotech corn for tortillas and directive to the administration to gradually substitute genetically modified corn in processed foods and in animal feed.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is soliciting comments on China's compliance with its World Trade Organization obligations. Comments and requests to testify at an Oct. 4 public hearing are due by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 20. The hearing begins at 9:30 a.m. Comments may be submitted at regulations.gov using Docket Number USTR–2023-0008.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White said that during his meeting with Mexico's undersecretary of economy for foreign trade, Alejandro Encinas, he "underscored the need to address the recent surge of Mexican steel and aluminum exports to the United States in accordance with the 2019 Joint Statement by the United States and Mexico on Section 232 Duties on Steel and Aluminum, and ensuring greater transparency with regard to Mexico’s steel and aluminum imports from third countries."

The fifth negotiating round for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework will be held Sept. 10-16 in Thailand, the administration announced Aug. 10. The supply chains chapter is complete, but negotiators will be talking about trade issues, the green transition and anticorruption matters. The U.S. delegation is led by Sharon Yuan, a counselor at Commerce, and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Ellerman, whose portfolio is Southeast Asia and the Pacific.

Mexico and the U.S. announced remediation for labor rights violations at the Industrias del Interior (INISA) garment factory, in which the company will publicly state it's neutral on workers' union choices, and will not attempt to influence their views on unions "in any way."

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is requesting comments on how Russia is complying with its World Trade Organization commitments, including in its import regulation, export regulation, subsidies, non-tariff barriers, intellectual property rights enforcement, rule of law issues, and trade facilitation, or other issues.

More than 230 environmental groups sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai asking her to seek climate peace clauses as she talks with the EU, countries participating in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework and countries in the Americas Partnership for Economic Prosperity.

After a complaint from Casa Obrera del Bajio, a Mexican labor organization in Guanajuato state, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is asking Mexico to review whether workers at the Grupo Yakazi factory there were denied rights to freedom of association because of irregularities during the workers' vote in March on whether to retain the union that had been representing them.

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative senior advisers Jamila Thompson and Beth Baltzan and special counsel Victor Ban said during a recent trip to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho that workers they heard from want the office to increase the use of enforcement tools in the USMCA.