A call between U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU's top trade official, covered what the U.S. characterizes as "supply chain vulnerabilities," but the EU and U.S. readouts of the Sept. 1 call characterized the discussion differently.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi said she and South Korea's deputy trade minister discussed South Korea's concerns about the restrictions on tax credits for electric vehicles that are in the Inflation Reduction Act, "and agreed the two sides would keep in close contact on this issue over the coming weeks." The meeting was Aug. 30. The EU also has complained that only cars assembled in the U.S. will qualify, and has threatened to bring a case at the World Trade Organization (see 2208110052). As a country with a free-trade agreement with the U.S., South Korea could benefit from the conditions around critical minerals (see 2208040045), but South Korean firms, like all advanced battery manufacturers, are heavily reliant on Chinese inputs.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai had a first video call with Japan's new trade minister, Nishimura Yasutoshi, ahead of an in-person meeting next week. "Ambassador Tai and Minister Nishimura reaffirmed ongoing collaboration to address non-market policies and practices, including economic coercion, and shared commitment to respect internationally-recognized worker rights, including eradicating forced labor," USTR's readout said. This followed a lower-level series of meetings, called the U.S.-Japan Partnership on Trade, where the U.S. said they discussed regulatory transparency, standards issues that are barriers to U.S. exports of products and services, and the U.S.'s desire that Japan buy more ethanol.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking public comments on how well China is fulfilling its commitments to the World Trade Organization. There will be no public hearing due to COVID-19, but the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee will facilitate public participation via written questions and written responses. Written comments are due at www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2022-0012, by Sept. 28 at 11:59 pm EDT. Government officials will pose written questions to commenters in October, and the original writers will have until Oct. 26 at 11:59 pm EDT to respond.

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White emphasized the importance of Mexico blocking the import of goods made with forced labor, the importance of a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process for agricultural biotechnology, implementation of labor reform and the importance of hearing from stakeholders as new regulations are developed, according to a readout of his Aug. 23 meeting with Mexico's Under Secretary for Foreign Trade, Luz Maria de la Mora. The Mexican government didn't release a readout of what was discussed during the video call.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments on Russia's implementation of its World Trade Organization obligations, so it can prepare its annual report to Congress on the subject. Written comments and requests to testify at a virtual public hearing are due by Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. EDT; the virtual hearing will be held Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. EDT. Comments can be submitted via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2022-0011.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will meet with top government officials from countries participating in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Sept. 8 in Los Angeles, USTR announced. This will be the first in-person meeting since the IPEF was launched. The ministers will talk about trade; supply chains; clean energy, decarbonization, and infrastructure; and tax and anti-corruption.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, speaking at the United Steelworkers convention, told union leaders and members explicitly that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity is not a repeat of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She said the administration learned lessons from TPP, and "[b]ecause of that, tariff elimination is not on the table."

The U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments at regulations.gov on what its officials should talk to Kenya about in the areas of:

The Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru told CBP to continue to block timber imports from Inversiones WCA E.I.R.L. (WCA), a Peruvian exporter, because a Peruvian investigation found that WCA is selling illegally harvested timber. The ban began two years ago.