In a hearing on the nominations for the chief agricultural negotiator and the deputy U.S. trade representative responsible for Africa, the Western Hemisphere and Europe, senators from both parties criticized the decision to import Argentinian beef and complained about foreign non-tariff barriers in agriculture.
President Donald Trump declined to put a new date on when immigration/fentanyl tariffs of 25% on Mexico would go up to 30%. Back on July 31, he said they would keep tariffs at the same rate through Oct. 29, as the two sides spoke about Mexico ending its non-tariff trade barriers.
A majority of senators voted to end the emergency underpinning an additional 40% tariff on the majority of Brazilian goods, with four Republicans joining the entire Democratic caucus.
President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew in Asia, said he expects that the 20% tranche of tariffs on China, levied due to China's lack of action to crack down on fentanyl trafficking, will be lowered after he meets with President Xi Jinping in South Korea.
South Korea's government said it has agreed to the details of a trade deal that lowers tariffs on goods outside the Section 232 actions to 15%, all-inclusive, and applies that rate to autos manufactured in Korea, too.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., cheered the trade deals that leave 19% tariffs in place on Cambodian and Malaysian goods, while those countries lower their tariffs.
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More Republicans will vote to roll back fentanyl tariffs on Canada, lead sponsor Sen. Tim Kaine predicted the evening of Oct. 28, ahead of a vote on the Brazil emergency underpinning additional 40% tariffs on the majority of Brazilian exports.
A group of 36 senators and 171 representatives filed an amicus brief last week at the Supreme Court, challenging President Donald Trump's ability to impose tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. All the signatories were members of the Democratic Party, save for Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska (Donald J. Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, U.S. 25-250) (Learning Resources v. Donald J. Trump, U.S. 24-1287).
President Donald Trump told reporters Oct. 27 that he had a good meeting with Brazil's president while he was in Malaysia. "We'll see what happens. I don't know if anything's gonna happen, but we'll see. They'd like to do a deal. We'll see. Right now they're paying, I guess, a 50% tariff. But we had a great meeting."