In a report on how Russia is living up to its World Trade Organization commitments -- a report produced every other year for Congress -- the U.S. trade representative wrote that Russia has expanded import substitution to state-owned enterprises and private enterprises, including a ban on imported equipment.
The Office of U.S. Trade Representative asked Mexico to investigate Fujikura Automotive Mexico's factory in Piedras Negras, which it says may be blacklisting workers who were active in the union at Manufacturas VU. Manufacturas VU was the target of two rapid response labor mechanism findings under USMCA, and closed rather than implement the remediation plan that Mexico and the U.S. required it to do to maintain tariff benefits under the pact (see 2310100066).
A Mexican garment factory has successfully completed a remediation plan to resolve a rapid response complaint against its factory in the Mexican state of Aguascalientes, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said in a Dec. 11 news release. The complaint against Industrias del Interior was the first USMCA facility-specific rapid response petition filed in the garment sector, USTR said.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, in preparation for its April Special 301 Report on countries that don't provide adequate protection of intellectual property rights, is seeking comments as well as requests to testify at a Feb. 21 hearing.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Nov. 29 released country-by-country reallocations of unused FY 2024 in-quota amounts for the tariff-rate quotas for imported raw cane sugar. "Based on consultation with quota holders, the U.S. Trade Representative has determined to reallocate 223,740 [metric tons raw value (MTRV)] of the original TRQ quantity from those countries that have stated they do not plan to fill their FY 2024 allocated raw cane sugar quantities," it said. Reallocated quantities are as follows: Argentina 15,592; Australia 30,098; Belize 3,989; Bolivia 2,901; Brazil 52,581; Colombia 8,703; Costa Rica 5,439; Ecuador 3,989; El Salvador 9,428; Eswatini (Swaziland) 5,802; Guatemala 17,406; Guyana 4,352; Honduras 3,626; Jamaica 3,989; Malawi 3,626; Mauritius 4,352; Mozambique 4,714; Panama 10,516; Peru 14,868; South Africa 8,340; Thailand 5,077; and Zimbabwe 4,352.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments on a World Trade Organization complaint filed by Argentina in May. Argentina is challenging the U.S. antidumping duties on oil country tubular goods from the country, and in particular the final determination of dumping from the Commerce Department and the final injury determination by the International Trade Commission. Comments are due Dec. 22.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is inviting comments on how USMCA is working in the automotive goods arena, "including the implementation and enforcement of the USMCA rules of origin for automotive goods" and whether the accord's automotive provisions "are effective in light of technological and production advances." Comments can be submitted through Jan. 17 in docket number USTR-2023-0013.
The U.S. has asked Mexico to investigate whether there were coercive statements that interfered with worker rights at the Autoliv Steering Wheels Mexico facility in El Marqués. The U.S. also alleges there were workers fired in retaliation for union activity, and that union organizers weren't given access to the factory.
A joint statement by the leaders of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework countries said the trade pillar has made progress, and the White House said they will continue negotiations "to facilitate trade, advance workers’ rights through strong and enforceable labor standards, strengthen environmental protections, align our regulatory procedures, promote a fair and inclusive digital economy, deepen our technical assistance and economic cooperation, and advance inclusivity in our trade policy."
U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said she discussed the next steps for negotiations on the global arrangement on steel and aluminum with her EU counterpart, Valdis Dombrovskis, and said she updated France's Foreign Trade Minister Olivier Becht on the negotiations. Her Oct. 28 readout of the meeting with Becht said she "noted the importance of both sides continuing to work together in a productive manner over the next several months. She reiterated the United States’ commitment to remain at the negotiating table in order to reach a meaningful outcome."