Reps. Darin LaHood, R-Ill., and Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, both members of the House Ways and Means Committee, announced last week that they have sent two letters to the Biden administration calling for more action to promote U.S. biofuel exports.
The U.S. ambassador to Canada and the Canadian ambassador to the U.S. said trade cooperation between the two countries -- each is the other's top trading partner -- is crucial, but their tone on the NAFTA replacement was slightly different.
Twenty-two Republican senators -- including the top Republicans on the Senate Finance and Agriculture committees and one of the front-runners to replace Minority Leader Mitch McConnell -- argue that the "current sharp decline in U.S. agricultural exports is directly attributable to and exacerbated by an unambitious U.S. trade strategy that is failing to meaningfully expand market access or reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade."
House Republican conservatives introduced a bill to restrict outbound investment in Chinese tech companies, require the administration to impose sanctions "on entities knowingly engaging in a pattern of theft of American IP," and impose sanctions on "Chinese officials and entities until they have stopped the flow of deadly fentanyl, and we’ve determined that fentanyl overdoses/deaths have dropped by 98%." It also said the administration must sanction "Chinese apps that steal U.S. citizens’ data and protect personal health data from China."
Mexican Economy Secretary Raquel Buenrostro said in Mexico this week that if the U.S. reimposes 25% tariffs on Mexican steel exports over alleged surges, Mexico will retaliate. Mexico's steel exports are only 2.5% of the U.S. market, and U.S. steel exports are 14% of the Mexican market, so the U.S. has more to lose if Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel return, she said.
Reps. Max Miller, R-Ohio, and Angie Craig, D-Minn., led 20 other House members on a letter to administration officials expressing concern that a lack of a strategy to open markets through free trade agreements is leading to a trade deficit in agriculture. The authors noted that the U.S. had an agricultural trade surplus for about 60 years, until recently.
The Agriculture Trade Caucus asked the administration to negotiate market-access trade agreements, saying it needs "to proactively engage and secure enforceable, high-standard agreements with our trading partners to ensure our farmers and ranchers can compete globally on a level playing field."
U.S. priorities during the World Trade Organization's upcoming 13th Ministerial Conference should center on extending the moratorium on e-commerce duties and advancing the second wave of talks on curbing harmful fisheries subsidies, witnesses said at a Feb. 7 hearing of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade.
As Josh Kagan leaves as assistant U.S. trade representative for labor, USTR Katherine Tai announced that Katy Mastman will replace him in an acting capacity. Tai said, "Josh’s leadership has been instrumental in our successful use of the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism and work to eradicate forced labor in supply chains."
The Biden administration this week updated its guidance for companies doing business in Myanmar with new industry sectors and business activities that may lead to sanctions evasion, export control violations or other supply chain risks. The update now specifically mentions Myanmar’s rare earth elements; base metals and gold; timber; and aviation services industries, and warns companies about goods being diverted to military end uses and end users in the country; risks posed by financial services provided by state-owned banks; and ongoing forced labor and human rights abuses against Myanmar workers.