CHINA/LOBBYING/TRADE DEALS: “When a Beijing-backed fund tried to buy an American chip firm, Rep. Robert Pittenger (R., N.C.) fired off a letter urging the government to block it. After lobbyists for a Chinese e-commerce giant came to the congressman’s office to get support for their affiliate’s attempt to buy a U.S. money transfer firm, he […]
Category: Trade Deals
9/26/2017
LABOR/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “The Trump administration on Tuesday [9-26-17] introduced a proposal aimed at boosting labor standards among the member countries in the North American Free Trade Agreement, but it earned an immediate rebuke from union officials for falling short. At the current round of Nafta renegotiations, which are set to end Wednesday, U.S. negotiators put […]
9/26/2017
CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Wednesday [9-27-17] the U.S. relationship with China was too lopsided and listed market access, protectionism and intellectual property as the biggest problems amid trade tensions between the two countries. Ross said both sides were frank and open, and articulated good points of view during his […]
9/22/2017
TRADE DEALS/WTO: “The Trump administration was handed fresh ammunition in its quest to ramp up ‘America First’ trade enforcement policies on Friday [9-22-17] as a government commission backed a bid from U.S. solar-panel makers to win protection from imports. The International Trade Commission voted 4-0 to approve a request from the domestic solar-panel industry seeking […]
9/18/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The top United States trade negotiator said Monday [9-18-17] that it was unclear whether Canada, Mexico and the United States could reach a deal to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement within the ambitious timetable set by the Trump administration… The Trump administration has carved out a narrow path to […]
9/18/2017
JOHN KELLY/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “White House trade adviser Peter Navarro has been increasingly sidelined during meetings and cut off from his once-regular access to the Oval Office as chief of staff John Kelly has moved to impose greater order on the West Wing. But Navarro, a hard-liner on trade who has clashed with his more […]
9/13/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Proposed Acquisition of Lattice Semiconductor Corporation by China Venture Capital Fund Corporation Limited’ The order bars a Chinese-backed venture capital firm from purchasing an American semiconductor company. Trump acted in accordance with a recommendation from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), who determined the proposed takeover […]
9/13/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump on Wednesday [9-13-17] blocked a Beijing-backed fund’s attempt to buy an American chip maker, signaling his administration will closely scrutinize Chinese efforts to invest in U.S. semiconductor technology. Mr. Trump rejected the transaction after the would-be deal makers—Chinese government-backed Canyon Bridge Capital Partners and Lattice Semiconductor Corp. —made […]
9/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NIKKI HALEY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/UN: “The United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted new sanctions against North Korea on Monday [9-11-17] after U.S. officials eased their demands to convince China and Russia to approve the measure. The U.S., which drafted the initial resolution while pledging the harshest possible sanctions yet, rolled back its initial insistence on […]
9/11/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UN: “The Trump administration has backed away from some of the most stringent penalties it had sought to impose on North Korea, in an apparent effort to draw Russian and Chinese backing for a new raft of sanctions over the country’s nuclear weapons advances. Whether the administration will garner the […]
9/8/2017
COMMERCE/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Friday [9-8-17] backed President Donald Trump’s ever-present threat of terminating NAFTA, saying that withdrawal would be ‘the right thing’ to do if trilateral talks between Mexico, Canada and the U.S. are not successful. Ross noted that even though the renegotiation is in its early stages, the Trump […]
9/5/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “What the Chinese call the Friendship Pipeline runs for 20 miles, crossing under the Yalu River and spanning the border between North Korea and China. For more than half a century, it has been both a symbol of the two nations’ alliance and a lifeline for the North’s economy. Now, […]
9/5/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “U.S., Canadian and Mexican officials, buffeted by political disagreements and controversial moves by the Trump administration, notched relatively minor progress in recent days in a big push to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement this year. The second round of Nafta talks in Mexico City wasn’t intended to result in major breakthroughs […]
9/5/2017
SOUTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “Senior U.S. Republicans and Democrats on congressional committees overseeing trade policy on Tuesday [9-5-17] said that while improvements were needed in South Korea’s compliance with a U.S.-Korean free trade deal, the United States ‘must not withdraw from the agreement.’ The chairmen and senior Democrats on the House of Representatives Ways and Means […]
9/5/2017
JAPAN/SOUTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, September 5, 2017 07:36am […]
9/4/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s stern warning that the U.S. may halt trade with countries doing business with North Korea was seen as a direct shot at China, the regime’s biggest trading partner. But China is America’s largest single trading partner as well, highlighting how difficult it would be for the Trump […]
9/1/2017
MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The second round of talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement begins here Friday [9-1-17] under a dark cloud after both the U.S. and Mexico raised the stakes dramatically in recent days. U.S. President Donald Trump has jolted the tone of the meetings with renewed calls to pull out […]
8/30/2017
MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Mexico’s leftist presidential hopeful, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement should be suspended until the country’s election next year, and he warned he would renegotiate any deal that harms Mexico’s interests if he wins the vote… His remarks came as government officials from Mexico, the […]
8/30/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the United States, Canada and Mexico head for a second round of talks this weekend to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, President Trump is ramping up his bluster about simply terminating the pact instead. But many former trade negotiators and experts agree that the president’s threat to cancel […]
8/29/2017
FINLAND/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Sauli Niinisto on Tuesday [8-29-17] denied that Finland was buying new fighter jets from American planemaker Boeing, following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump. Finland is looking to replace its ageing fleet of 62 F/A-18 Hornet jets with multirole fighter aircraft in a procurement estimated at 7-10 billion euros by […]
8/28/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “The Trump administration said Monday [8-28-17] it would delay for two months the imposition of penalties on imports of Canadian lumber, citing continuing bilateral negotiations over the nettlesome trade dispute… Mr. Ross said that penalties which had been scheduled to take effect Sept. 7 would now be delayed until Nov. 14. The U.S. […]
8/25/2017
DEBT/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/VENEZUELA: “The U.S. on Friday [8-25-17] restricted the ability of Venezuela to tap American debt markets for funding, escalating Washington’s economic crackdown against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s cash-strapped government. President Donald Trump’s executive order prohibits institutions in the U.S. from trading new bonds with Mr. Maduro’s government, including through the state-owned oil company, […]
8/24/2017
CRIME/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Big internet firms are seeking to get liability protections they enjoy in the U.S. inserted into a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement, adding fuel to a fight over the legal shield that some lawmakers say has facilitated online sex trafficking. The proposed change to Nafta would mean online platforms in all three […]
8/24/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Three of the nation’s most prominent trade associations warned that any efforts to weaken arbitration panels at the heart of the North American Free Trade Agreement ‘will serve to undermine business community support’ for Nafta renegotiations. The letter to the Trump administration from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers and […]
8/21/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “The river that divides the U.S. and Canada in this border town also cuts directly through the Twin Rivers Paper Co.’s wood pulp and paper operation. The two-country arrangement has worked for years in the tightly integrated operation, with a Twin Rivers Canadian lumber mill up the road supplying wood chips to a […]
8/17/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/SOUTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “U. S. and South Korean negotiators will meet next week in Seoul to potentially amend a five-year-old trade agreement, which President Donald Trump has called ‘horrible’ and blamed for a larger American trade deficit. The agreement, known as Korus FTA—which has been in place since 2012—has been a source of tension […]
8/16/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/UN: “Trucks packed with seafood were backed up, bumper to bumper, at the Chinese border with North Korea. Protesters carried red banners demanding compensation. And Chinese businessmen who have been making big money from North Korean crabs, shrimp and squid were furious. United Nations sanctions banning the import of North Korean seafood started […]
8/16/2017
NAFTA/NEGOTIATIONS/TRADE DEALS: “Talks to remake the North American Free Trade Agreement are starting off today with an early dispute—over how to settle disputes. Under Nafta, the U.S., Mexico and Canada have resolved tariff conflicts by submitting them to expert panels that can sustain or overturn tariffs. The system has helped guide the trilateral relationship for […]
8/15/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Text of a Letter from the President to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, within 90 days of the […]
8/15/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Notice Regarding the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Export Control Regulations CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH RESPECT TO EXPORT CONTROL REGULATIONS On August 17, 2001, the President issued Executive Order 13222 pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). In that order, the […]
8/15/2017
CHINA/ENERGY [ALTERNATIVE]/TRADE DEALS: “Dozens of solar industry executives, government officials and foreign diplomats gathered here on Tuesday [8-15-17] to urge federal trade commissioners to reject a petition from two troubled domestic solar equipment manufacturers to impose steep tariffs and minimum price guarantees on similar imports. At risk, they argued, is the future of the solar […]
8/14/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the United States Trade Representative By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby directed as follows: …It is the policy of the United States for our trade relations to enhance our economic growth, contribute […]
8/14/2017
MILITARY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Leaving for New York City and meetings on military purchases and trade.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, August 14, 2017 05:29pm […]
8/14/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “China is banning imports of North Korean coal, iron and seafood, starting Tuesday [8-15-17], in a move that could assuage U.S. demands while enforcing new United Nations sanctions targeting Pyongyang’s nuclear-weapons program. The trade halt, announced Monday by China’s Commerce Ministry and customs agency, follows a weekend phone call between Chinese President […]
8/14/2017
CANADA/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Canada laid down a tough line ahead of talks on modernizing NAFTA on Monday, suggesting it could walk away if the United States pushed to remove a key dispute-settlement mechanism in the trade deal. Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland, giving the most substantive outline yet of Canada’s goals, said she was ‘very optimistic’ the […]
8/12/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration announced plans Saturday [8-12-17] to pressure China over alleged intellectual property theft, adding the threat of trade retaliation to an ongoing campaign seeking greater cooperation from Beijing in the North Korean nuclear crisis. Aides said President Donald Trump will sign a directive Monday ordering his trade representative […]
8/8/2017
IMMIGRATION/MEXICO/TRADE DEALS: “Demand in America for Mexican farmhands, landscapers and other temporary workers is surging as the Trump administration moves to curb immigration and renegotiate its trade relationship with Mexico. That demand is prompting both countries to search for ways to ease labor shortages in key parts of the U.S. economy. In the first nine […]
8/7/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “The French carmaker Renault signed a multimillion-dollar deal in Tehran on Monday [8-7-17], agreeing to raise vehicle production in Iran just days after President Trump signed into law new sanctions against the country. The roughly $780 million agreement to produce as many as 150,000 additional cars a year is the largest foreign […]
8/7/2017
CANADA/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Canada on Monday [8-7-17] played down the prospect of a resolution with the U.S. over a trade spat on lumber imports before the start of talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, denting enthusiasm raised by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last month for such an outcome. The inability to cut such […]
8/3/20217
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/WTO: “China urged the Trump administration to back off plans for tough trade actions, calling on the U.S. to remain cooperative and warning that conflict would hurt both sides. Beijing hopes to avoid a trade war with the U.S., but is preparing to target American businesses if Washington moves forward with trade sanctions, […]
8/1/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS: “The Trump administration is planning trade measures to force Beijing to crack down on intellectual-property theft and ease requirements that American companies share advanced technologies to gain entry to the Chinese market. The administration is considering invoking a little-used provision of U.S. trade law to investigate whether China’s intellectual-property policies constitute ‘unfair trade […]
8/1/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Senate’s top Democrat, Chuck Schumer, is calling on President Donald Trump to suspend the approval of all Chinese deals facing national security reviews in the U.S. until China acts more aggressively to press North Korea to curtail its nuclear and missile programs. Though Mr. Schumer and other top […]
7/29/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet… they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk. We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!” -Donald […]
7/27/2017
COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s pledge to quickly provide big import protection to U.S. steelmakers has gotten bogged down in ‘complexity,’ with no clear deadline for completion, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Congress on Thursday [7-27/17], according to lawmakers who attended the briefing. ‘The secretary used the word ‘complexity’ more than any other […]
7/25/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/UK: “Working on major Trade Deal with the United Kingdom. Could be very big & exciting. JOBS! The E.U. is very protectionist with the U.S. STOP!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 25, 2017 07:16am […]
7/21/2017
CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS: “The U.S. is toughening its scrutiny of Chinese deals, throwing a number of high-profile takeover bids into question and helping spur a huge case backlog, according to people familiar with the process. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. has signaled there are significant obstacles facing the proposed $1.2 billion purchase of […]
7/19/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “The Trump administration on Wednesday [7-19-17] tapped a veteran trade official involved in the original North American Free Trade Agreement to lead new talks with Canada and Mexico on an overhaul of the agreement starting next month. John Melle, the current assistant U.S. trade representative for the Western Hemisphere, will […]
7/19/2017
BORDER/TAXES/TRADE DEALS: “An aggressive corporate lobbying effort to derail a Republican-backed border tax has forced lawmakers working on tax reform to seek alternatives, Kevin Brady, chairman of the tax-writing U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, said on Wednesday [7-19-17]. The proposed border adjustment tax on U.S. companies that move jobs abroad and import products back […]
7/18/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “As the Trump administration prepares for its first formal economic talks with China here Wednesday [7-19-17], Chinese officials highlighted their ability to quell trade tensions with the new American president, while some U.S. business groups expressed concern their government might not push Beijing hard enough. After Donald Trump’s November election, ‘many […]
7/18/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration released its road map for remaking the North American Free Trade Agreement that aims to preserve ‘Buy America’ provisions and reduce the U.S. trade deficit, but steps back from some of President Donald Trump’s most fiery campaign rhetoric on trade with Mexico and Canada. The blueprint for a […]
7/17/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States on Monday [7-17-17] launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer […]
7/17/2017
CHINA/DRONES/TRADE DEALS: “Last October, satellite images captured the distinctive outlines of some powerful new weaponry at a Saudi runway used for military strikes in Yemen. Three Wing Loong drones had appeared, Chinese-made replicas of the U.S. Predator with a similar ability to stay aloft for hours carrying missiles and bombs. The same month, another Chinese […]
7/17/2017
LABOR/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “U.S. labor union leaders and Democratic lawmakers on Monday [7-17-17] reminded U.S. President Donald Trump they expect him to keep election campaign promises to protect American workers in NAFTA talks, but they stopped short of demanding termination of the 1994 trade pact with Canada and Mexico. Their comments came hours before U.S. Trade […]
7/16/2017
CHINA/COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/WILBUR ROSS: “When Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced in May the ‘herculean accomplishment’ of extracting Chinese promises to open swiftly long-restricted markets in finance and agriculture, he pronounced the actions ‘more than has been done in the whole history of U.S.-China relations on trade.’ Now, as the two countries mark Sunday’s [7-16-17] deadline for […]
7/15/2017
ECONOMY/TRADE DEALS: “Stock Market at new all-time high! Working on new trade deals that will be great for U.S. and its workers!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 15, 2017 11:21am […]
7/14/2017
TPP/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Trump pulled out of his predecessor’s signature trade deal on his first full weekday in office, the 11 other countries that had negotiated the pact were left wondering if years of work had just gone down the drain. This week, those countries indicated that they wanted to press ahead […]
7/9/2017
CLIMATE CHANGE/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Through marathon meetings and dinners at the Group of 20 summit, various world leaders sought to coax America’s new president to accept core tenets of the internationalist order they embrace, including commitment to free trade and tough environmental regulation. He barely budged. In his second foreign trip, President Donald […]
7/9/2017
RUSSIA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Sanctions were not discussed at my meeting with President Putin. Nothing will be done until the Ukrainian & Syrian problems are solved!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 9, 2017 07:31am […]
7/9/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The G 20 Summit was a great success for the U.S. – Explained that the U.S. must fix the many bad trade deals it has made. Will get done!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 9, 2017 06:15am […]
7/7/2017
IMF/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The International Monetary Fund and Germany have a joint message to President Donald Trump as he arrives here for the Group of 20 summit: Don’t turn your back on a world forged by the U.S. Mr. Trump should focus on the evolution of international institutions and use them as pillars to […]
7/6/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The leaders of Japan and the European Union said Thursday [7-6-17] they had agreed terms of a broad, new trade deal, a convergence that comes on the eve of a Group of 20 leaders meeting where U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to clash with his counterparts on trade. The political […]
7/5/2017
CHINA/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “Trade between China and North Korea grew almost 40% in the first quarter. So much for China working with us – but we had to give it a try!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 5, 2017 06:21am […]
7/5/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The United States made some of the worst Trade Deals in world history.Why should we continue these deals with countries that do not help us?” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, July 5, 2017 06:14am […]
7/4/2017
ECONOMY/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “It seems President Trump is ready to start rolling back globalization. Let’s hope he doesn’t blow up the postwar economic order. While Mexican negotiators waited for the United States to make its first move in its proposed renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the president last week turned on […]
7/1/2017
CHINA/ECONOMY/JOBS/TRADE DEALS: “More than 30 of the giant factories once dotted the American landscape, sucking down huge amounts of electricity to produce the metal for car parts, beer cans and aluminum foil. Now there are just five smelters — all facing an uncertain future. President Trump blames China for flooding global markets with subsidized aluminum. […]
6/29/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “When President Trump talked tough about China’s economic impact on America during the campaign, he criticized its trade policies and its approach to its currency. Yet one of the first pieces of imminent legislation under the Trump administration that could have a major impact on the economic relationship between the two […]
6/29/2017
MEXICO/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “New Sugar deal negotiated with Mexico is a very good one for both Mexico and the U.S. Had no deal for many years which hurt U.S. badly.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, June 29, 2017 07:27am […]
6/27/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump could get a lot tougher this week on America’s top trading partners. His administration could slap big tariffs on shipments of steel from other countries, claiming they pose a risk to national security. The tariffs can go as high as Trump wants — and could easily trigger retaliatory measures […]
6/27/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Over the past quarter century, the North American Free Trade Agreement has done much to transform the region’s economy, rewiring supply chains, shaking up labor markets, altering consumer choices and integrating border towns. The vast range of commerce touched by the pact will be evident this week, when the Trump administration […]
6/26/2017
MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Of all the industries thrown into question by President Trump’s promise to upend free trade with Mexico, natural gas is easily one of the most important. More than a quarter of Mexico’s electricity is powered by American natural gas, leaving it especially vulnerable to any upheavals from a trade battle with […]
6/23/2017
COMMERCE/TAXES/TRADE DEALS: “Senior lawmakers in both parties are resisting the Trump administration’s moves toward imposing steel tariffs on national security grounds, worried that other countries could use the same argument to block exports from their states. The Commerce Department is expected to reveal the results of an investigation of steel imports in coming days, a […]
6/22/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP PEOPLE: “U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Thursday [6-22-17] he would support taking action against U.S. automaker Ford’s (F.N) decision to move some production to China if the shift was because of ‘non-economic reasons.’ Lighthizer, who was appearing before a panel of U.S. senators, did not give details on the factors that […]
6/19/2017
CHINA/FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS: “Ahead of a high-level U.S.-China security meeting in Washington, Beijing is doing its utmost to show why close trade links with China are a good thing for America, and starting with Iowa beef. Chinese and U.S. officials are set to kick off an annual security dialogue on Wednesday [6-21-17] that will […]
6/16/2017
MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Friction between the U.S. and Mexico over trade is starting to cut into sales for U.S. farmers and agricultural companies, adding uncertainty for an industry struggling with low commodity prices and excess supply. Over the first four months of 2017, Mexican imports of U.S. soybean meal, used to feed poultry and livestock, dropped […]
6/13/2017
BORDER/TRADE DEALS: “The top House Republican tax legislator floated a five-year phase-in to his controversial ‘border adjustment’ idea on Tuesday [6-13-17] in a bid to blunt mounting opposition to the concept. The phase-in offered by Rep. Kevin Brady (R., Texas) is a response to critics who worry about the disruption that border adjustment could cause […]
6/7/2017
ENERGY/OIL/TRADE DEALS: “American oil exports are emerging as a disruptive new force in global markets. The U.S. exported 1 million barrels of oil a day during some months so far this year—double the pace of 2016—and is on track to average that amount for all of 2017, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of […]
6/6/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/MEXICO/NAFTA/TRADE DEALS: “Mexico agreed to demands from the United States to cut exports of refined sugar, striking a deal on Tuesday [6-6-17] in a contentious trade negotiation that was closely watched as a prologue to talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement. The dispute stemmed from complaints by American sugar refiners that […]
5/27/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/JOBS/TRADE DEALS: “Bringing hundreds of billions of dollars back to the U.S.A. from the Middle East – which will mean JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, May 27, 2017 12:19pm […]
5/23/2017
BORDER/POLITICS/TAXES/TRADE DEALS: “After months on life support, the border adjustment tax looks as if it’s finally dead. The sharp divisions that make overhauling the tax code a monumental task were on full display on Tuesday [5-23-17] as Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration publicly panned the provision at the heart of House Speaker Paul […]
5/18/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The Trump administration informed U.S. lawmakers that it intends to launch formal negotiations on overhauling the North American Free Trade Agreement, a big bet by President Donald Trump that he can win concessions from Canada and Mexico, and push a deal through Congress. Mr. Trump, who called the trade deal a […]
5/10/2017
ECONOMY/TRADE DEALS: “Prices for foreign goods shipped to the U.S. rose for the fifth consecutive month in April, signaling broader-based inflation pressure even though oil prices have cooled. Import prices increased 4.1% in April from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Wednesday. While the movement of import prices is heavily influenced by oil prices, […]
5/5/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/NORTH KOREA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Thursday [5-4-17] to tighten sanctions on North Korea by targeting its shipping industry and companies that do business with the reclusive state. The vote was 419 to 1. Supporters said the legislation was intended to send a strong message to […]
4/29/2017
COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Addressing Trade Agreement Violations and Abuses’ The order directs Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to review all U.S. trade agreements, as well as relations with countries that run trade deficits with America. Within 180 days, Ross must send a performance review to Trump detailing any violations.” -Avalon Zoppo, Amanda Proenca […]
4/29/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Establishment of Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy’ The order establishes the Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, which will advise Trump on policies to increase economic growth and decrease the trade deficit. Leading the new office is Trump appointee and National Trade Council Director Peter Navarro, who said he […]
4/27/2017
COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Presidential Memorandum for the Secretary of Commerce Aluminum Imports and Threats to National Security By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, it is hereby directed as follows: Section 1. Policy. Core industries […]
4/26/2017
MEXICO/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The U.S. just lost a trade battle with Mexico. It’s the first loss of the Trump era. Mexico and the U.S. have fought for years over tuna. The U.S. insists that any Mexican tuna sold in the U.S. must be ‘dolphin safe,’ meaning dolphins weren’t killed by tuna fisherman, which was […]
4/26/2017
ECONOMY/TRADE DEALS: “The U.S. recorded its slowest economic growth in five years (2016). GDP up only 1.6%. Trade deficits hurt the economy very badly.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, April 26, 2017 05:51am […]
4/21/2017
ECONOMY/JOBS/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Donald Trump’s effort to force the federal government to ‘Buy American’ will be a challenge as foreign-owned companies already hauled in more money from federal contracts in the past three months than in any corresponding period in a decade. Much of the payout to foreign-owned firms in the first quarter of […]
4/20/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP MEMORANDA: “Memorandum for the Director of the Federal Bureau By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the Trade Expansion Act of 1962… Core industries such as steel (including specialty steel unique to defense applications), aluminum, vehicles, aircraft, shipbuilding, and semiconductors […]
4/20/2017
NATIONAL SECURITY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump will direct his administration Thursday [4-20-17] to investigate whether imports of foreign steel are harming US national security, according to a White House official. Trump plans to sign a memo ordering the probe during a noon ceremony surrounded by representatives of the US steel industry. The memo […]
4/20/2017
FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The ‘America First’ president who vowed to extricate America from onerous overseas commitments appears to be warming up to the view that when it comes to global agreements, a deal’s a deal. From NAFTA to the Iran nuclear agreement to the Paris climate accord, President Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric is […]
04/09/2017
TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Trump is considering an executive action that would launch a formal investigation into the way U.S. trading partners use subsidies and a tactic known as ‘dumping’ to skew imports and exports, a White House official said Sunday evening. If signed, the executive action would call for a review of foreign […]
4/8/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS: “It was a great honor to have President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan of China as our guests in the United States. Tremendous… goodwill and friendship was formed, but only time will tell on trade.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, Apr 8, 2017 09:50 am and 9:51 am […]
3/31/2017
DHS/TRADE DEALS/TREASURY/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Establishing Enhanced Collection and Enforcement of Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Duties and Violations of Trade and Customs Law’ The order directs the secretary of homeland security to develop a plan within 90 days to combat two types of non-trade barriers placed against the U.S.: anti-dumping and countervailing duties. The order also […]
3/31/2017
COMMERCE/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP EXEC ORDERS: ” ‘Omnibus Report on Significant Trade Deficits’ The order directs the Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative to compile a report on trade practices that contribute to the trade deficit. The report will look at each of America’s trade partners and assess whether the country’s trade practices unfairly discriminate against the […]
03/31/2017
BUDGET/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Reducing the deficit in external payments is a key objective of the Trump administration. The shortfall means that U.S. residents are consuming more products and services produced abroad than foreign consumers do in the U.S. If this could be reversed, Donald Trump’s advisers reason, it would mean that more of the […]
3/30/2017
CHINA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “The meeting next week with China will be a very difficult one in that we can no longer have massive trade deficits…and job losses. American companies must be prepared to look at other alternatives.” -Donald Trump, Twitter.com, March 30, 2017 05:16pm […]
3/30/2017
NAFTA/TRADE DEALS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to bring sweeping changes to the ‘terrible’ North American Free Trade Agreement just got a dose of reality. An eight-page draft letter to Congress outlining the administration’s negotiating objectives shows how daunting it will be to translate campaign rhetoric to real policy changes that will achieve […]
3/17/2017
DONALD ON DONALD/FOREIGN POLICY/TRADE DEALS: “First of all, I don’t believe in an isolationist policy, but I also believe a policy of trade should be a fair policy. And the United States has been treated very, very unfairly by many countries over the years. And that’s going to stop. But I’m not an isolationist. I’m […]
3/14/2017
G20/TRADE DEALS/TAXES/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “A senior Canadian Finance Ministry official says there is a lot of uncertainty over what direction the United States wants to take on issues such as trade and taxation policy ahead of the upcoming meeting of G20 finance ministers.” -Bill Trott, “Highlights: The Trump presidency on March 14 at 3:05 p.m. […]