Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Wendy Cutler concluded on July 18 three days of Trans-Pacific Partnership auto trade negotiations without announcing any significant breakthroughs in the talks. The two sides made “steady progress” in the talks but gaps remain, said USTR. Through the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Obama administration is aiming to liberalize the historically closed Japanese auto market by dismantling a number of non-tariff barriers, but the U.S. and Japan don't see eye to eye on a number of areas (see 14050123). USTR did not announce any date for auto talks to resume.
The U.S. and Japan will continue to negotiate in the coming weeks on agricultural market access in the Trans-Pacific Partnership following two days of talks between Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Wendy Cutler and senior Japanese trade negotiator Hiroshi Oe in Washington, D.C. The next summit is scheduled for Aug. 4-5 in Washington, D.C., said the Office of the USTR in a statement. The statement said the two officials made progress in narrowing negotiating gaps, but did not announce any significant breakthrough. The Obama administration has publicly called for comprehensive elimination of agriculture tariffs in the agreement, but many analysts and lawmakers argue that's unlikely (see 14060404). Japanese officials are still protesting tariff elimination on more than 500 tariff lines, according to the most recent public updates.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) appellate body’s rejection of Indian claims that the U.S. violates the “facts available” provisions in the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (here) represents a significant gain for U.S. companies, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in a statement. The panel issued its decision (here) on July 14 in the case involving U.S. countervailing duties on Indian hot-rolled carbon steel flat products (see 14071423). India had argued that U.S. law that allows for the U.S. of “facts available” when companies do not cooperate with the investigation is inconsistent with the multilateral agreement, said USTR. The U.S. responded that the agreement does not specify which facts should be selected in such circumstances, and therefore U.S. law is not in violation.
A group of 14 House Democrats renewed a call for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to stop incorporating reexports in monthly export data, calling the practice an artificial inflation and manipulation of the statistics. The lawmakers, led by vocal trade policy critics Reps. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., George Miller, D-Calif., and Louise Slaughter, D-N.Y., lambasted the way USTR uses Census Bureau trade data in a letter to USTR Michael Froman. Should USTR decide to continue the practice, the lawmakers threatened to oppose both Trade Promotion Authority and Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) implementation legislation.
The U.S., along with 12 other nations and the European Union (EU), launched negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland on July 8, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said. Negotiators will now meet regularly to try to hammer out a deal in a “timely” fashion, said the participants in a joint statement published by USTR. The statement did not give a specific time target for conclusion of negotiations. The other 12 parties to the talks are Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland and Taiwan.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is urging China to make preliminary concessions toward expanding the Information Technology Agreement (ITA) aimed at restarting stalled negotiations prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) convention in November, said USTR chief Michael Froman during a July 7 conference call with reporters. Froman said China is able to concede valuable products for tariff elimination as part of a future ITA expansion deal during the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue this week in Beijing. “This is an area where concrete progress would have potential positive spillover effects into other negotiations between us, whether it’s the bilateral investment treaty discussions or other international negotiations,” said Froman. “We think it's well within China’s grasp to make progress at the [Dialogue] if they so choose to do so.” U.S. and Chinese officials began negotiations about a year ago.
U.S. and Jordanian officials met on July 2 to review implementation of the labor mandates in the U.S.-Jordan free trade agreement, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The two sides signed the Labor Implementation Plan in 2013 to address anti-union discrimination against foreign workers and the conditions of their accommodations in Jordanian garment factories, along with gender discrimination and harassment. USTR did not elaborate on specific negotiation outcomes or topics during the meeting.
The U.S. and South Korea harmonized effective July 1 labeling regimes for organic processed products certified in both countries, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said. The equivalency agreement is intended to foster greater market opportunities in South Korea for U.S. organic farmers, processors, and businesses, by eliminating the need for two sets of fees, inspections, and paperwork, along with other barriers, said USTR. The agreement covers organic condiments, cereal, baby food, frozen meals, milk, and other processed products, USTR said. The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the South Korean National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service will likely lead oversight on the agreement, the agency added.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will continue to work with Tunisian officials to address organic product certification, strengthen cooperation in sectors such as olive oil and handicrafts, and collaborate on quick implementation of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade Facilitation, said USTR in a June 17 statement. A U.S. delegation, led by Assistant USTR for Europe and the Middle East Daniel Mullaney, met with Tunisian counterparts in Tunis on June 16 under the U.S.- Tunisia Trade and Investment Council framework. During the summit, the officials discussed market access, services, investment, and intellectual property rights. USTR did not elaborate on the details of the negotiations. USTR pledged to convene with Tunisian officials to review bilateral progress before the end of 2014.
U.S. trade officials met with Central Asian counterparts on June 10 to discuss customs coordination, sanitary measures and other bilateral trade and investment issues, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) said in a statement. The meetings, held under the U.S.-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, targeted the facilitation of increased trade flows through 2015, said USTR. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan are partners in the agreement. The Office of USTR did not elaborate further on details of the meetings.