Two Trump appointees, along with the three liberal justices, had sharp questions for the Trump administration's advocate as the Supreme Court held a nearly three-hour hearing on the constitutionality of tariffs imposed around the world under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
More than 100 House Democrats asked the U.S. trade representative to make significant changes to USMCA as part of its six-year review, arguing that imports from Mexico and Canada are undermining U.S. autoworkers, steelworkers, aerospace workers and farmers.
As the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative considers whether the U.S. wants to continue the USMCA, it will evaluate more than 1,500 comments from farmers, manufacturers, retailers, civic society and broad business interests that operate in all three countries.
The U.S. will drop tariffs on Chinese goods by 10 percentage points on Nov. 10, and also will stop collecting ship-docking fees under the Section 301 action on shipbuilding on that date, the administration announced over the weekend. The fees are suspended for one year.
Asia Society think tank experts, in an analysis of President Donald Trump's visit in Malaysia, Japan and Korea, called the trip very successful.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said that whether the deal that was just signed with China is a one-year de-escalation, or more, "is in China's hands to some degree." He called the period a confidence-building step, but that if China doesn't do as it promised, then the U.S. has other options.
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith has added his voice to the chorus of Republicans pushing back on President Donald Trump's plan to increase Argentinian beef imports, in the aim of lowering beef prices on grocery store shelves.
President Donald Trump, after talking with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Korea, told reporters that he will be lowering tariffs on Chinese goods by 10%, because China is going to crack down on fentanyl trafficking. A reporter on Air Force One asked about the fees that Chinese ships must pay when they arrive at U.S. ports, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said those fees will be postponed while the two sides negotiate over what the U.S. calls market-distorting subsidies in the shipbuilding sector. In the 100-minute meeting, China also said it would delay an export licensing scheme for rare earth materials.
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.
The U.S. released an outline of an agreed-to deal with Vietnam, but said it will be finalized "in coming weeks."