Angela Ellard, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, has joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies as a nonresident senior adviser with its Economic Security and Technology Department, the think tank announced Dec. 15. Ellard joined WTO as deputy director-general in 2021 after serving as chief trade counsel for the House Committee on Ways and Means.
The U.S. ambassador to the World Trade Organization published a blunt response to reform discussions, arguing that the underpinning of the WTO -- that all countries should receive the same tariff rate, unless there is a comprehensive free-trade agreement between them -- was naive, "and that era has passed."
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer signaled that the Trump administration is preparing a broad overhaul of key parts of the USMCA, focusing on changing non-automobile rules of origin to incentivize U.S. production.
EU ministers and Parliament members this week urged the bloc to respond forcefully to China’s rare earth export restrictions if Beijing doesn’t repeal them or swiftly grant export licenses to European companies. Some also said they’re skeptical Beijing’s one-year suspension for some of its export controls will last.
Reps. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., and Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., introduced a bill this week to require country of origin labeling (COOL) for beef, so that cattle must be both raised and processed in the U.S. to be labeled "Product of USA."
The World Customs Organization recently announced that it will consider a new explanatory note on the meaning of “price actually paid or payable” for the purposes of customs valuation using transaction value. The proposed explanatory note includes information on forms of payment, direct and indirect payments, adjustments, considerations based on decisions of the WTO Committee on Customs Valuation, and deductions, “such as payments not related to the goods and post-importation charges.” The note “will be submitted for approval to the WCO Council at its June 2026 Sessions,” the WCO said.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in a taped address to the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity held Oct. 10, said that his country "has taken effective actions" to address excess steel capacity, by imposing tariffs on direct and indirect steel imports from countries with overcapacity.
Joseph Barloon was confirmed to be the ambassador to the World Trade Organization in a 51-47 Senate vote Oct. 7. He was one of 108 nominees approved in that single vote. Barloon was first nominated in February. Barloon served as general counsel to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in 2019 and 2020. He had previously been nominated for the Court of International Trade, but since the nomination was 17 days before Trump left office, the nomination did not proceed.
The Commerce Department released its shutdown contingency plan on Sept. 29, which stated that only 60 out of 1,272 International Trade Association employees are excepted from furlough as "most services and activities" of the agency will cease, though the Bureau of Industry and Security's work on Section 232 investigations will continue.
The World Trade Organization's Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies took effect Sept. 15 during a special General Council meeting after instruments of acceptance were received from Brazil, Kenya, Vietnam and Tonga, the WTO announced. Those acceptances brought the total number over the two-thirds threshold needed for the deal to enter into force (see 2508250013).