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).
A new provision in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement’s rules of origin for automobiles should prevent automobile manufacturers from having to segregate parts on the production line and also make origin calculations less burdensome, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee in one of a series of written answers to questions the committee posed to him at a June 18 hearing. Under the renegotiated NAFTA, called USMCA, certain “core parts” listed in Column 1 of Table A.2 must be originating for a vehicle to be originating, but Article 3.9 permits producers to bundle the parts under Column 1 together as a “super core” part when calculating the value of non-originating material (VNM) for origin purposes. “Many vehicle producers do not segregate core parts when producing vehicles, but use or bundle them within different modules along the production line,” USTR said. “The ‘super core’ calculation allows such producers to meet the core parts requirement without having to segregate each of the parts and do separate, burdensome calculations. The super core calculation incentivizes U.S. producers to use more originating content and maintains their competitiveness without accruing any possible efficiency losses from having to segregate core parts,” the agency said.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin traveled to Shanghai for July 30 and 31 talks on a comprehensive U.S.-China trade deal, the White House said July 30. Vice Premier Liu He and Commerce Minister Zhong Shan led the Chinese delegation, it said. “The two sides discussed topics such as forced technology transfer, intellectual property rights, services, non-tariff barriers, and agriculture.” The Chinese “confirmed their commitment to increase purchases” of U.S. agricultural exports, it said. “The meetings were constructive, and we expect negotiations on an enforceable trade deal to continue” in Washington in early September, it said. The Shanghai meetings were the 12th round of negotiations that started in December, and were the first face-to-face talks between the sides since the negotiations broke down in May over Trump administration allegations that the Chinese reneged on previously agreed-to commitments. Overhanging the talks is the threat that the administration could put the List 4 Section 301 tariffs into effect at any time on virtually all Chinese goods not previously dutied.