The U.S. and Japan agreed to a trade deal that will see Japan buy more U.S. agricultural goods, including beef, pork, dairy and corn, the countries announced during the G-7 summit in France.
China Criticizes US Restrictions on Huawei, Plans to Make Unreliable Entity List Announcement 'Soon'
China’s Ministry of Commerce repeated claims that it will retaliate against higher U.S. tariffs, said it opposed new U.S. measures against Huawei and plans to make an announcement involving its so-called unreliable entity list “soon,” spokesman Gao Feng said at an Aug. 22 press conference, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript from the briefing.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer expects Canada's Parliament to continue progress on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement in the fall following October elections, he said in recently posted written responses to House Ways and Means Committee members following a June 19 hearing (see 1906190062). "The Trudeau government has begun necessary steps to ratify the USMCA in its Parliament and has stated that it plans to move forward on implementation in tandem with the United States," he said. "The Canadian Parliament has adjourned for the summer and is not expected to return before federal elections are held on October 21, 2019. We anticipate that Canada will take up the legislation once a new government is seated later this fall, and we are confident that the Parliament will vote in favor of the Agreement."
In preparation for a public hearing on China's compliance with its World Trade Organization commitments, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments at regulations,gov, docket number is USTR-2019-0010. Comments and requests to testify are due by midnight EDT Sept. 18, The hearing will be held Oct. 2 by the interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee at 1724 F Street NW, Washington, D.C., beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments to inform its annual congressional report on Russia’s implementation of obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization, the USTR said in a notice the Aug. 14 Federal Register. The interagency Trade Policy Staff Committee, chaired by the USTR, will hold a public hearing on Oct. 8. Written comments and requests to speak at the hearing are due Sept. 27.
The Commercial Customs Operations Advisory Committee appears to be among the advisory committees that aren't eligible for elimination under a recent executive order. President Donald Trump issued an executive order in June that directed all federal departments and agencies to eliminate one-third of their current Federal Advisory Committee Act-authorized committees by Sept. 30 (see 1906170021). Committees authorized by statute aren't eligible for elimination and, according to a search on the FACA database, there are 22 trade-focused committees that are required by statute.
Stephen Vaughn, a King & Spalding lawyer and former general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, will join the advisory board to the Coalition for a Prosperous America, the group said in an Aug. 8 news release. Also new to the advisory board is real estate executive David Lynn, CPA said. According to its website, CPA "is working for a new and positive U.S. trade policy that delivers prosperity and security to America, its citizens, farms, factories and working people."
LIz Truss, the secretary of state for international trade in the United Kingdom, said her country is looking forward to "leaving the straitjacket of the EU," and said that a free trade agreement with the U.S. "is the inevitable next step." Truss, who met with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer during her visit to Washington, said they're trying to "get things moving."
The U.S. intends to cooperate on the development of the African Continental Free Trade Area, according to a joint statement signed by the African Union and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Aug. 5. "The United States and the African Union intend to jointly identify subject areas related to the ongoing negotiation and implementation of the AfCFTA as subjects for cooperation and for possible technical assistance and capacity building," they said. The U.S. wants to go beyond the African Growth and Opportunity Act, which is scheduled to expire in 2025, the statement said.
President Donald Trump held a press conference Aug. 2 at the White House with European officials and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to announce an increase in tariff-free access to U.S. hormone-free beef in the European Union. The changes to the EU's tariff rate quotas will go into effect after the European Parliament approves hem, which is expected in the fall. It was originally announced by the EU in June (see 1906140026).