A summary of negotiations at the World Trade Organization on how to curb overfishing said that some countries are supporting the U.S. proposal to require countries to submit information on any vessels that are using forced labor. However, other countries "reiterated that the WTO is not the appropriate forum for labor issues," according to the summary, which was provided by a Geneva trade official.
Two Chinese scholars specializing in international trade said they found U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai's Oct. 4 speech (see 2110040008) encouraging, even though she criticized Chinese adherence to market principles and the effect that has on companies around the world.
CBP and India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs will recognize each other's trusted trader programs under a new mutual recognition arrangement that was recently signed, Acting CBP Commissioner Troy Miller said in a tweet Sept. 27. As a result of the MRA, goods exported by Indian Authorized Economic Operators will “enjoy enhanced trade facilitation at all the ports of entry in the USA,” the CBIC said.
Members of the World Trade Organization Information Technology Agreement should expand the ITA’s list of covered products to include more than 250 additional information and communications technology goods, the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation said in a September report. The foundation said this new and third expansion of the ITA -- called the “ITA-3” -- would eliminate tariffs on a range of evolving ICT goods and “generate tangible economic growth” for major trading nations, including the U.S., China, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea and others.
Mexico's President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was asked at his Sept. 2 press conference if it would be better to reach an agreement among Canada, the U.S. and Mexico on the question of the interpretation of auto rules of origin. López Obrador said.that it would be better to reach agreement without having to convene a dispute settlement panel, and added, "I don't think it will go that far; an agreement is to be reached soon." The countries could also try mediation or conciliation instead of a panel if consultations are unsuccessful.
China's ambassador said that if the Senate's China package or the EAGLE Act that passed the House become law, " they will hijack China-U.S. relations and gravely damage America's own interests." Qin Gang, who spoke at the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations Aug. 31, said these bills were formed out of misunderstanding China, disinformation about China, and "no knowledge."
Tariff rate quotas of 30% imposed in 2018 under a global safeguard tariff against solar cells and solar panels were legal under international trade law, a panel at the World Trade Organization announced. The Section 201 tariffs fell to 25%, then 20%, and were supposed to fall to 15% in 2021, but are at 18% instead (see 1711010040 and 2010130028).
The Central America-Dominican Republic Apparel and Textile Council says that while job growth in its industry is "an important part of any solution addressing the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States," it disagrees with some critics of the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR), who note that exports have not grown since the trade agreement has been in effect, and says a looser apparel rule of origin is needed (see 2104140047 and 2107210039).
Less than two weeks after the U.S. and Mexico announced a resolution to a Rapid Response Mechanism complaint over labor violations at a General Motors plant in Mexico (see 2107090019), the second vote at the plant in Silao resulted in a rejection of the protection union. The complaint was brought because that same protection union did ballot-stuffing and intimidated workers during the first vote, advocates said.
The Mexican government says the U.S. has agreed to immediately work to schedule visits of U.S. authorities to Mexico to review how commercial fishing of shrimp is protecting endangered sea turtles. The U.S. banned the import of shrimp from Mexico earlier this year over the issue (see 2105040034). Mexico sent its agriculture secretary and the head of the National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission, among others, to argue for the lifting of the ban. “The Mexican delegation shows the importance that the President of Mexico gives to this issue, something that was recognized by the representatives of the United States,” Mexico said in an Aug. 12 news release, according to an unofficial translation.