U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that she and World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala talked about how to "break the deadlock" on intellectual property issues at the WTO so that as many people as possible can get effective vaccines "as fast as possible." The readout, which said Deputy USTR and Chief of Mission, Geneva, Maria Pagan, and Deputy Director-General Angela Ellard were also in the meeting, said that Tai is continuing to engage with members of Congress and stakeholders. Congress is divided on the question of relaxing IP for coronavirus, with many Republicans saying a permissive trade-related intellectual property rights [TRIPS] waiver would undermine the medical research that brought vaccines to market in record time.
The EU is aiming for a sixth sanctions package next month, European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told reporters in Washington, but there is still not unanimity among the 27 countries on how to treat Russian oil and on what to do about Sberbank.
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The U.S. should redouble efforts to control emerging and foundational technologies, establish a new outbound investment screening regime and create a new multilateral export control forum with close allies, said Emily Kilcrease, an economic statecraft expert with the Center for a New American Security. A new multilateral regime could be challenging to stand up, Kilcrease said, but is “imperative” to prevent proliferation of sensitive technologies to adversaries, including China and Russia.
A dozen members of the House of Representatives are asking U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai to change the administration's strategy on the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework to move it closer to a traditional trade agreement, including asking partners to lower tariffs for U.S. exports (see 2204120058). The April 12 letter, led by Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Carol Miller, R-W.Va., also was signed by the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, Rep. Adrian Smith, R-Neb.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is accepting nominations for members to serve on any of 15 Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) for a new four-year “charter term” ending in February 2026, the agency said in a notice. ITACs, under a program run jointly by USTR and the Commerce Department, “provide detailed policy and technical advice, information, and recommendations” on trade barriers, negotiation of trade agreements and the implementation of existing trade agreements affecting industry sectors,” the notice says. ITACs also “perform other advisory functions relevant to U.S. trade policy matters,” it says. There’s no deadline for applications, as the program “will accept nominations throughout the charter term,” it says.
Eight members of the House, led by Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., are asking the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to continue to push Canada to reform its dairy tariff rate quota system so that it fulfills USMCA commitments to open its market to a wide variety of dairy products.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking applications from people interested in serving on the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade. Nominations for a four-year term should be submitted by May 4.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said it would be good if the House and Senate could name their respective conferees to the committee that will aim to hash out a compromise between the two chambers' China packages. He said the next two weeks, when Congress will not be in Washington, could be put to good use by the members. But Hoyer suggested the House will wait until the Senate passes its motion to go to conference, and gives its negotiating instructions.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released its 2022 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, detailing the most significant foreign market access issues facing U.S. exporters. The report examines a range of import policies, tariffs, customs procedures and phytosanitary measures that are restricting U.S. goods, including China’s new “opaque and burdensome” facility registration requirements.