Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Jayme White emphasized the importance of Mexico blocking the import of goods made with forced labor, the importance of a science- and risk-based regulatory approval process for agricultural biotechnology, implementation of labor reform and the importance of hearing from stakeholders as new regulations are developed, according to a readout of his Aug. 23 meeting with Mexico's Under Secretary for Foreign Trade, Luz Maria de la Mora. The Mexican government didn't release a readout of what was discussed during the video call.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will meet with top government officials from countries participating in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity Sept. 8 in Los Angeles, USTR announced. This will be the first in-person meeting since the IPEF was launched. The ministers will talk about trade; supply chains; clean energy, decarbonization, and infrastructure; and tax and anti-corruption.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments on Russia's implementation of its World Trade Organization obligations, so it can prepare its annual report to Congress on the subject. Written comments and requests to testify at a virtual public hearing are due by Sept. 21 at 11:59 p.m. EDT; the virtual hearing will be held Oct. 4 at 9 a.m. EDT. Comments can be submitted via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2022-0011.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, speaking at the United Steelworkers convention, told union leaders and members explicitly that the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity is not a repeat of the Trans-Pacific Partnership. She said the administration learned lessons from TPP, and "[b]ecause of that, tariff elimination is not on the table."

The U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments at regulations.gov on what its officials should talk to Kenya about in the areas of:

The Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru told CBP to continue to block timber imports from Inversiones WCA E.I.R.L. (WCA), a Peruvian exporter, because a Peruvian investigation found that WCA is selling illegally harvested timber. The ban began two years ago.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is setting fiscal year 2023 country allocations for imports under tariff-rate quotas for cane sugar and refined sugars. The FY23 import TRQ for raw cane sugar was established at 1,117,195 metric tons raw value (MTRV), the minimum amount to which the U.S. is committed under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Uruguay Round Agreements (see 2207080043). The USTR now allocates this TRQ among supplying countries and customs areas, as follows:

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai asked for consultations with Mexico over a 2021 amendment to Mexico's Electric Power Industry Law that privileges the state-owned electric utility, and over 2019 and June 2022 actions that privilege PEMEX, Mexico's state-owned oil and gas company.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that all the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) partner countries met July 13 and 14 in Singapore for the first real discussions of the issues covered by the framework. The agency said the 165 delegates had positive and constructive dialogue.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that as a result of a labor rights complaint under USMCA, a Panasonic plant's management reimbursed workers for dues it had deducted for a union contract that workers did not choose, and negotiated a contract with an independent union that would provide a "significant wage increase."