Senior trade officials from 29 World Trade Organization member states called for the “swift” appointment of a new WTO director-general and the restoration of the nonfunctioning dispute settlement system (see 2012110032), during a Jan. 29 virtual ministerial meeting, according to a summary released by Guy Parmelin, president of Switzerland and host for the meeting. The officials -- representing the U.S., China, Japan, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Kenya and others -- also stressed the importance of maintaining open trade during the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery period.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire issued a readout of his call with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, saying they heartily agree a multilateral global solution should be found on taxing multinational firms, and that American officials will engage at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to that end. He also said they both think trade tensions between France and the U.S. should be reduced, and said he emphasized the damaging tariffs on French wines. Those are part of the 25% tariff target list to punish the European Union for subsidizing Airbus aircraft launches. The Treasury Department did not issue its readout of the call.

The European Union wants to work with America on ways to develop Artificial Intelligence standards, design a carbon adjustment border mechanism and stockpile medicines and personal protective gear in a way that lessens dependency on certain Asian countries, its ambassador to the U.S. said on a webinar hosted by the European American Chamber of Commerce

China warned President Joe Biden not to follow the same adversarial path that the Trump administration took on China policies, urging the new administration to help strengthen bilateral relations in an “objective and rational manner.” Biden should “learn from the Trump administration’s lessons where they carried out the wrong policies on China,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Jan. 26. The countries have “broad common interests and shoulder special, major responsibilities in safeguarding world peace and stability.” China’s comments came one day after the White House said it views China as a strategic competitor and will work to counter the country’s illegal trade practices (see 2101250049).

The World Customs Organization announced additional changes to the upcoming 2022 edition of the Harmonized System that were recently agreed upon as corrections and amendments to the initial text announced in January 2020 (see 2001290033). The additional changes include corrections throughout the classification scheme, as well as amendments to chapters 21, 24, 26, 29, 67, 84, 88 and 97. While the latest version of the HS, released every five years, takes effect Jan. 1, 2022, these additional amendments will not be binding until Jan. 1, 2023, though parties to the HS are “encouraged” to apply them beginning in 2022, the WCO said.

Mexican workers who do not have U.S. work visas should be given coronavirus vaccines, Mexico's foreign minister said during a news conference Jan. 13. Marcelo Ebrard also said his country would turn to the USMCA's labor chapter to make sure that happens. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not respond to a request for comment.

Lens Technology, a major supplier for Apple, is said to have used Uighur workers in the Xinjiang region of China, The Washington Post reported Dec. 29. Lens Technology and Apple didn't respond to requests for comment.

The Ottawa Group, which includes the European Union, Japan, Brazil, Korea, Mexico, Switzerland, Canada and others, is arguing that a coordinated global response is needed to COVID-19, including cooperating on vaccine distribution, and trade in other medical supplies, and says regulatory compatibility on these goods should be improved so that the world will be ready for the next pandemic.

Ambassadors to the World Trade Organization said they're hoping the new Joe Biden administration will line up behind Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala for director-general, and will get serious about finding a way to resuscitate the Appellate Body, though they acknowledged the latter may have to wait for the COVID-19 crisis in America to subside. Ambassadors from Canada, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Switzerland spoke on a webinar Dec. 11 hosted by the Washington International Trade Association.

China's President Xi Jinping on Nov. 25 congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on his election, the Chinese Embassy in Washington reported. Promoting “healthy and stable development” of China-U.S. relations “serves the fundamental interests of the people in both countries” and “meets the common expectation of the international community,” Xi's message to Biden said, the embassy said. “Xi said he hopes that the two sides will uphold the spirit of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation.” The Biden transition team didn’t comment.