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[1/3] Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis speaks at the Republican Party of Iowa's Lincoln Day Dinner in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S., July 28, 2023. China is mentioned daily at campaign stops, in digital ads and in policy speeches by the various Republican candidates. Some 50% of Americans identify China as the greatest threat to the United States, according to a Pew Research poll released in late July. On the stump, they have said the United States must stand by Ukraine. If the United States does not confront Russia, they say, China will feel emboldened.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Scott Morgan, Democratic Biden, DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, Tim Scott, Trump, Terry Sullivan, Marco Rubio's, Joe Biden, Pew, Haley, Scott, Jamieson Greer, King, Wendy Cutler, Mike Pence, Gram Slattery, David Lawder, Michael Martina, Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell Organizations: Florida Governor, Republican, Republican Party of Iowa's, REUTERS, Democratic, East, Newsweek, Justice Department, Pew Research, Trade, Spalding, U.S . Trade Representative, Trump, Heritage Foundation, Russia, China, American Enterprise Institute, Thomson Locations: Des Moines , Iowa, U.S, ROCHESTER , New Hampshire, China, United States, America, Communist China, Russia, Iran, Beijing, Washington, Ukraine

☆ US, Mexico agree on labor rights plan for Mexican Goodyear plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, July 19 (Reuters) - The United States and Mexico reached an agreement to remedy violations of workers' rights at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co (GT.O) plant in the Mexican city of San Luis Potosi, both countries said on Wednesday. The Mexican government has committed to carry out a number of measures under the agreement, the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) office said in a statement. Goodyear must also inform workers of their labor rights and respect union activity, the USTR said. Mexico will carry out periodic inspections of the plant, and if warranted, could impose sanctions on people, labor organizations or the company, the USTR said. The remediation plan comes after a petition from a Mexican independent union, which found Goodyear was offering employees fewer benefits than an industry-wide agreement required.

Persons: Goodyear, Raul Cortes, Valentine Hilaire, Kylie Madry, Brendan O'Boyle, Sonali Paul Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Goodyear Tire &, U.S . Trade, Goodyear, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, United States, Mexico, Mexican, San Luis Potosi, U.S

☆ US trade group blasts Canada for refusal to extend digital services tax freeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S.-based National Foreign Trade Council on Thursday blasted Canada for its refusal to back a global agreement to hold off on implementing digital services taxes for at least another year, and said the move could invite retaliation. NFTC President Jake Colvin said he welcomed news from the OECD that most countries with digital services taxes had agreed to extend the moratorium on implementation. He also said the move would allow countries to keep working a global tax deal in good faith. "Canada joined Belarus, Russia and a small handful of others in not joining because they seem to want to move forward quickly with their digital services tax," Colvin said. Colvin said Washington could retaliate under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if Canada went ahead and implemented the new tax.

Persons: Jake Colvin, Colvin, We're, Chrystia Freeland, Washington, Katherine Tai, Mary Ng, Andrea Shalal, Anna Driver Organizations: Foreign Trade, OECD, Canadian Finance, U.S, . Trade, Canadian Trade, Thomson Locations: U.S, Canada, Belarus, Russia, Mexico, Pakistan, Sri Lanka

[1/3] US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during her meeting with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng (out of frame) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 8, 2023. Yellen said nothing publicly to indicate that the U.S. was poised to ease tariffs, but commentators in China were hopeful, amid a U.S. Trade Representative review. "While U.S might continue its technological curbs on China, a reduction or exemption of non-core tariffs against China is possible." Yellen last year advocated eliminating some duties on "non-strategic" goods as a way to ease some specific costs amid high inflation. Haley has said she would push Congress to revoke China’s trade status until China curbs its alleged role in the fentanyl trade.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Pedro PARDO, Janet Yellen's, Biden, Harry Broadman, Donald Trump's, Premier Li Qiang, Yellen, Hong Hao, Chad Bown, " Bown, Josh Hawley, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Haley, Donald Trump, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Gram Slattery, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Nick Zieminski Organizations: China's, WASHINGTON, . Treasury, Trump, White House, World Bank, Berkeley Research, Premier, U.S . Treasury, . Trade, China's Finance, U.S, Grow Investment, Times, Peterson Institute of International Economics, Reuters, Republican, Firebrand, Thomson Locations: Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, U.S, Washington, U.s, Donald Trump's China, CHINA, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Florida, Mexico, Cuba

Summary Canadian minister Ng notes progress with Mexico over energyUSTR Tai urges Mexico to monitor steel and aluminum exports to U.S.MEXICO CITY, July 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. sees some progress made on an energy dispute with Mexico, although "deep-seated" concerns persist, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Thursday shortly before talks in Mexico with top Mexican and Canadian trade officials. The U.S. and Canada demanded dispute settlement talks over energy with Mexico in July 2022, arguing that Mexico's nationalist energy policies, which have tightened state control over the energy market, were discriminatory to U.S. companies. Canada's Ng separately noted progress with Mexico over energy issues, saying concerns from Canadian companies had been addressed. In addition to the energy spat, the U.S. and Mexico are engaged in a dispute over Mexico's decree to limit the use of genetically modified (GM) corn. Before the meeting, Tai said trade dispute settlement consultations over GM corn, which the U.S. requested in June, began with Mexico last week.

Persons: Ng, Tai, Katherine Tai, Raquel Buenrostro, of International Trade Mary Ng, Canada's Ng, Daina Beth Solomon, Cassandra Garrison, Costas Pitas, Brendan O'Boyle, Marguerita Choy, Diane Craft Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Trade, USMCA Free Trade Commission, Mexican, of International Trade, Thomson Locations: Mexico, U.S, MEXICO, Canada, American, Mexican, Cancun

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - Mexico said on Friday it would counter U.S. arguments over agriculture biotech measures, including plans to limit its use of genetically modified (GM) corn, in trade dispute settlement consultations requested by Washington earlier in the day. If the consultations fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case. The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. The new decree eliminated a deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its $5 billion worth of U.S. corn imports, but maintained a ban on GM corn used in dough or tortillas. Some sector experts have expressed concern that the move could set a precedent among other countries, which would disrupt the global corn trade.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, February's, Tom Haag, Cassandra Garrison, Adriana Barrera, Kylie Madry, Dave Graham, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler, William Mallard Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Washington, U.S, Trade Ministry, United, U.S . Trade, U.S ., Corn Growers Association, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, Mexico, Canada, U.S, Washington, United States, Mexican, Mexico City, Ottawa

MEXICO CITY, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. is escalating its conflict with Mexico over agriculture biotech measures, including the stance on genetically modified (GM) corn, by requesting dispute settlement consultations, senior officials of the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Friday. If the consultations announced on Friday fail to resolve disagreements within 75 days, Washington can request a dispute settlement panel to decide the case. The United States requested formal trade consultations in March over objections to Mexico's plans to limit imports of GM corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. Earlier this week, Mexico's agriculture minister expressed confidence in an interview that the dispute with the U.S. would not escalate to a dispute settlement panel. The new decree eliminated the deadline to ban GM corn for animal feed and industrial use, by far the bulk of its $5 billion worth of U.S. corn imports, but maintained a ban on GM corn used in dough or tortillas.

Persons: Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, Tom Vilsack, Tom Haag, Cassandra Garrison, Adriana Barrera, Ismail Shakil, Leslie Adler Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . Trade, U.S, Trade Ministry, United, Economy Ministry, Agriculture, U.S ., Corn Growers Association, Thomson Locations: MEXICO, U.S, Mexico, Canada, Washington, United States, Mexico City, Ottawa

RenovaBio is a carbon market that gives Brazilian biofuel producers an additional revenue source. Those carbon credits are sold to fuel distributors in Brazil who have targets to cut emissions, or in a secondary market at Brazil's B3 exchange. The lawmakers in a letter to the USTR complained about the implementation in Brazil in February of an import tariff of 16% on U.S. ethanol. "Brazilian ethanol producers have access to our Renewable Fuel Standard and California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard program, which recognize the inherent value of low-carbon biofuels," the letter said. "This treatment is not reciprocated by Brazil, where U.S. ethanol producers, after two years, have yet to be approved for Brazil's biofuel program."

Persons: Katherine Tai, Marcelo Teixeira, Mark Porter Organizations: YORK, U.S ., Trade, Thomson Locations: Brazil, U.S, RenovaBio

☆ Taiwan, U.S. to sign first deal under new trade framework
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TAIPEI, June 1 (Reuters) - Taiwan and the United States will sign the first deal under a new trade talks framework on Thursday, both governments said, boosting ties between the two at a time of heightened tensions with China over the democratically-governed island. Taiwan and the United States started talks under what is called the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade last August, after Washington excluded Taiwan from its larger pan-Asian trade initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. The U.S. Trade Representative's office said Deputy United States Trade Representative Sarah Bianchi would attend the event, but also did not elaborate. Last month, the two sides reached agreement on the first part of their trade initiative, covering customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small business. Beijing has denounced the trade talks as it does with all forms of high level engagement between Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory, and the United States.

Persons: Sarah Bianchi, Ben Blanchard, Jacqueline Wong, Michael Perry Organizations: U.S ., Taiwan Initiative, Century Trade, Trade Negotiations, U.S . Trade, United States Trade, Thomson Locations: TAIPEI, Taiwan, United States, China, U.S, Washington, Beijing, Taipei

☆ US review of China tariffs won't depend on trade 'breakthrough'-Deputy USTR
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

We’re not base-casing any breakthrough in the trade relationship" with China as part of the review, Bianchi said. Bianchi declined to say when the review would be completed, but added that this was "reasonable" by the end of 2023. Some trade experts in Washington view that date as a possible decision point in the tariff review. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen that eliminating "non-strategic" tariffs would reduce costs for specific goods, while Trade Representative Katherine Tai argued that the duties represent "significant leverage" over China. "On trade right now, there aren’t many similar perspectives," she said of the U.S. and China.

☆ U.S. review of China tariffs won't depend on trade 'breakthrough:' deputy U.S. trade representative
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A Chinese and US national flag hang on a fence at an international school in Beijing on December 6, 2018. We're not base-casing any breakthrough in the trade relationship" with China as part of the review, Bianchi said. Among the major categories that escaped tariffs were cellphones, laptop computers and videogame consoles. Bianchi declined to say when the review would be completed, but added that this was "reasonable" by the end of 2023. Some trade experts in Washington view that date as a possible decision point in the tariff review.

☆ US, Taiwan reach deal on first part of '21st Century' trade pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. and Taiwan reached agreement on the first part of their "21st Century" trade initiative, covering customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small business, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Thursday. After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will commence on other, more complicated trade areas including agriculture, digital trade, labor and environmental standards, state-owned enterprises, and non-market policies and practices, USTR said. "We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a robust and high-standard trade agreement that tackles 21st Century economic challenges," Tai said. Announcement of the trade pact comes just ahead of planned meetings between China's commerce minister, Wang Wenta, and USTR Tai and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The bilateral talks commenced last August, after the Biden administration excluded Taiwan from its larger pan-Asian trade initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

☆ US and Taiwan reach agreement on new trade pact in boost to economic ties
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Eric Cheung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The new initiative, titled the US-Taiwan Initiative of 21st Century Trade, was first unveiled in June last year. It will be the first official trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States since US President Joe Biden assumed office in 2021. “This accomplishment represents an important step forward in strengthening the US-Taiwan economic relationship,” US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said in the statement. We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a robust and high-standard trade agreement that tackles pressing 21st century economic challenges,” she added. The new agreement marks the first official trade agreement since Taiwan was excluded from the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), a regional economic plan launched by Biden last year.

☆ U.S., Taiwan reach deal on first part of '21st Century' trade pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. and Taiwan reached agreement on the first part of their "21st Century" trade initiative, covering customs and border procedures, regulatory practices, and small business, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said on Thursday. After the initial agreement of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade is signed, negotiations will commence on other, more complicated trade areas including agriculture, digital trade, labor and environmental standards, state-owned enterprises and non-market policies and practices, USTR said. "We look forward to continuing these negotiations and finalizing a robust and high-standard trade agreement that tackles 21st Century economic challenges," Tai said. Announcement of the trade pact comes just ahead of planned meetings between China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and USTR Tai and U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. The bilateral talks commenced last August, after the Biden administration excluded Taiwan from its larger pan-Asian trade initiative, the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework.

☆ Democrats warn large tech firms could evade competition policies under new trade rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Lauren Feiner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

It's not the first time Democrats have raised concerns about tech provisions being included in trade agreements. The group urged Tai and Raimondo "not to put up for negotiation or discussion any digital trade text that conflicts" with the agenda set by the whole-of-government effort. "Big Tech wants to include an overly broad provision that would help large tech firms evade competition policies by claiming that such policies subject these firms to 'illegal trade discrimination,'" the Democrats wrote. "Tech companies could also weaponize these digital trade rules to undermine similar efforts by our trading partners." The letter cited a U.S. Chamber of Commerce blog post about a trade group coalition note advocating for strong digital trade provisions in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).

☆ U.S. trade chief Tai defends pursuit of non-traditional trade deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

She said past trade deals focused on "aggressive liberalization and tariff elimination" made the U.S. and other countries too dependent on China for critical materials. Her remarks come amid growing calls from U.S. business and agricultural trade groups for Congress to approve new "fast track" negotiating authority for USTR to pursue traditional free trade deals. These groups argue the U.S. is falling behind the growing network of free trade deals forged by China and the European Union in recent years, putting U.S. farmers and food companies at a disadvantage against many foreign competitors in key markets. Republicans in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives also pelted Tai with complaints about the lack of new tariff-reducing trade deals during hearings last month. Tai told reporters it has been difficult to explain the need to break away from the traditional vision of ever-liberalizing trade deals.

☆ U.S. trade chief Tai to defend pursuit of non-traditional trade deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 5 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Wednesday will defend the Biden administration's decision not to pursue traditional free trade deals and argue her approach of working to ease non-tariff barriers is better for workers and supply chain resilience. Her remarks come amid growing calls from U.S. business and agricultural trade groups for Congress to approve new "fast track" negotiating authority for USTR to pursue traditional free trade deals. These groups argue the U.S. is falling behind the growing network of free trade deals forged by China and the European Union in recent years, putting U.S. farmers and food companies at a disadvantage against many foreign competitors in key markets. Republicans in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives also pelted Tai with complaints about the lack of new tariff-reducing trade deals during hearings last month. Tai told reporters it has been difficult to explain the need to break away from the traditional vision of ever-liberalizing trade deals.

☆ US, Japan strike trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan on Tuesday announced a trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals that is key to strengthening their battery supply chains and granting Japanese automakers wider access to the new $7,500 U.S. EV tax credit. The deal also aims to reduce U.S.-Japanese dependence on China for such materials by requiring collaboration to combat "non-market policies and practices" of other countries in the sector and on conducting investment reviews of foreign investments in their critical minerals supply chains. The officials said that USTR does not intend to seek approval by Congress for the minerals trade agreement because it falls under the agency's authority to negotiate sectoral trade agreements at the executive level. But they said provisions in the deal to promote labor rights and recycling in their battery mineral supply chains would help both countries. The two countries agreed to review the minerals agreement every two years, including whether it is appropriate to terminate or amend it.

Obrador's decision to roll back reforms aimed at opening Mexico's power and oil markets to outside competitors sparked the trade dispute. If not, the U.S. will request an independent dispute settlement panel under the Unites States Mexico Canada Agreement, or USCMA, they said. The United States and Canada demanded dispute settlement talks with Mexico in July - 250 days ago. Under USMCA rules, after 75 days without a resolution, they were free to request a dispute settlement panel, a third party that rules on the case. In my view, it’s long past time to say enough is enough and escalate this into a real dispute settlement case," Wyden said.

☆ Biden administration holds second round of IPEF talks in Bali
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 19 (Reuters) - The Biden administration said on Sunday that it has held a second round of negotiations for its signature Asia engagement project on topics including labor, environment, digital trade and technical assistance. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Commerce Department said in a joint release that the latest negotiations took place March 13-19 in Bali. Ahead of the negotiations, U.S. officials shared "Pillar I" negotiating text on labor, environmental, digital trade and technical assistance. The U.S. release said IPEF partners discussed the text and held follow-up talks about other topics raised in earlier meetings in Brisbane and New Delhi. "USTR and Commerce will release additional details about the next in-person negotiating round at a later date," the release said.

CHICAGO/WASHINGTON, March 6 (Reuters) - The United States has requested formal trade consultations with Mexico over U.S. objections to its southern neighbor's plans to limit imports of genetically modified corn and other agricultural biotechnology products. "We hope these consultations will be productive as we continue to work with Mexico to address these issues." The United States has previously threatened to take the issue to a trade dispute panel under the trilateral agreement with Mexico and Canada over the plan, which would ban genetically modified corn for human consumption. A USTR official said the talks would cover Mexico's planned rejection of GMO corn and other agricultural biotechnology products that have been shown to be safe in the United States and other countries for decades. Corn for food use comprises about 21% of Mexican corn imports from the U.S., a representative from the National Corn Growers Association said, citing U.S. Grains Council data.

☆ U.S. trade official Tai discussed Inflation Reduction Act with EU's Dombrovskis
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday met with European Union Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and discussed the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, Tai's office said in a statement. The legislation excludes electric vehicles assembled outside of North America from tax credits in the United States. European nations are not the only ones who have raised concerns with the Inflation Reduction Act. Tai and Dombrovskis also discussed the ongoing negotiations for a global arrangement on sustainable steel and aluminum and agreed to remain in close contact as negotiations continue in 2023, the USTR office added. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The country buys about 17 million tonnes of mostly GM yellow corn from the United States each year, mostly for animal feed. Mexico will still prohibit use of GM corn for human consumption, such as flour, dough, or tortilla made from the grain. About 20% of Mexican corn imports from the United States is white corn for food products. It will still move forward with its plan to ban imports of the herbicide glyphosate, with a transition period in effect until March 31, 2024. The United States had given the Mexican government until Tuesday to explain the science behind its proposed bans.

☆ New U.S. agriculture trade chief seeks to diversify buyers beyond China
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - U.S. chief agricultural trade negotiator Doug McKalip wants China to keep striving to meet U.S. farm goods purchase commitments under the 2020 "Phase 1" trade deal, but told Reuters that he also is pushing to diversify exports beyond the biggest U.S. grain customer. "I think for the American farmer, it's important to have a diverse set of buyers out there," he said. China will remain an important top customer, he said, a day after U.S. Census Bureau trade data showed China reached a record $40.85 billion - nearly a fifth of global U.S. farm exports that also reached a record $213 billion. "We'd certainly like to see their purchases be closer to the top numbers that they agreed to," McKalip said of China. Southeast Asia represents an important region to expand U.S. farm exports, and McKalip said he intends to work on reducing trade barriers through the Biden administration's Indo-Pacific Economic Framework negotiations.

☆ Exclusive: AFL-CIO wants bigger say in U.S. digital trade deals for workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has made digital trade the centerpiece of its trade negotiations, and the AFL-CIO wants a bigger say in how the U.S. Trade Representative's office sets goals in this area, arguing they are too often dictated by big technology companies. The USTR is expected to soon propose text on the digital chapter in negotiations for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, the Biden administration's signature economic agreement. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai has pledged to create a "worker-centric" trade policy, but the AFL-CIO said digital trade negotiations too often make no mention of labor standards nor the workers who write software or support networks. "Corporations shouldn't dictate the rules of the global digital economy with no regard for working people," AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement. Other AFL-CIO demands for digital trade negotiations include:- Requiring governments to enact strong policies to safeguard individuals' personal data as opposed to the current largely voluntary "self-regulation" model that has proven inadequate.

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