Republican Senator Asks USTR If Dispute Has Started Over Chinese Purchases
China could and should be buying more U.S. products, according to a letter Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., sent to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, asking him what he's intending to do about it. Scott cited research from the Peterson Institute for International Economics that shows China, through April 2020, has purchased roughly 45 percent of what it promised, if purchases were to build at the same pace through the remainder of this year.
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“China is still exporting significantly more than they are importing, which means they should be in a position to make the purchases as part of the Phase 1 agreement,” Scott wrote. He asked Lighthizer to answer whether his office has started a dispute resolution process, “given China’s shortcomings in attempting to reach their agreed upon purchases? If so, has that process resulted in a solution?” His last question is: “If China fails to live up to their agreement, what are the consequences?”
But late last month, the USTR issued a press release that said China is opening its market to many U.S. agricultural products, such as blueberries, avocados, forage products, barley and dry milk, and “continues to implement its tariff exclusion process in an attempt to facilitate imports of U.S. commodities.” The office did not respond to a request for comment June 15.