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☆ Japan signed a critical minerals deal with the U.S. — but it's still losing the global EV race
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Audrey Wan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Tokyo in March signed the U.S.-Japan Critical Minerals Agreement, securing both countries' commitment to strengthen supply chains and promote EV battery technologies. Notably, the deal allows minerals from Japan to meet sourcing requirements for U.S. electric vehicle tax credits, unlocking up to $7,500 per vehicle. The critical minerals agreement was "negotiated in warp-speed time" when similar deals "usually take years," David Boling, Eurasia Group director for Japan and Asian trade, told CNBC. Hybrid EVs still account for 96.8% of new EV sales in the country, according to the Japan Automobile Dealers Association. EV supply chain strainJapan depends on China for critical minerals essential to the production of EV components.

Persons: Yasuhide Mizuno, Kiyoshi Ota, David Boling, Boling, Eurasia's, BEV, China's, Kristin Vekasi Organizations: Sony Honda Mobility, Sony, Bloomberg, Getty, Japan, U.S, U.S ., EV, Eurasia Group, CNBC, U.S . Trade, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Japan Automobile Dealers Association, International Energy Agency, Argonne National Laboratory, IEA, University of Maine, Hitachi Metals, Nikkei Locations: Tokyo, Japan, U.S, China, Nikkei Asia

☆ GOP lawmakers urge DOJ to probe Chinese IP theft from U.S. small businesses
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON — Two top Republican congressmen on Thursday urged the Justice Department to investigate intellectual property theft from American small businesses by Chinese actors. "Ensuring the safety of American small businesses from IP-related crimes is crucial, and we urge the U.S. Department of Justice to utilize all tools and capabilities at its disposal," the lawmakers wrote. Gallagher is chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, while Williams chairs the House Committee on Small Business. Evidence of Chinese IP theft from U.S. businesses dates back several years. In 2019, 1 in 5 North American companies on the CNBC Global CFO Council reported IP theft from Chinese companies within the last year.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Elise Stefanik, Steve Scalise, Wisconsin, Roger Williams of, General Merrick Garland, Gallagher, Williams, China — Organizations: Chinese Communist Party, Republican National Committee, Washington , D.C, WASHINGTON —, Justice Department, U.S . Department of Justice, Small, National Bureau, Asian, Commission, American Intellectual, U.S . Trade Representative, U.S, CNBC Global, CCP, DOJ's, Force, Intellectual, Fox Business, China, GOP Locations: Washington ,, WASHINGTON, Roger Williams of Texas

☆ Factbox: Top US-China exchanges since Biden took office
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Below is a list of some of the other high level U.S.-China exchanges since then. FIRST TRADE TALKS - May 26, 2021U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and China's then Vice Premier Liu He held talks virtually, the first such high level trade talks between the world's two biggest economies since Biden took office. DIPLOMAT VISITS CHINA - July 26, 2021Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman held talks with State Councillor Wang Yi, in Tianjin, China. DEFENCE CHIEFS HOLD FIRST TALKS - April 20, 2022U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a call with China's then defence minister Wei Fenghe, the first talks between the two officials since Biden took office. BIDEN AND XI MEET IN BALI - November 14, 2022Biden and Xi held their long-awaited first face-to-face leadership talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Joe Biden, BIDEN, Biden, Xi Jinping, Xi, Jake Sullivan, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, Katherine Tai, China's, Liu, Wendy Sherman, SULLIVAN, YANG, Sullivan, Yang, Lloyd Austin, Wei Fenghe, WANG, Wang, Nancy Pelosi, HARRIS, Kamala Harris, Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, Martin Quin Pollard, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: U.S, FIRST, National Security, . Trade, CHIEFS, . Defense, General Assembly, BIDEN, IN, Economic Cooperation APEC, CHINA COMMERCE, . Commerce, Commerce, Washington D.C, China's, National Defense, Pentagon, Austin, Thomson Locations: China, U.S, Anchorage , Alaska, Blinken, CHINA, Tianjin, Taiwan, North Korea, ROME, Russia, Ukraine, Beijing, New York, IN BALI, Bali , Indonesia, BANGKOK, Asia, Thailand, MUNICH, Munich, WASHINGTON, Washington, Singapore

☆ With eye on China, US and five allies condemn trade-related 'economic coercion'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The United States and five of its allies on Friday condemned the use of trade practices that amount to economic coercion in a joint declaration that did not single out other countries but appeared to be aimed at China. Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand jointly released the statement with the United States, emphasizing that "trade-related economic coercion and non-market-oriented policies and practices" threatened the multi-lateral trading system and "harms relations between countries." The United States, Britain, Japan and Canada are also members of the G7. In May, Beijing protested the G7's declarations, including on economic coercion, saying the U.S. was "pushing hard to weave an anti-China net in the Western world." "We are also seriously concerned about the use of forced labour, including state-sponsored forced labour, in global supply chains.

Persons: Jeff Mason, Dan Whitcomb, Sonali Paul Organizations: New, Seven, Washington, U.S . Trade, Thomson Locations: United States, China, Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Beijing, Lithuania, Taiwan, U.S

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

☆ US Treasury official meets with China's new ambassador in Washington
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Undersecretary Jay Shambaugh met on Friday with China's new ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, holding a discussion aimed at maintaining open communications between the world's two largest economies, the Treasury said. "The meeting was candid, constructive, and part of ongoing efforts to maintain open lines of communication and responsibly manage our bilateral relationship," the Treasury said in a statement. Bilateral engagement on economic issues has increased recently, but tensions remain in security-related areas with China's defense minister declining a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a security summit in Singapore. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has expressed hopes for a visit to China this year to meet with her new counterpart, Vice Premier He Lifeng. Reporting by David Lawder and Eric Beech; Editing by Leslie Adler and Richard ChangOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jay Shambaugh, China's, Xie Feng, Shambaugh, Xie, Lloyd Austin, Katherine Tai, Gina Raimondo, Wang Wentao, Janet Yellen, Yellen, David Lawder, Eric Beech, Leslie Adler, Richard Chang Organizations: . Treasury, Treasury, U.S . Defense, . Trade, Chinese Commerce, Biden, Thomson Locations: United States, Singapore, China, Beijing

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

CNN —CIA Director Bill Burns secretly traveled to China last month, a US official told CNN Friday, amid efforts by the United States to reset relations with Beijing after a year of extremely heightened tensions. The specific intelligence matter that Burns discussed in Beijing is unclear. “Our assessment at CIA is that I wouldn’t underestimate President Xi’s ambitions with regard to Taiwan,” Burns said earlier this year. National security adviser Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese official Wang Yi in Vienna for “candid” and “constructive” talks in mid-May. A US senior administration official said the meeting was an attempt to put communications back on track after the spy balloon incident.

Persons: Bill Burns, Burns “, Burns, Antony Blinken, Biden, Burns –, Xi’s, ” Burns, Defense Lloyd Austin, Li Shangfu “, Austin, of National Defense Li Shangfu, Pat Ryder, “, ”, Tan Kefei, John Aquilino, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, We’re, we’ve, Gina Raimondo, Katherine Tai, Wang Wentao, Wang, ” Raimondo Organizations: CNN, CIA, Financial Times, Taiwan, Defense, Pentagon, “, of National Defense, PRC, China’s Defense Ministry, Pacific Command, People’s Liberation Army, US Trade, Chinese Commerce, D.C Locations: China, United States, Beijing, Ukraine, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, Vienna, Sweden

☆ Securonomics is fuzzy new lodestar for investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Felix Martin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

During the era of free trade and financial liberalisation, the politicians danced to the economists’ tune. President Joe Biden’s National Security Advisor explained that the era of unqualified support for free markets is over. The state will explicitly subsidise “specific sectors that are foundational to economic growth (or) strategic from a national security perspective,” Sullivan explained. Internationally, meanwhile, free trade is no longer the pole star. Sullivan’s 5,000-word speech devoted just three sentences to the World Trade Organization.

Persons: Rachel Reeves, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden’s, ” Sullivan, Jacob Soll, Jean, Baptiste Colbert, Alexander Hamilton, Adam Smith, securonomics, Colbert, Hamilton, Christine Lagarde, Lagarde, ”, Soll, Peter Thal Larsen, Pranav Kiran Organizations: Reuters, Labour, Bank of England, White, U.S . Treasury, U.S . Trade Representative, Joe Biden’s National, Biden, offshoring, World Trade Organization, Industries, BAE Systems, Dow, Aerospace, Defense, U.S, Treasury, University of Southern, European Central Bank, Soviet, Russia, Thomson Locations: Washington, Tellingly, States, French, Scottish, University of Southern California, China, United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia

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

☆ EU, US to weigh China, AI, trade strains at high-level Sweden talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-30 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, Trade Representative Katherine Tai and European Commission vice president and trade chief Valdis Dombrovskis will also take part. China will be a major focus of the meeting, even if the word "China" only features twice in the draft joint statement - on non-market practices and disinformation. The gathering in northern Sweden comes just as the European Commission presents its "Economic Security Strategy", expected to contain measures to prevent rivals such as China gaining access to its most sensitive technology. Brussels wants to see cooperation to boost green trade, such as mutual recognition of products, even though the U.S. and EU do not have and do not plan to forge a free-trade agreement. The EU is seeking progress with the U.S. towards an accord on critical minerals used for electric vehicles.

BEIJING, May 29 (Reuters) - Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao urged Japan to halt semiconductor export controls, calling it a "wrongdoing" that "seriously violated" international economic and trade rules, a statement from his ministry said on Monday. China's latest condemnation of the export restrictions was made during Wang's talks with Japanese Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura on May 26 at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in Detroit. Japan, along with the Netherlands, in January agreed to match U.S. export controls that will limit the sale of some chipmaking tools to China, and has placed restrictions on the export of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment to its neighbour. Japan has not singled out China in its statements about the export controls, saying only that it is fulfilling its duty to contribute to international peace and stability. Monday's statement from the Chinese commerce ministry also said, however, that China "is willing to work with Japan to promote practical cooperation in key economic and trade areas."

☆ China rejects US request for a meeting between defense chiefs -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 29 (Reuters) - China has rejected a request by the United States for a meeting between their defense chiefs on the sidelines of an annual security forum in Singapore this coming weekend, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. "Overnight, the PRC informed the U.S. that they have declined our early May invitation for Secretary (Lloyd) Austin to meet with PRC Minister of National Defense Li Shangfu in Singapore this week," the Pentagon said in a statement to the Journal, adding the department believes in open communication "to ensure that competition does not veer into conflict." Last week, White House spokesman John Kirby said there were discussions by the Defense Department to get a conversation going between Lloyd and his Chinese counterpart. Kirby also said there was the possibility of a meeting between U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and her Chinese counterpart during the Asia-Pacific-Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Detroit. Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru Editing by Chris Reese and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ 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.

☆ APEC trade chiefs agree on more inclusive trade, but no joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DETROIT, May 26 (Reuters) - Trade ministers from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries agreed on Friday to promote more inclusive and sustainable trade, but failed to produce a joint statement due to Russia and China's objections to language on Ukraine. Closing out two days of talks in Detroit, the APEC host, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, instead issued a chair's statement summarizing the discussions, with an emphasis on inclusiveness, fighting climate change and sustainability. "We reaffirm our determination to deliver a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive and predictable trade and investment environment," the statement read. The group reaffirmed its commitment to the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. Tai told a news conference that she hoped APEC leaders at a November summit in San Francisco would be able to produce a joint statement.

☆ 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.

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - China’s commerce minister will visit the United States next week for meetings with the commerce secretary and Washington’s top trade official, the spokesperson for China's embassy in Washington said on Thursday, as the U.S. seeks engagement with Beijing to salve damaged ties. A source familiar with planning for the meetings said that Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao will meet with Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo in Washington next week before traveling to Detroit for a meeting of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers. He will meet with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on the sidelines of that gathering, scheduled for May 25-26. Washington has expressed eagerness for high-level meetings with China in an effort to keep increasingly tense relations from veering toward conflict. Blinken, Raimondo, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen have all expressed interest in visiting China.

☆ 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.

Boris Titov, head of the Russian delegation of the Cuban-Russian Business Committee, told a forum of Russian entrepreneurs in Havana that Cuba had decisively opened the door to Russian investment. "They are giving us preferential treatment," Titov told the packed forum in Havana´s Hotel Nacional. "In Soviet times there was a direct port and maritime link," Titov told the forum. Ricardo Cabrisas, Cuba´s minister of foreign commerce told reporters on the sidelines of the forum that the economic ties between Russia and Cuba would only grow stronger. Bilateral trade between Cuba and Russia reached $450 million in 2022, three times that of 2021, according to Sergei Baldin, Russia´s trade representative in Cuba.

☆ More than 250 business leaders back Julie Su for Labor secretary as nomination hangs in the balance
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Emma Kinery | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Deputy Labor Secretary Julie Su testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee during her confirmation hearing to be the next secretary of the Labor Department in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on April 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. More than 250 business leaders are urging the Senate to confirm acting Labor Secretary Julie Su to helm the department, according to a letter first obtained by CNBC. "Julie Su is a trailblazer whose track record speaks for itself," reads the letter, which cited her experience as Labor secretary of California. Additionally, her experience as U.S. Deputy Labor Secretary has given her a thorough understanding of the Labor Department and the current issues facing the economy, businesses, and workers." She was confirmed to be deputy secretary to former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in 2021 by a party-line vote, but several key moderate Democrats have yet to say whether they will support her this round.

☆ 33 Democrats urge ban on investor-state dispute provisions in all US trade deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-RhoadesWASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department to eliminate investor-state dispute settlement provisions from current and future trade deals and to intervene on behalf of Honduras against a U.S. company's nearly $11 billion claim against the country. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Trade Representative Katherine Tai seen by Reuters, 33 lawmakers said that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) systems in trade deals constitute a "problematic corporate handout" that violates countries' sovereignty and democracy rights. The Democrats signing the letter said the case could require impoverished Honduras to pay billions of taxpayer dollars to a company that has "weaponized" the dispute settlement provisions. The dispute settlement provisions had been a way to protect U.S. firms from abrupt changes in trading partners' government policies by providing recourse through arbitration. The letter cited Georgetown University research tallying $27.8 billion in ISDS settlement orders against Latin American governments, with Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador the worst hit.

CNN —President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden capped South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official state visit with a glamorous state dinner at the White House Wednesday night to celebrate the two nations’ 70-year alliance. May we do it together for another 170 years.”But Biden wasn’t the only leader who took the mic. Following a round of musical performances, his South Korean counterpart joined him on stage to give his own – a karaoke rendition of Don McClean’s “American Pie” – which received a standing ovation from the crowd. The elaborate dinner is the result of weeks of careful diplomatic preparations, with each detail meticulously planned by a team of White House chefs, social staff, and protocol experts. U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden pose with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee in front of the Grand Staircase of the White House before an official State Dinner, in Washington, U.S. April 26, 2023.

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