Fifteen former chairpersons of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers sent a letter (here) to President Donald Trump on July 12 urging his administration not to impose tariffs on steel pursuant to the ongoing Commerce Department-led Section 232 investigation into steel imports. “Among us are Republicans and Democrats alike, and we have disagreements on a number of policy issues,” they said. “But on some policies there is near universal agreement. One such issue is the harm of imposing tariffs on steel imports.” The former officials cited “media reports” indicating Trump is considering using his Section 232 authority to impose tariffs on steel because of a “putative threat to national security.” Top source steel countries are allies, including Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Brazil, and higher tariffs would likely harm U.S. relations with “these friendly nations,” after Canadian, United Kingdom, EU, German and Dutch officials have already expressed concerns about possible results of the probe, they said.

President Donald Trump on July 11 sent to the Senate the nomination of Dennis Shea to serve as deputy U.S. trade representative for Geneva, the White House announced (here). Shea is vice chairman of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, and has been chairman or vice chairman each year since 2012, working as a member of the commission since 2007. Shea was previously assistant secretary for policy development and research at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

President Donald Trump postponed the termination date of sanctions on the property and interests of the Sudanese government, and of prohibitions on imports from and exports to the country, from July 12 to Oct. 12, the White House said (here). The Office of Foreign Assets Control is continuing a general license broadly authorizing most transactions banned by the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations, but the license doesn’t greenlight transactions prohibited with Sudanese individuals or entities in connection with the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region, OFAC said in answers to a list of frequently asked questions (here) posted July 12. Former President Barack Obama signed an executive order on Jan. 13 to lift sanctions on Sudan by July 12 (see 1701130025). “While the Government of Sudan has made some progress in areas identified in [Obama’s] Executive Order 13761, I have decided that more time is needed for this review to establish that the Government of Sudan has demonstrated sufficient positive action across all of those areas,” Trump said in a July 11 message to Congress detailing the changes (here).

President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on July 3 discussed trade issues, including global steel overcapacity, just a few days before the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, starts on July 7, the White House said of the phone call (here).

President Donald Trump reiterated his “determination” to gain more balanced trade relations with U.S. trading partners on a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping July 2, the White House said in an announcement (here). The U.S. had a $350 billion trade deficit in goods with China in 2016.

President Donald Trump on June 29 sent to the Senate the nomination of House Ways and Means Committee Democratic Minority Chief Trade Counsel Jason Kearns to serve on the International Trade Commission until Dec. 16, 2024 (see 1703020078), the White House said (here).

President Donald Trump intends to renominate House Ways and Means Committee Democratic Minority Chief Trade Counsel Jason Kearns to serve on the International Trade Commission until Dec. 16, 2024, the White House said (here). Trump withdrew Kearns’ nomination in February, after former President Barack Obama submitted the nomination in January (see 1703020078). Trump has tapped Kearns to serve out the remainder of former ITC commissioner Dean Pinkert’s nine-year term, which Pinkert vacated when he retired Feb. 28, according to an ITC spokeswoman. By law, the six-member commission can have no more than three members from one political party.

President Donald Trump during a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi June 26 said it is “important” for the U.S. to reduce its trade deficit with India, and for India to remove barriers to U.S. exports, the White House said (here). Trump added that the U.S. is looking forward to exporting more energy to India as its economy grows, including “major long-term contracts” to buy U.S. natural gas, which are currently being negotiated. “We will sign them,” Trump said. “Trying to get the price up a little bit.” Trump and Modi also spoke about strengthening the bilateral trade and manufacturing partnership, “which we believe will be mutually beneficial to us,” Modi said.

President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Robert Wood Johnson to be U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom (here). Johnson is CEO of The Johnson Company, a New York-based private asset management firm, and an owner of the New York Jets. He has also served on the President’s Export Council.

Exports of agricultural commodities, medicines and medical devices to Cuba consistent with the Trade Sanctions Reform and Export Enhancement Act of 2000 will be expressly exempt from the Trump administration’s policy to ban sales to entities under the control or that act on behalf of the Cuban military or intelligence service, according to a June 16 White House policy memo (here). Among other things, the 2000 statute bans U.S. financing of agricultural exports to Cuba, except for pre-transport cash payments or payments from third-party financial institutions. President Donald Trump rolled out changes to U.S. economic policy toward Cuba on June 16, to include diversion of purchases away from the Cuban military while allowing U.S. individuals and entities to develop economic ties with the private small business sector in Cuba (see 1706160042).