70-40-197-127.unifiedlayer.com Open in urlscan Pro
70.40.197.127  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

GET http://americastradepolicy.com/

<form class="form-search" method="get" id="searchform" action="http://americastradepolicy.com/">
  <fieldset>
    <span class="text">
      <input type="text" value="" name="s" id="s">
    </span>
    <input class="submit" type="submit" id="searchsubmit" value="">
  </fieldset>
</form>

Text Content

 * 


AMERICA'S TRADE POLICY

Subscribe:
 * rss
 * mail-to

 * About
   * WITA
   * Advisory Committee
 * NextGenTrade™
   * NextGenTrade™ Content
   * NextGenTrade™ Events
   * NextGen Voices
 * Blogs
   * TPP/TTIP
   * WTO Negotiations and Issues
   * Bilateral Issues
   * Agriculture
   * Labor
   * Environment
   * Trade Data
   * U.S. Policies
   * TPA
   * Development
   * Foreign Policy
   * Interviews
   * Bill Lane Commentary
   * Archive
 * Research Library
   * Topics
   * Dictionary
   * Trade Acronyms
   * Video Library
   * TPP Videos
 * Contact
 * Advertise on WITA & ATP
 * Subscribe


AMERICA'S TRADE POLICY


WHAT WE’RE TWEETING




 * MODERNIZING NAFTA FOR 21ST CENTURY WORKERS
   
    Although President Trump promised that the revised [NAFTA] will yield more
   and better jobs, there is little evidence that policymakers are thinking
   creatively about how to use NAFTA to create such opportunities. And if the
   negotiations don’t succeed, Trump has threatened to withdraw from NAFTA,
   which could cause job loss for thousands of workers in all three countries.


 * HOW BLOCKCHAIN IS CHANGING TRACK AND TRACE
   
   In August last year, UK company Provenance announced a scheme to track tuna
   on the blockchain. In this pilot, Indonesian fishermen sent a text on the
   company’s blockchain-based app every time they successfully reeled one in.
   The fish was automatically registered as a digital asset that had been caught
   legally and sustainably. 


 * NAFTA: IT’S NOT GOING AWAY WITHOUT A FIGHT
   
   Will the U.S. withdraw from NAFTA? Should you move your operations out of
   Mexico? These are two of the most-asked questions these days. The short
   answer is that nobody—even people who say they do—knows for sure. The longer
   answer is complicated. It is probably “no” in both cases, but like all things
   these days, the answer takes longer than 140 characters to explain.


 * ARE GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS STILL THE FUTURE OF TRADE?
   
   After the initial rapid recovery from the Great Recession, global trade
   growth has slowed dramatically. There is as yet no consensus on the causes of
   the slowdown, or on its ultimate consequences. The maturing of global supply
   chains is one compelling explanation. 


next prev


 * LOSING GROUND: THE UNITED STATES, FREE TRADE AREAS, AND THE WORLD TRADE
   ORGANIZATION
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Guy Erb & Scott Sommers  // Wednesday, May 2, 2018
   
   WASHINGTON, DC – April, 2018  Over the past twenty-five years US production
   and export of goods and services have flourished while technological
   innovation and competition from imports have reduced employment in some US
   manufacturing industries. In response to the undoubted problems of some
   industries and to concerns about the US deficit in traded goods, the Trump
   Administration withdrew from the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP); repeatedly
   threatened to withdraw from the North American Free Trade Area (NAFTA);
   stated its strong preference for bilateral trade agreements; highlighted a
   long-standing US criticism of the dispute settlement procedures of the World
   Trade Organization (WTO); and announced tariff increases to protect US
   producers of washing machines, solar panels, aluminum, and steel. Taken
   together, those actions threaten a reversal of the trade policies that the
   United States has pursued for over eighty years. The likely results would be
   a weaker US economy and reduced US access to global markets.
   
   The responsibility for the retrenchment doesn’t fall entirely on today’s
   policy makers. For many years the US Congress, federal and state governments,
   and corporations have failed to provide adequate support and retraining to
   the US workers and communities adversely affected by technology and trade. We
   should not be surprised by grass roots hostility to international trade.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on Losing Ground: the United States, Free Trade Areas, and
      the World Trade Organization
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: America's Trade Agreements, Globalization, Trade Policy, U.S.
   Policies


 * TRUMP, TRADE WARS, AND THE FORGOTTEN MAN
   
   ›
   Share |
   By C. Donald Johnson  // Tuesday, April 17, 2018
   
   WASHINGTON, DC – April, 2018–In a tweet that reads like “Newspeak” from
   Orwell’s 1984, President Trump declares: “Trade wars are good, and easy to
   win.” 
   
   In truth, of course, both assertions are dangerously wrong, though emblematic
   of the president’s contempt for the system of trade rules built under
   American leadership out of the wreckage of war to bring economic stability
   and prevent trade wars.  Trump’s take on trade is an old refrain.  On
   election night 2016, he promised: “The forgotten man will never be forgotten
   again.”  His populist rhetoric isn’t original. He has borrowed an old fraud
   used on the working class for political purposes and simply repackaged it for
   a modern sale.
   
   Throughout the Gilded Age, from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of
   the Great Depression, monopolist robber barons colluded with corrupt
   politicians to maintain prohibitive tariffs under the plea that import
   protection was needed for the prosperity of the workingman.  As the argument
   went, even marginally lower tariff rates—often exaggerated as “free
   trade”—would lead to the “pauper wages” of Europe.  Generations of industry
   lobbyists and plutocrats have obtained protection from government under the
   pretense of helping the working class. 
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on Trump, Trade Wars, and the Forgotten Man
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * ON THE CURRENT STATE OF THE WORLD TRADING SYSTEM
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Alan Wolff  // Friday, April 6, 2018
   
   WASHINGTON, DC – April 4, 2018–My object today is to sort through the noiseof
   the current tempest over trade and to assess fundamentally where matters
   stand, how we came to be where we are at present, where the opportunities and
   challenges lie, and how best to proceed.
   
   The promise of Buenos Aires
   
   What I would most like to talk to you about today is the pathbreaking, and
   more to the point, path-finding WTO Ministerial meeting that took place a few
   short months ago in Buenos Aires in mid-December.
   
   Buenos Aires was phenomenally positive for the world trading system in terms
   of potential. An exceptionally important turning point was achieved. For the
   first time in modern memory, trading countries, members of the WTO, are able
   to address new horizons in the WTO without preconceived agreed notions as to
   outcomes or process.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on On the Current State of the World Trading System
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * THE DARK MATTER OF TRADE
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Ricardo Hausmann  // Thursday, March 29, 2018
   
   CAMBRIDGE –March 28, 2018–Donald Trump has argued that trade wars are easily
   won by the country with the deficit, because the other party has more to
   lose. But just as trade has moved from goods to services and on to knowledge,
   so may trade wars, with a tariff on steel answered by a tax on Amazon or
   Google.
   
    If you are flying a plane, it is useful to know how to keep it level. To do
   so, you must be able to read the instruments. If the plane is flying level,
   but you think it is heading down, you may pull back on the yoke and put the
   plane into a stall. This is what may be happening today with US trade policy.
   
   At the core of the problem are two questions: whether the United States has a
   trade deficit, and, if so, what to do about it. The Trump administration says
   the US does have a deficit, and that the solution is an easy-to-win trade
   war.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on The Dark Matter of Trade
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * BRICS-PLUS: ALTERNATIVE GLOBALIZATION IN THE MAKING?
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Yaroslav Lissovolik  // Friday, February 9, 2018
   
   MOSCOW–July, 2017 –Against the backdrop of waning integration impulses in the
   developed world, the largest developing economies are forging ahead with new
   initiatives directed at revitalizing regional integration. China in
   particular appears to exhibit activism in building new development
   institutions (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank–AIIB), mega-regional
   projects (‘One Belt One Road’) as well as new economic alliances across the
   globe. Nonetheless, in the past several years even as the activism of BRICS
   countries in building economic alliances across the globe has increased, the
   development of the BRICS formation itself lacked vigour.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on BRICS-Plus: Alternative Globalization in The Making?
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * THE BROKEN MULTILATERAL TRADE DISPUTE SYSTEM
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Terence P. Stewart  // Wednesday, February 7, 2018
   
   INTRODUCTION
   
   WASHINGTON, DC – February 7th, 2018 – The World Trade Organization (WTO) came
   into existence on January 1, 1995, twenty-three years ago. One significant
   new feature of the global trading system was a WTO dispute settlementsystem
   that provided both the opportunity for appeals from panel decisions and made
   the final decisions (whether by a panel or the Appellate Body) “binding,”
   i.e., the decision could not be blocked by the losing party. This was a major
   change from how disputes were handled and resolved under the General
   Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Over time, many WTO Members have
   expressed strong support for the dispute settlement system and general
   approval with its overall performance. Even so, many countries have also
   pointed to procedural and systemic problems in the functioning of the dispute
   settlement system. The United States, under various administrations –
   Republican and Democratic alike – has been in the forefront of such
   criticism. The concerns that prior Administrations expressed from time to
   time are receiving increased attention under the current Administration. One
   of the serious concerns which has been identified by the United States and
   other WTO Members is the increasing tendency of the dispute settlement
   process to displace or erode the negotiation function of the WTO. U.S. Trade
   Representative Lighthizer highlighted this concern in December 2017 at the
   WTO ministerial (MC11) in Buenos Aires.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on The Broken Multilateral Trade Dispute System
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * UNDERSTANDING THE DECLINE OF U.S. MANUFACTURING EMPLOYMENT
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Susan N. Houseman  // Friday, February 2, 2018
   
   KALAMAZOO, MI–January, 2018–The manufacturing sector experienced a
   precipitous and historically unprecedented decline in employment in the
   2000s, which coincided with a surge in imports, weak growth in exports, and a
   yawning trade deficit. The plight of U.S. manufacturing featured prominently
   in the 2016 presidential election, with candidates Donald Trump and Bernie
   Sanders arguing that globalization had severely damaged U.S. factories. This
   argument resonated in many American communities and may have played a role in
   the election of President Trump.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on Understanding the Decline of U.S. Manufacturing Employment
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * FREE TRADE OR WOMEN’S RIGHTS?
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Kate Lappin  // Friday, January 12, 2018
   
   CHIANG MAI, THAILAND–January, 2018–After 30 years of neoliberal
   globalization, it has been increasingly acknowledged that austerity,
   privatization, deregulation of finance, markets and corporations, and trade
   and investment liberalization have had a devastating and discriminatory
   impact on women. United Nations experts, treaty bodies and international
   nongovernmental organizations have heard the persistent critiques of civil
   society groups and recognize that neoliberalism has a discriminatory and
   adverse impact on women. In a remarkable turnaround, even the International
   Monetary Fund is now conscious of the evidence that neoliberal policies are
   driving inequalities. It is now clear that neoliberalism is sexist and is
   simply incapable of supporting gender equitable and just sustainable
   development.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on Free Trade or Women’s Rights?
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * STARTED THE DIGITAL TRADE WARS HAVE: DELINEATING THE REGULATORY BATTLEGROUNDS
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Dan Ciuriak & Maria Ptashkina  // Tuesday, January 9, 2018
   
   GENEVA –January 9, 2018–The digital transformation has facilitated old modes
   of trade and business models and enabled the creation of entirely new ones.
   This piece suggests a classification of the modes in which trade is conducted
   as it progressively shifts into the digital or digitally-facilitated realm.
   The authors further identify the areas where resistance has been encountered
   and introduce the approaches taken by the major digital economy players in
   framing regulations for digital and digitally-enabled trade.
   
   Net neutrality, data localisation, privacy, and conditions of competition are
   just a few of the regulatory battlegrounds in the digital trade wars that
   have been brewing with the digital transformation. The war is global in scope
   and the stakes are high. The opening manoeuvres include a proclamation by the
   United States that data must be free to flow across borders and a move to
   dismiss net neutrality, advantaging its Hanseatic League of superstar firms
   that dominate the Cloud and the Web. This has been countered by China with
   its Great Digital Firewall, behind which, ever playing the long game, it is
   grooming its own national champions. The European Alliance, although
   distracted by political fissures, has moved to tax income flows generated in
   the digital realm while it formulates strategies to defend its interests – if
   only it could define exactly what those are. The talk goes on. The small open
   economies meet in council to weigh their options for alignment. And, yes,
   there is a rag-tag network of digital warriors, whose pens are mightier than
   their swords, mobilising to defend the threatened Digital Commons from
   Imperial enclosure and thereby to ward off the dystopias that litter Netflix.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on Started the digital trade wars have: Delineating the
      regulatory battlegrounds
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization


 * THE PROTECTIONIST’S PROGRESS: YEAR 1
   
   ›
   Share |
   By Uri Dadush  // Wednesday, December 13, 2017
   
   December 2017
   
   Excerpt from the paper “The Protectionist’s Progress: Year 1”  by Uri Dadush,
   OCP Policy Center.
   
   The full study can be found at http://www.ocppc.ma
   
   
   ABSTRACT
   
   President Trump’s actions on trade have not quite matched his rhetoric, but
   the worst may be
   to come. Though the political opposition to his protectionism is formidable,
   so are his conviction
   and determination and he possesses a wide array of instruments to pursue his
   goals. The trade
   doctrine he has espoused makes for trade policy instability both at home and
   abroad. It may lead
   to a large deterioration in the operating environment of international
   business. America’s trade dependent
   industries and her trading partners should not wait. They need to anticipate
   and deter
   the administration’s actions. Policies must be adjusted to minimize the
   damage to world trade.
   
   
   
   MORE
    * Comments Off on The Protectionist’s Progress: Year 1
    * MAKE A COMMENT
   
   Topics: Globalization, Trade Policy, U.S. Policies

Older Posts Home
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
View full site


DAILY TRADE NEWS







U.S. FILES COMPLAINTS WITH WTO AGAINST TRADING PARTNERS




The U.S. fired back at lawsuits other countries have filed with the World Trade
Organization over Trump steel and aluminum tariffs, escalating a trade dispute
with some of America’s closest allies.









MEXICO’S PRESIDENT-ELECT CALLS FOR NAFTA AGREEMENT IN LETTER TO TRUMP




Mexico president-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called on U.S. President
Donald Trump to pursue renewed North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations
aimed at a final agreement including all three countries in the pact.









THREE TAKES ON TRUMP TRADE POLICY




The tumult President Donald Trump has unleashed on global trade has left both
markets and politicians wondering where he is going with this. There have been
three main schools of thought, each leading to very different predictions about
the future. One school is now defunct, one is popular, and one is correct.









EUROPE COULD SUFFER COLLATERAL DAMAGE IN US-CHINA TRADE WAR




European businesses are unsettled as they watch the U.S. and China collide over
trade. And for good reason: the nascent global trade war could represent the
biggest single threat to the economic upswing that has helped the region get
past its financial crisis.









WANT TO WIN THE TRADE WAR? LONG THE DOLLAR




Trade wars are good, and easy to win — that’s a Donald Trump assertion which is
giving succor to dollar bulls.They see the greenback as a better haven than gold
should the tariff tit-for-tat intensify. Four months after the U.S. president
shocked equity markets with his vision of higher duties on imports to America,
investors are discovering catalysts that should help the nation’s currency
withstand trade turbulence better than gold.









AIRBUS CEO ENDERS: WE’RE WORRIED A GLOBAL TRADE WAR WILL UNDERMINE AIR TRAFFIC




Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders said on Wednesday he is worried an escalation
in a U.S. trade dispute with other countries could trigger retaliation that
could impact air traffic. “Of course we’re worried if this escalates,” Enders
told reporters following a visit with employees at a Bombardier plane factory
near Montreal. “If there are retaliatory measures … this could impact air
traffic. We very much hope this is not going to be the case.”









TRADE WAR WINNER IS WHO LOSES LEAST AS U.S. DUTIES LOOM




U.S. President Donald Trump’s assertion that trade wars are “good, and easy to
win” is fake news if economists are to be believed.









CHINA’S EXPORT GROWTH TO U.S. ABRUPTLY SLOWS AS TARIFFS NEAR




BEIJING—China’s customs agency unexpectedly issued trade data that showed growth
in exports to the U.S. slowing, though analysts dismissed the figures as part of
Beijing’s messaging campaign in its tariff battle with Washington.









JPMORGAN WARNS A TRADE WAR MAY TRIGGER CHINA CORPORATE DEFAULTS




An escalation of trade tensions could add to defaults in China’s financial
system, which is already in the midst of a deleveraging campaign, according to
JPMorgan Chase & Co.









TRADE FIGHT THREATENS FARM BELT BUSINESSES




Many farmers, who depend on shipments overseas for one-fifth of the goods they
produce, say they are anxious.









WORLD’S BIGGEST TRADING BLOC A STEP CLOSER AFTER TOKYO MEETING




Asian trade ministers took another step toward creating what could be the
world’s biggest trading bloc on Sunday, expressing hope that a deal could be
signed by the end of this year.









TRUMP STANDS FIRM ON TRADE, EVEN AS FOREIGN TARIFFS BEGIN KICKING IN




President Trump defiantly stood by his tariffs on Sunday as Canada hit back
hard, Mexico elected a new leader who seems prepared to confront him, and the
European Union issued a scathing condemnation of his policy as “in effect, a tax
on the American people.”









THE EU WILL REJECT THERESA MAY’S SINGLE MARKET FOR GOODS BREXIT PROPOSAL



The European Union will reject any Brexit deal which allows the UK to remain in
the single market for goods, a source close to the bloc’s negotiating team has
told Business Insider.









TARIFF THREATS PUMMEL YUAN IN ONE OF ITS WORST MONTHS ON RECORD



The Chinese yuan suffered one of its worst months on record, tumbling 3.4%
against the dollar in June and marking its largest monthly decline in nearly two
decades.









TRUMP WANTS ‘FREE AND OPEN TRADE’, BUT TARIFFS HAVE AN END GOAL: KUDLOW



While the White House’s chief economic adviser wouldn’t go as far as to say that
President Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs are a negotiating tactic to gain
leverage for a free trade system, he did acknowledge that the president has a
vision of free and open trade.









HARLEY RIDERS ARE AS POLITICALLY DIVIDED AS THE REST OF AMERICA



‘My love for HD won’t change,’ Hog-riding Clinton voter says.









MNUCHIN WINS A ROUND IN THE WHITE HOUSE BATTLE OVER CHINA



Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin won a battle inside the Trump administration
over trade policy this week after a series of setbacks as he tries to ease
economic tensions with China.









CHINA DEFENDS WTO RECORD AS TRADE FIGHT LOOMS



China defended its record in fulfilling commitments to the World Trade
Organization, while sidestepping U.S. criticisms that its market openings and
protection of intellectual property have fallen short.









THE US-CHINA TRADE SPAT ISN’T ENDANGERING THE GLOBAL SYSTEM, SAYS FORMER WTO REP



The U.S. and China may be ramping up their trade rhetoric in a series of
tit-for-tat threats, but Hong Kong’s former representative to the World Trade
Organization, Stuart Harbinson, says the system isn’t currently in danger.









CHINESE STOCKS GOT PUMMELLED AS INVESTORS GET SPOOKED BY TRUMP’S TRADE WAR



The escalation of trade tensions between the US, China, and numerous other major
economies, is having a significant negative impact on Chinese markets, with
stocks in the world’s second largest economy suffering major losses.









IN LOUISIANA, TRUMP’S TRADE WAR SPOOKS AMERICA’S BIGGEST PORT



To understand what a trade war means for America, go to the Mississippi. Follow
the mud-brown river past Louisiana’s chemical plants, oil refineries, granaries,
ports, and the rail networks and highways that spring from its fingers.









CHINA AND THE EU ARE TEAMING UP TO FIGHT BACK AGAINST TRUMP’S TRADE WAR



The European Union and China are teaming up to rewrite global trade rules, their
latest move in a wider fightback against the trade war Donald Trump has launched
as part of his “America First” agenda.The two powers usually find themselves on
opposite sides in economic disputes. The EU has long blamed China for flooding
its markets with cheap steel, and has imposed its own steep tariffs on Beijing.









CHINESE STOCKS ENTER BEAR MARKET AS TRADE WAR HEATS UP



The gloom is deepening for Chinese stocks. The benchmark Shanghai Composite slid
into bear market territory on Tuesday, closing more than 20% below its recent
high in January. The index fell 0.5% on the day.Chinese stocks have come under
pressure in recent weeks from concerns over an economic slowdown and an emerging
trade war with the United States.









THE TRADE WAR FINALLY GOT REAL: DEALBOOK BRIEFING



Corporate America is starting to stand against tariffs. President Trump’s trade
war is beginning to have a material impact on American businesses — but his
White House can’t seem to agree on what its next play should be.Harley-Davidson
said yesterday that it would move some production offshore. The reason: to avoid
European Union tariffs responding to those of the Trump administration.









GLOBAL STOCKS SLIDE AS TRADE TENSIONS THREATEN GROWTH



Global stocks headed lower Monday, as investors continued to parse the impact of
a trade spat between the U.S. and China. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 1.1% in the
European morning, with the trade-heavy German Dax down 1.4%. The automobile
sector, which analysts see as particularly exposed to trade, led the losses and
fell 2%.







TRUMP THREATENS TARIFFS ON EUROPEAN AUTO IMPORTS IN ESCALATION OF TRADE DISPUTE



President Trump on Friday reiterated his threat to place a hefty tariff on
automobiles imported from the European Union if the trading bloc doesn’t remove
tariffs placed on a variety of U.S. products as part of an escalating trade war
he triggered.









TRUMP WON’T PLAY BALL ON TRADE, SO EUROPE IS GOING STRAIGHT TO CHINA



With President Donald Trump shaking the world trade order, the European Union is
working with China to ensure that multilateral trade doesn’t come to an abrupt
end.









THE FED MADE A MOVE, TRADE WARS ARE ON, AND HOME PRICES OUT WEST ARE HEATING UP



The Federal Reserve lifted its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point
on Wednesday. That’s the second hike this year, and experts now predict a total
of four interest rate increases in 2018. Raising rates means the Fed has
confidence in the economy, but it can also make borrowing money more expensive.







STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: TRUMP TRADE FIGHT BRINGS JAPAN AND CHINA TOGETHER



President Donald Trump’s tough line on trade with China has finally given
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe something to agree with Beijing about.









POMPEO ISSUES A WARNING TO THE WORLD ON TRADE



Secretary of State Mike Pompeo went to the cradle of America’s car industry on
Monday and issued a tough warning to allies and adversaries alike, saying that
trading relationships with even close partners were “out of whack” and accusing
China of engaging in an “unprecedented level of larceny.”









SENATE BRACES FOR TRUMP SHOWDOWN OVER CHINESE TELECOM GIANT



The Senate is speeding toward a confrontation with President Trump over his plan
to revive the Chinese telecommunications giant ZTE.









EURO FALLS AND DOLLAR NEARS SEVEN-MONTH HIGH AS TRADE TENSIONS WEIGH



LONDON (Reuters) – The euro fell back toward three-week lows on Monday as the
escalating threat of a global trade war and a dispute in Germany’s governing
coalition weighed on the single currency.









U.S.-CHINA TRADE STANDOFF WEIGHS ON GLOBAL SHARES



Global stocks fell at the start of the week, as escalating trade tensions
between the U.S. and China weighed on investors’ risk appetite.









MARKETS SHRUG OFF TRUMP TRADE WAR



Stock markets have brushed off President Trump’s contentious performance at the
Group of Seven summit, continuing to climb despite increased concerns about an
escalating trade war.









CHINA’S ECONOMY IS SLOWING JUST AS TRUMP READIES A TRADE BEATING



China’s economy fell short of expectations and its central bank chose not to
follow the Federal Reserve in raising borrowing costs, adding fresh caution on
the outlook for global growth as trade tensions with the U.S. escalate.









DEMOCRATS POUNCE ON TRUMP TRADE WAR IN MIDTERMS



President Donald Trump’s “America first” trade crackdown increasingly has the
look of a first-rate campaign issue for Democrats in their uphill bid to take
the Senate this fall.









TRUMP’S TRADE WAR COULD MESS UP THE FED’S PLANS



The Federal Reserve is widely expected to raise interest rates on Wednesday for
the second time this year. But its plans going forward have been thrown into
confusion thanks to President Donald Trump.









CAN TRUMP COMMAND POLITICAL SUPPORT WITHOUT REAL PROGRESS ON TRADE AND N. KOREA?



President Trump is now embarked on two ambitious foreign policy initiatives —
redrawing the rules of international trade and defanging a nuclear-armed North
Korea — that represent significant personal gambles. The question is, can he
gain something politically from these efforts in the absence of demonstrable
accomplishments?









TARIFFS ON SUGAR, SHOES MEAN HIGHER COSTS FOR CONSUMERS



President Donald Trump rails about tariffs and paints the United States as a
victim of unfair trade practices, but experts in international commerce say the
reality is a lot murkier: We impose tariffs on a diverse array of imports — even
though some experts say American consumers would be better off without them.









ASIAN STOCKS EDGE HIGHER AND DOLLAR FIRMS; TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT IN THE SPOTLIGHT



Most major Asian markets closed higher on Tuesday as a landmark meeting between
U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took place in
Singapore and ahead of central bank meetings in the coming days.









THE RETURN OF THE POLITICAL-RISK TRADE



After a long period where investors mostly shrugged them off, political risks
are once again taking a front seat in moving markets.









HERE’S WHY STOCK-MARKET INVESTORS ARE SO RELAXED ABOUT TRADE WARS AND NORTH
KOREA



Investors remained nonchalant about rising prospects of a global trade war
following a weekend summit meeting of Group of Seven leaders that ended on an
astoundingly bitter note. It could be that traders simply have bigger concerns,
some of which might come into play as a week jam-packed with potential market
moving events gets under way.









EUROPEAN UNION LAUNCHES WTO CHALLENGE TO U.S. TARIFFS



BRUSSELS—The European Union fired its first shot Friday against U.S. steel and
aluminum tariffs, launching a World Trade Organization challenge and vowing
swift duties on American exports, in a sign that the bloc would go blow-for-blow
with President Donald Trump over trade.









CANADIAN DOLLAR HIT HARDEST AS TRADE WOES RESURFACE: INSIDE G-10



The Canadian dollar fell against all its major peers after U.S. President Donald
Trump revoked his support for a joint Group-of-Seven statement and criticized
his neighboring leader Justin Trudeau.









‘FOOL TRADE’: TRUMP CONTINUES TO RIP G7 IN TWEETSTORM



(CNN)-US President Donald Trump continued to excoriate his Group of 7 summit
allies in a series of tweets from Singapore, where he is due to meet North
Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a historic summit Tuesday.









JAPAN, US ARE WORKING ON THEIR FIRST TRADE TALKS IN JULY UNDER NEW FRAMEWORK



Japan and the United States are working to hold their first bilateral trade
talks under a new framework in July, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said, in a sign
Washington may ratchet up pressure on Tokyo to open up its markets.









TARIFFS AREN’T THE BIGGEST PROBLEM FOR AMERICAN EXPORTERS



President Donald Trump has complained about tariffs on American products while
imposing, or threatening, new ones on imports. Key trading partners are
responding with retaliatory tariffs of their own.









TRADE TENSIONS RISK UNDERMINING THE G-7



Pity the participants in the Group of Seven meeting this weekend.









THE BREXIT MYTH OF NO-STRINGS FRICTIONLESS TRADE



Take a wooden pallet and stick two sets of mundane goods on to it — Chinese
plastic cutlery and British cuddly toys. As it trucks towards Dover, ask
yourself the following question: how will this consignment enter the EU after
Brexit?









RECORD OIL EXPORTS HELP CUT U.S. TRADE GAP



The U.S. exported a record amount of oil and fuel in April, helping to narrow
the nation’s trade gap while giving the economy a lift.









CHINA SAYS IT DOES NOT WANT U.S. TRADE FRICTIONS TO ESCALATE



China’s Commerce Ministry said on Thursday that the country does not want an
escalation of trade frictions with the United States, and that some specific
progress was made in the latest round of talks that concluded over the weekend.









AS TARIFF SPAT HEATS UP, U.S. FARMERS FACE TIGHTER MARKETS



U.S. farmers, already losing sales to China, are facing new threats to sales in
other big overseas markets as trade tensions spread globally.









MEXICO HITS U.S. WITH TARIFFS, ESCALATING GLOBAL TRADE TENSIONS



WASHINGTON — Mexico hit back at the United States on Tuesday, imposing tariffs
on around $3 billion worth of American pork, steel, cheese and other goods in
response to the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum levies, further
straining relations between the two countries as they struggle to rewrite the
North American Free Trade Agreement.









GOP SENATORS WANT TO LIMIT TRUMP’S POWER ON TRADE



Senate Republicans worried about a possible trade war with U.S. allies Canada,
Mexico and the European Union are pushing a plan to give Congress the final say
over some trade actions.









TRADE TENSIONS, OIL PRICE SEEN AS THREAT TO GLOBAL GROWTH



The United States is pressing European allies to ready more NATO battalions,
ships and planes for combat, officials say, in a fresh move to shore up NATO’s
deterrence against a potential Russian attack.









U.S.-CHINA TRADE TALKS: Q&A WITH FORMER U.S. TRADE REP ON WHAT CEOS CAN EXPECT
GOING FORWARD



Facing the potential of a loss in profits and closed foreign markets amid a
U.S.-ignited trade war, farmers here are expressing anxiety about President
Donald Trump’s negotiations with a growing number of foreign nations.









THESE U.S. INDUSTRIES COULD FEEL THE BITE OF A TRADE WAR



President Donald Trump’s zeal for tariffs has yet to derail the global economic
outlook.









THESE U.S. INDUSTRIES COULD FEEL THE BITE OF A TRADE WAR



U.S. businesses are bracing for the impact of a potential trade battle between
the U.S. and some of its closest allies.









TRUMP ULTIMATELY WANTS A WORLD WITH NO TRADE TARIFFS: WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR



White House legislative director Marc Short told CNBC that President Donald
Trump wants trade to be on a “level playing field.”









TRUMP’S TRADE WAR IS ALREADY HURTING AMERICAN WHISKEY DISTILLERS



The consequences of the Trump administration’s steel and aluminum tariffs are
already being felt across global markets. But the makers of one iconic American
product say they stand to suffer more than most: bourbon whiskey distillers.









PRESIDENT TRUMP SAYS ERA OF UNFAIR TRADE DEALS “ARE OVER”



President Donald Trump says the days of the U.S. being taken advantage of in
trade deals “are over” in a harshly worded statement responding to Canadian
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s criticism of new steel and aluminum tariffs.









FORMER OFFICE DEPOT CEO: USING TARIFFS TO BOLSTER TRADE LEVERAGE IS WORKING FOR
TRUMP



President Donald Trump is imposing tariffs to bolster trade leverage — and it’s
working, Steve Odland, president and CEO of the Committee for Economic
Development, a Washington think tank, told CNBC.









TRUMP TRADE POLICIES THREATEN 2.6 MILLION US JOBS, CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAYS



President Trump’s strict stance on trade could put 2.6 million American jobs at
risk, the head of the Chamber of Commerce says.









ABE: JAPAN ‘CANNOT ACCEPT’ NEW TARIFFS ON U.S. AUTO IMPORTS



Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says his government “cannot accept” new U.S.
tariffs on imported automobiles, as is reportedly being considered as a possible
next move by the White House.









U.S. IS POISED TO IMPOSE STEEL AND ALUMINUM TARIFFS ON EUROPEAN UNION



WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is poised to impose steel and aluminum
tariffs on the European Union, and possibly on Canada and Mexico, this week when
a temporary exemption expires as trade talks remain at an impasse, according to
a person familiar with the White House discussions.









US FACTORIES SHIFT INTO ‘HIGHER GEAR’ DESPITE TRADE WORRIES, FED SAYS



U.S. factories ramped up production in late April and early May despite the risk
of a global trade war, but soft consumer spending kept the economy growing at a
moderate rate, the Federal Reserve reported on Wednesday.









TRUMP’S TRADE WAR WITH CHINA LOOKS LIKE IT’S BACK ON



It was just last week that US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the Trump
administration was going to hold off on hitting China with punishing new tariffs
as part of an effort to put “the trade war on hold.”









TRADE TENSIONS, OIL PRICE SEEN AS THREAT TO GLOBAL GROWTH



PARIS (AP) — An international economic watchdog says threatened new trade
barriers and rising oil prices could hurt long-awaited global economic growth.









CHINA SLAMS SURPRISE U.S. TRADE ANNOUNCEMENT, SAYS IT’S READY TO FIGHT



China on Wednesday lashed out at Washington’s unexpected statement that it will
press ahead with tariffs and restrictions on investments by Chinese companies,
saying Beijing was ready to fight back if Washington was looking to ignite a
trade war.









ROSS GOES FROM TRUMP ‘KILLER’ TO ‘PAST HIS PRIME’



Investor Wilbur Ross was brought into the administration as one of President
Donald Trump’s “killers” – but in recent months, the commerce secretary has been
increasingly marginalized, with his agency widely seen in the White House as a
mess.









TRUMP IS GIVING JAPAN’S SHINZO ABE A HARD TIME ON TRADE DESPITE THEIR PERSONAL
FRIENDSHIP



Tariffs on steel, threats of car import levies and intense pressure for a
two-way economic deal: despite warm personal ties, U.S. President Donald Trump
is giving Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe a decidedly tough time on trade.









EU SEEKS LAST-MINUTE TARIFF REPRIEVE TO AVOID TRADE TENSIONS



The Europen Union is seeking a last-minute deal witht he U.S. to avoid inflaming
global trade tensions as President Donald Trump prepares to impose tariffs on
steel and aluminum imports at the end of the month.









U.S.-CHINA TRADE TALKS: Q&A WITH FORMER U.S. TRADE REP ON WHAT CEOS CAN EXPECT
GOING FORWARD



Following threats of a trade war and new tariffs, the United States and China
appear to have agreed on a framework for a trade agreement.









WHITE HOUSE OFFICIAL: TRUMP COULD TAKE A HARDER LINE ON TRADE WITH CHINA NOW
THAT THE KIM JONG UN SUMMIT IS OFF



The cancellation of a summit between the United States and North Korea casts
doubt on prospects for trade negotiations between the U.S. and China – and could
result in the Trump administration taking a harder line on China, a White House
official told CNBC.









IN AUTO TARIFFS, A HIGH-STAKES GAME OF CHICKEN



Global auto makers have long touted their ability to turn on a dime: They can
ramp up or dial back production in response to the market. They say they can
even pivot from producing certain cars to SUVs at the same factory in a matter
of weeks.








GERMANY’S ANGELA MERKEL STRESSES DIALOGUE ON TRADE, TECH AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN
CHINA



(BEIJING) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday stressed the importance
of dialogue with China during a visit to Beijing that comes amid shared concerns
over trade with the United States and Washington’s rejection of the Iran nuclear
deal.








STOCKS SLIDE AS TRUMP CALLS OFF NORTH KOREA SUMMIT: MARKETS WRAP



U.S. stocks turned lower after President Donald Trump said his planned June
meeting with North Korea’s leader won’t take place. Treasuries extended gains
and the dollar fell.








TRUMP CALLS FOR NEW TARIFFS ON IMPORTED CARS AND TRUCKS, ESCALATING TRADE WARS



WASHINGTON — President Trump called for tariffs on imported cars, trucks and
auto parts Wednesday, potentially expanding to the auto industry the same
protectionist measures he’s threatened on aluminum and steel.








CHINA’S TRADE DEAL WITH U.S. LEAVES GERMANY SQUEEZED IN MIDDLE



China’s pledge to buy more American goods as part of a deal to avert a trade war
with the U.S. puts Germany on the spot. As China’s biggest European trading
partner, with a total volume of some $179 billion last year, Germany is first in
line to suffer the impact of any reduction in business.









NAFTA TALKS STALLED ON U.S. AUTO DEMANDS



Talks to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement have reached a
stalemate, with Mexico and the U.S. accusing one another of intransigence and
inconsistency after missing a key deadline.









WALL STREET OPENS LOWER AS OPTIMISM OVER TRADE TALKS RECEDES



Wall Street slipped at the open on Wednesday as U.S. President Donald Trump cast
fresh doubts over current U.S.-China trade talks and investors awaited a Federal
Reserve report for cues on pace of future interest rate hikes.









HERE’S WHAT FORTUNE 500 CEOS THINK ABOUT TRUMP’S POLICIES, THE GLOBAL ECONOMY,
AND FACEBOOK



The CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are an optimistic bunch this year, with the
majority seeing a stronger economy and increased employment, topped off by
reduced tax bills. Almost three-quarters believe the U.S. is the still best
place in the world to invest money. And most don’t see a recession hitting in
the next two years. What worries them? A possible trade war with China and
increased regulation (although most favor tougher regulation for Facebook).









RUSSIA ADOPTS BILL THAT COULD STYMIE TRADE WITH US



MOSCOW — Russia’s parliament on Tuesday adopted a wide-ranging bill that could
freeze crucial exports to the United States and imports to Russia from the U.S.
and other countries.









U.S. MAY SEEK TO REDUCE IMPORTS OF IDENTIFIED CRITICAL MINERALS



The Trump administration is expected to begin taking steps to ease the United
States’ dependency on imports of 35 minerals deemed by the Department of the
Interior to be critical to U.S. security and economic prosperity. Such steps are
likely to include efforts to reduce imports, boost domestic production, and find
viable alternatives.









CHINA PLANS UP TO $200 BILLION IN TRADE CONCESSIONS, BUT SKEPTICISM ABOUNDS



WASHINGTON — President Trump, facing an economic war with China and a momentous
meeting with North Korea, is considering a trade deal with Beijing that would
soothe tensions and clear the way for his historic encounter with Kim Jong-un.
But it would risk abandoning the president’s broader goal of punishing China for
years of pressuring American companies to hand over sensitive technology.








TRADE WAR FEARS EBB AS U.S., CHINA AGREE TO CONTINUE TALKS



BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington and Beijing both claimed victory on
Monday as the world’s two largest economies stepped back from the brink of a
global trade war and agreed to hold further talks to boost U.S. exports to
China.









THE LONG AND DIFFICULT ROAD TO A U.S.-U.K. TRADE DEAL



The British government has said it wants to leave the European Union’s customs
union so it can pursue trade deals elsewhere in the world. Of those, the biggest
prize would be an agreement with the U.S., the U.K.’s biggest national trading
partner.









HUAWEI PROBE ADDS TO U.S.-CHINA TRADE TENSION AHEAD OF TALKS



News of a broad U.S. investigation of Huawei Technologies Co. over possible Iran
sanctions violations adds to the tension over trade as senior U.S. officials
head to China in the coming days in hopes of a deal.









AHEAD OF MERKEL TRIP TO U.S., GERMANY DOWNBEAT ON TRADE TARIFFS



Germany expects U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminum products to kick in
on May 1, a senior government official said before Chancellor Angela Merkel
travels to Washington to meet U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday.









THE US DOLLAR IS BREAKING OUT THIS WEEK, BOOSTED BY TRADE TALKS AND HIGHER RATES



The dollar has been moving higher, crushing doubters and trading more on rising
U.S. interest rates than on President Donald Trump’s trade threats.The dollar
index was up a half percent Wednesday, to above 91 and it has gained nearly 2
percent in the past week.









TRUMP IS PUSHING HARD TO REACH NAFTA AGREEMENT, BOTH WITH TRADING PARTNERS AND
WITH CONGRESS



With critical political deadlines fast approaching, the Trump administration is
racing to strike a deal on a revamped North American Free Trade Agreement by
early May — with an eye toward forcing a congressional vote on a new pact by the
end of the year.









ENERGY, A BRIGHT SPOT IN NAFTA TALKS, BOGGED DOWN BY DISPUTE OVER RULE CHANGE



The Trump administration is at odds with American companies over a proposed rule
change to the North American Free Trade Agreement that is endangering a bright
spot—energy—in contentious treaty talks.









U.S. FUND MANAGERS BRACE FOR TRADE WAR WITH FOCUS ON PRICING POWER



NEW YORK (Reuters) – Investors’ fears of an all-out trade war between the United
States and China is prompting U.S. stock fund managers to hunt for companies
that can easily pass on higher costs to their consumers.









CHINA ‘WELCOMES’ MNUCHIN’S OFFER TO HOLD TRADE TALKS IN BEIJING



China said Sunday it would “welcome” direct trade talks with the United States
in Beijing.
“China has received a message from the US about its willingness to hold
bilateral trade talks in Beijing,” the Chinese Commerce Ministry said in a brief
statement Sunday. “China welcomes this move.”









U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR IS BAD NEWS FOR GOOGLE’S EXPANSION



In February, a Google executive appeared at a tech conference in Barcelona
touting a new, low-cost smartphone outfitted with a custom version of the
company’s popular mobile operating system.









CUBA’S CASTRO SHARPLY CRITICIZES TRUMP FOREIGN AND TRADE POLICY



HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba’s Raul Castro sharply criticized Donald Trump on
Thursday, saying the U.S. president’s foreign policy was “neo-colonial” and
unjustly punished trade partners like China and Europe, while seeking to isolate
Cuba and its allies.









U.S. QUESTIONS COSCO’S TAKEOVER OF CARGO TERMINAL IN LONG BEACH



A U.S. national-security review has raised concerns about Chinese state-run
conglomerate Cosco Shipping Holdings Co. taking control of a large container
terminal in Long Beach, Calif., according to people familiar with the matter.









TRADE CRITICS APPLAUD TRUMP ACTIONS, CRINGE AT RHETORIC



Fans of President Trump’s trade and tariff policies have to contend with a
persistent distraction to their efforts to shape the debate on the issue: Trump
himself.









CHINA HITS $957 MILLION U.S. SORGHUM TRADE WITH FRESH DUTY



China will impose temporary anti-dumping deposits on U.S. sorghum imports from
Wednesday, adding to trade tensions between the world’s biggest economies.
Soybean meal futures climbed on concerns the oilseed could be targeted next.









CHINA TAKING DIRECT AIM AT US WITH INDO-PACIFIC TRADE STRATEGY, EXPERT SAYS



Beijing’s plan to open up “China’s Hawaii” as a gateway for Indo-Pacific
investment and economic ties is an attempt to counter the United States’ efforts
to form alliances against China in the region, analysts say.









TRUMP IS CHANGING TRADE RULES BUT HE’S ONLY ONE MEMBER OF THE WTO, GLOBAL TRADE
BODY LEADER SAYS



President Donald Trump might be disrupting the status quo surrounding
international trade but he’s only one member of the World Trade Organization
(WTO), according to the executive director of its joint agency, the
International Trade Centre (ITC).









TOKYO FEARS TRUMP COULD LINK SECURITY WITH TRADE AT SUMMIT WITH ABE



TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could find his oft-touted close ties
with Donald Trump sorely tested at a summit this week in which Tokyo fears the
U.S. leader will to try to link vital security matters with touchy trade topics.









TRUMP SAYS U.S. COULD REJOIN TPP IF DEAL IMPROVED. HOW HARD WOULD IT BE?



SINGAPORE/WELLINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said last week he
would reconsider joining the landmark Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade
agreement, if it were a “substantially better” deal than the one offered to
President Barack Obama.









TRUMP PUSH FOR QUICK NAFTA DEAL SLOWED BY DIVISION ON TOP ISSUES



President Donald Trump’s push for a quick resolution to Nafta talks is being
stymied by persistent differences among the U.S., Canada and Mexico over a
handful of the make-or-break issues.









MEXICO AWAITS DETAILS OF PLAN TO BRING AUTO ENGINES TO U.S., OFFICIALS SAY



A U.S. proposal that automobiles should be built in high-wage areas within the
NAFTA region is partly aimed at increasing engine production in the United
States, and more details on the plan are expected this week, Mexican officials
said.









CHINA’S XI RENEWS VOW TO OPEN ECONOMY, CUT TARIFFS AS U.S. TRADE ROW DEEPENS



TORONTO (Reuters) – While much of his pledges were reiterations of previously
announced reforms that foreign businesses say are long overdue, Xi’s comments
sent stock markets and the U.S. dollar higher on hopes of a compromise that
could avert a trade war.









CANADIAN DOLLAR SEEN HIGHER AS NAFTA RISK PREMIUM FADES: POLL



TORONTO (Reuters) – The trade-sensitive Canadian dollar is set to advance over
the coming year as prospects improve for a revamped NAFTA trade deal and the
Bank of Canada continues to raise interest rates, a Reuters poll of currency
strategists showed on Friday.









NAFTA TRIO MEETS WITH OPTIMISM GROWING FOR A DEAL



Senior ministers from the three Nafta countries are gathering in Washington amid
growing signs of optimism that they could find common ground on the toughest
issues.









TRUMP TOUTS FALLING ALUMINUM PRICES AS REASON TO NOT FEAR TARIFFS



President Donald Trump said falling aluminum prices are evidence that his
tariffs aren’t impacting the U.S. economy. But in reality the price of the metal
declined because he exempted Canada and Mexico from the tariffs.









US TREASURY YIELDS RISE AS TARIFF CONCERNS ABATE



U.S. government debtyields rose on Thursday as Wall Street’s fears of a global
trade war with China appeared to ease. The yield on the benchmark 10-year
Treasury note was higher at around 2.826 percent at 1:11 p.m. ET, while the
yield on the 30-year Treasury bond was higher at 3.064 percent. Bond yields move
inversely to prices.









TRUDEAU SEES ‘SIGNIFICANT’ PROGRESS IN NAFTA TALKS



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Nafta talks have picked up momentum,
the latest signal a framework deal could soon be reached.









CHINA SEEKS WTO DISPUTE RESOLUTION WITH U.S. OVER STEEL, ALUMINUM TARIFFS



SHANGHAI (Reuters) – China’s commerce ministry said on Thursday it has initiated
a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute resolution procedure over U.S. tariffs
on its import of steel and aluminum.









COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS: CHINA TARIFFS AMOUNT TO ONLY 0.3% OF US GDP



Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC on Wednesday that China’s new tariffs
do not represent a threat to the United States. China’s tariffs “amount to about
three-tenths of a percent of our GDP. So, it’s hardly a life-threatening
activity,” Ross said in a “Squawk Box” interview. “It’s relatively proportionate
to the tariffs we put on based on the intellectual property.”









U.S. FLOATS TALKS AFTER CHINA STRIKES BACK IN TRADE FIGHT



WASHINGTON/BEIJING (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration said on
Wednesday talks with Beijing could resolve an escalating U.S.-China trade fight
after China retaliated against U.S. proposals to slap tariffs on $50 billion in
Chinese goods by targeting key American imports with similar duties.









TRUMP THREAT SPURS INDIA, SOUTH KOREA TO CUT TRADE SURPLUSES



As President Donald Trump railed against a growing trade deficit last year, two
countries in Asia quietly cut their bilateral surpluses with the U.S. It’s
unclear what they got in return.









FOREX-YEN SUPPORTED BY WORRIES OVER U.S.-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE



SINGAPORE/TOKYO, April 3 (Reuters) – The yen held firm on Tuesday as escalating
U.S.-China trade tensions stirred up fears over the outlook for global growth,
sapping investors’ risk appetite.
The dollar was little changed at 105.96 yen, struggling to gain traction after
having fallen for three straight trading days, and trading below a two-week high
around 107.00 yen set on March 28.









ASIANS STOCKS FALL ON US-CHINA TRADE TENSIONS



BEIJING (AP) — Asian stocks fell for a second day Tuesday amid jitters about
U.S.-Chinese trade tensions and mounting public scrutiny of technology
companies.
Markets in China, Japan and South Korea all declined. The dollar temporarily
dipped against the Japanese yen rose as currency traders looked for a safe haven
but rebounded later.









MEXICO EXPECTS MEETING OF MINISTERS TO DECIDE SCOPE OF NAFTA DEAL BASICS



MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The United States, Mexico and Canada have made
significant advances on reworking the NAFTA trade deal and ministers will meet
in the coming days to determine the scope to agree on the basics of a deal,
Mexico’s economy minister said on Monday.








CHINA HITS THE UNITED STATES WITH TARIFFS ON $3 BILLION OF EXPORTS



China is showing the United States that it will make good on its trade threats.
The Chinese government said that tariffs on about $3 billion worth of US imports
are going into effect Monday, hitting 128 products ranging from pork, meat and
fruit to steel pipes.








CHINA HITS US WITH NEW TARIFFS ON 128 IMPORTS



China announced Sunday that it is implementing new tariffs on more than 120 U.S.
imports in response to President Trump’s recent decision to increase taxes on
imported steel and aluminum.








ON EASTER SUNDAY, TRUMP THREATENS TO END DACA AND ‘STOP’ NAFTA



President Donald Trump loosed a series of hardline immigration statements after
wishing his followers a “HAPPY EASTER!” on Twitter Sunday. He was seen entering
a church moments after the tweets posted.









TRUMP SCORES HIS FIRST REVISED TRADE DEAL, WITH SOUTH KOREA



President Donald Trump secured his first revamp of a U.S. trade deal, after
reaching an agreement this week with South Korea that would allow American
automakers greater access to that country’s markets, senior administration
officials said on Tuesday night.









US-CHINA TRADE DEFICIT IS SET TO KEEP ON RISING, YALE’S STEPHEN ROACH SAYS



Washington’s trade imbalance with Beijing — the stated motivation behind
President Donald Trump’s punitive tariffs — will continue expanding in the years
ahead, according to Yale University’s Stephen Roach.









WTO CHIEF SEES NO SIGN OF U.S. WALKING AWAY FROM WTO



GENEVA (Reuters) – There is no sign that the United States is distancing itself
from the World Trade Organization, and negotiations are underway to avert a
global trade war, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo said in a BBC interview
broadcast on Wednesday.









DOW SURGES 669 POINTS AS TRADE WAR FEARS COO



The Dow surged 669 points — its third-biggest point gain in history — and had
its best day in two and a half years. Investors were cheered by signs that the
United States and China are talking behind the scenes to avoid a clash between
the world’s two biggest economies.









A TRADE WAR WILL HURT THOSE TRUMP SAYS HE’S FIGHTING FOR, SAYS NOBEL-WINNING
ECONOMIST



A trade war between the United States and China would ultimately hurt the very
people President Donald Trump says he’s aiming to protect, according to a Nobel
Prize-winning economist.









U.S. SEEKS CHINA TRADE MOVES ON AUTOS, FINANCIALS, CHIPS: SOURCE



Top Trump administration officials are asking China to cut tariffs on imported
cars, allow foreign majority ownership of financial services firms and buy more
U.S.-made semiconductors in negotiations to avoid plans to slap tariffs on a
host of Chinese goods and a potential trade war.









SOME ASIAN MARKETS RECOVERED AS THE US SAID IT WILL EXEMPT SOUTH KOREA FROM
STEEL TARIFFS



Some Asian markets recovered in late-afternoon trade on Monday as news emerged
that the United States agreed to exempt South Korea from steel tariffs.









AUSTRALIA WON’T ‘PLAY GAMES’ AMID HEIGHTENED FEARS OF A GLOBAL TRADE WAR,
MINISTER SAYS



Australia will not attempt to deceive any of its trading partners in order to
gain an advantage when negotiating future trade commitments, Trade Minister
Steven Ciobo told CNBC Monday.









THE US AND CHINA ARE IN TALKS TO TRY TO AVOID A TRADE WAR



President Donald Trump ramped up tensions last week by ordering tariffs on about
$50 billion worth of Chinese goods just weeks after announcing of sanctions on
steel and aluminum imports. Beijing has responded with plans to target $3
billion worth of US products and warnings that it’s ready to inflict more pain.









APPLE, GOOGLE, IBM CEOS HEAD TO CHINA WITH TRADE WAR BREWING




Leaders of Apple Inc., Google and other U.S. technology giants head to China
this weekend to pursue a familiar goal: To do more business in the world’s most
populous nation. The effort has had mixed results, at best, in the past.









TRUMP, XI ENTER ROCKIER PHASE AS U.S.-CHINA TRADE FIGHT HEATS UP




President Donald Trump is gearing up to impose $50 billion in tariffs on China,
intensifying a long-running dispute over unfair trade practices and possibly
endangering a personal relationship as well.









CANADA SAYS IT’S OPTIMISTIC ABOUT NAFTA TALKS, BUT IT’S ALSO DIVERSIFYING TRADE
TIES




Canada is feeling positive about how NAFTA talks are playing out, but it will
continue to develop its trade ties elsewhere, the country’s minister of
international trade said on Friday.









LOBBYISTS WANT TO USE NAFTA TO FAST-TRACK TRUMP’S AGENDA




While officials from the U.S., Canada and Mexico try to hammer out a new North
American Free Trade Agreement, lobbyists in Washington are using the deal’s
rewrite to advance a broad legislative agenda making it easier for U.S.
companies to build factories, move cargo and export coal.









FINLAND’S PRIME MINISTER LAMBASTS ‘SHORT-SIGHTED’ TRUMP TRADE POLICY




The trade war being threatened by U.S. President Donald Trump is a
“short-sighted” move that has small economies particularly worried.









CHINA CALLS U.S. REPEAT ABUSER OF WORLD TRADE RULES




China accused the United States of “repeatedly abusing” international trade
rules, as Beijing braced on Thursday for an imminent announcement from U.S.
President Donald Trump slapping more tariffs on Chinese imports.









IS A TRADE WAR THE ONLY OPTION?




President Donald Trump’s forays into trade war statecraft—his embrace of steel
and aluminum tariffs, and his forthcoming levies on Chinese products in response
to alleged intellectual property theft—are poor strategies for addressing U.S.
interests.









US TRADE GROUPS URGE TRUMP TO AVOID TARIFFS AGAINST CHINA




Forty-five U.S. trade associations representing some of the largest companies in
the country are urging President Donald Trump not to impose tariffs on China,
warning it would be “particularly harmful” to the U.S. economy and consumers.









US TRADE REGULATOR LAUNCHES BLOCKCHAIN WORKING GROUP




The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has created a Blockchain Working Group
to examine the ways in which the technology, particularly cryptocurrencies, will
affect its objectives.









WTO CHIEF SAYS U.S. WANTS REFORM IN TRADE BODY, HAS RAISED CONCERNS




NEW DELHI (Reuters) – The United States has raised concerns about the
functioning of the World Trade Organisation and asked for reforms, WTO Director
General Roberto Azevedo said on Monday, as global trade tensions increased.









TRUMP’S STIMULUS WILL MAKE THE DEFICIT WITH CHINA WORSE, NOT BETTER, SAYS CREDIT
SUISSE ECONOMIST




President Donald Trump’s pro-business policies such as corporate tax cuts will,
ironically, worsen the U.S. trade and current account deficits, Credit Suisse
said Monday.









LARGE U.S. RETAILERS URGE TRUMP NOT TO HIT CHINA WITH TARIFFS




WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Several large U.S. retail companies, including Wal-Mart
Inc, Target Corp, Best Buy Co Inc and Macy’s Inc, on Monday sent President
Donald Trump a letter urging him not to impose massive tariffs on goods imported
from China.









CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST STEEL COMPANY WORRIED IT COULD BE HARMED BY TRUMP’S TARIFFS




California’s largest steel company is worried it could be harmed by President
Donald Trump’s move to impose 25 percent tariffs on steel imports.









U.S. SENATORS URGE TRUMP TO BE MORE ‘SURGICAL’ ON TRADE




HOUSTON (Reuters) – Two influential U.S. senators pushed President Donald Trump
on Friday to be more nuanced in his approach to trade in the wake of his
controversial decision to impose tariffs on most steel and aluminum imports.









MNUCHIN SAYS U.S. WANTS TARIFF EXEMPTIONS DECIDED IN TWO WEEKS




Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the U.S. wants to negotiate exemptions
for steel and aluminum tariffs before they take effect in two weeks, as pressure
grows from allies who are threatening retaliation if the duties are applied to
them.









TRUMP’S MASSIVE NEW TARIFFS COULD END UP COSTING AMERICA 146,000 JOBS







The new tariffs on steel and aluminum proposed by President Donald Trump could
end up being a net negative for American workers, according to a new study.
The Trade Partnership, a consulting firm that does research on international
trade, found that the tariffs could cost the US around 146,000 jobs.









U.S. PUSHES NAFTA TALKS PACE, WARNS OF POLITICAL HEADWINDS







MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican and U.S. officials pushed on Monday to speed up
NAFTA negotiations, with the United States floating the idea of reaching an
agreement “in principle” in coming weeks to avoid political headwinds later this
year.








WHITE HOUSE: TRUMP TELLS TRUDEAU HE WANTS ‘FAIR’ NAFTA DEAL



WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump spoke with Canadian Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau on Monday night about trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement
negotiations in Mexico City, the White House said Tuesday.









TRUMP SUMMONS STEEL, ALUMINUM EXECUTIVES FOR MEETING ON TRADE CURBS



WASHINGTON—The Trump administration has summoned steel and aluminum executives
on short notice for a White House meeting on Thursday, telling some of them that
an announcement could be made then on long-awaited curbs on steel and aluminum
imports in the name of protecting national security, according to people
familiar with the matter.









AMID NAFTA TALKS, MEXICO AIRS CONCERNS OVER U.S. STEEL TARIFFS



MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico’s economy minister met with top U.S. trade
officials on Wednesday midway through the latest push to renegotiate the NAFTA
trade deal, as concerns about steel added to trade tensions between the two
countries.









NAFTA NEGOTIATORS AGREE TO REGULATORY BEST PRACTICES, SOURCE SAYS



Negotiators from the U.S., Canada and Mexico finished work on regulatory best
practices for Nafta, the first official “chapter” completed in the latest talks
in Mexico City, according to a person with knowledge of the process.









UK MUST BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE EU TRADE DEALS AFTER BREXIT – CORBYN



COVENTRY, England (Reuters) – British opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said on
Monday that Britain must be able to influence the European Union’s trade deals
if the country signs up to a new customs union with the bloc after Brexit.









CHINA’S NEW ECONOMIC GURU IS TRYING TO STOP A US TRADE WAR



As trade tensions escalate between the US and China, one of President Xi
Jinping’s most trusted advisers is paying a visit to Washington. Liu He, a
Harvard graduate and senior Chinese Communist Party official, is in the US this
week to talk about trade and other issues affecting the relationship between the
world’s two largest economies.









U.S. NAFTA AUTOS NEGOTIATOR CALLED FROM MEXICO FOR CONSULTATIONS: OFFICIALS




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The U.S. negotiator for regional content requirements in
autos flew back to Washington from a NAFTA round in Mexico on Monday to talk
with car companies, officials said, in a development some hoped would lead to
progress on the contentious issue.









PROMOTION WOULD GIVE NAVARRO DEEPER INFLUENCE OVER TRADE POLICY



White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who was sidelined last year after
repeatedly clashing with President Donald Trump’s more moderate advisers, could
soon be granted a title change that would give him more direct influence over
the administration’s trade agenda, according to three people familiar with the
issue.









NEGOTIATORS SEEK PROGRESS ON NAFTA DESPITE FRESH TRUMP TENSION



The U.S. negotiator for regional content requirements in auto flew back to
Washington from a NAFTA round in Mexico on Monday to talk with cars companies,
officials said, in a development some hoped would lead to progress on the
contentious issue.









TRUMP TRADE SANCTIONS AIMED AT CHINA COULD ENSNARE CANADA



WASHINGTON — China is the main target of possible tough new United States trade
measures against low-priced imports of steel and aluminum. But the sanctions
threaten to ensnare America’s closest allies, particularly Canada.









U.S. TREASURY OFFICIAL SLAMS CHINA’S ‘NON-MARKET BEHAVIOR’



The U.S. Treasury’s top diplomat ramped up his criticisms of China’s economic
policies on Wednesday, accusing Beijing of “patently non-market behavior” and
saying that the United States needed stronger responses to counter it.









WHITE HOUSE REACHES OUT TO LABOR UNIONS ON TRADE POLICY



President Donald Trump sought input Wednesday from the largest labor unions in
the U.S. on trade policy, including the talks to renegotiate the North American
Free Trade Agreement.









AUSTRALIAN LEADER TO RAISE CHINA, TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE DEAL IN TRUMP TALKS



China’s rising power and a resurgent trans-Pacific trade pact will be at the top
of the agenda when Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and U.S. President
Donald Trump meet in Washington this week, an Australian official said on
Thursday.









AUSTRALIAN PM TO TALK NORTH KOREA, TRADE IN FRIDAY MEETING WITH TRUMP



Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is headed to the U.S. Wednesday, and
is expected to talk with President Trump about the Trans Pacific Partnership
during a Friday meeting.









ENHANCING U.S. TRADE IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY



Trade across international borders has motivated economic analysts since at
least the 19th century, when the economist David Ricardo invoked the example of
wine









LAWMAKER INTEREST IN NAFTA INTENSIFIES AMID TRUMP MOVES




The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has never been more popular on
Capitol Hill.
The three-nation trade agreement that has long come under fire from both parties
is getting a rousing defense amid a push from the Trump administration to either
renegotiate or scrap the deal altogether.









SOUTH KOREA TARGETS U.S. TRADE REMEDIES IN NEW WTO DISPUTE



South Korea launched a World Trade Organization dispute that argued a key
provision of the U.S.’s anti-dumping and countervailing investigations violated
international trade rules.









EU WARNS IT WILL RETALIATE IF HIT BY U.S. TRADE CURBS



BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Commission said on Tuesday it had expressed
its concern to Washington about possible measures to curb imports of steel and
aluminum and warned that it was ready to react if its industry was hit.









LAWMAKER INTEREST IN NAFTA INTENSIFIES AMID TRUMP MOVES



The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has never been more popular on
Capitol Hill.









EURO AREA INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS SURPLUS €25.4 BN



The first estimate for euro area (EA19) exports of goods to the rest of the
world in December 2017 was €180.7 billion, an increase of 1.0% compared with
December 2016 (€179.0 bn). Imports from the rest of the world stood at €155.3
bn, a rise of 2.5% compared with December 2016 (€151.4 bn). As a result, the
euro area recorded a €25.4 bn surplus in trade in goods with the rest of the
world in December 2017, compared with +€27.6 bn in December 2016. Intra-euro
area trade rose to €142.4 bn in December 2017, up by 2.8% compared with December
2016.









INDIA’S JANUARY TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS TO $16.30 BLN- TRADE MINISTRY



Trade between Russia and Germany has increased by about a quarter in the past 12
months. The surge came despite sanctions which the European Union imposed
against Moscow for its alleged role in the Ukraine conflict.









U.S. ITC DETAILS WHY IT REJECTED CSERIES DUTIES, SAYS BOEING NOT HURT



An independent U.S. trade body on Wednesday said it rejected hefty U.S. duties
on Bombardier’s CSeries jets partly because Boeing lost no sales or revenue when
Delta Air Lines ordered the aircraft in 2016 from the Canadian planemaker.









GERMAN-RUSSIAN TRADE PICKING UP SHARPLY




Trade between Russia and Germany has increased by about a quarter in the past 12
months. The surge came despite sanctions which the European Union imposed
against Moscow for its alleged role in the Ukraine conflict.









WTO BOSS STANDS UP FOR GLOBAL TRADE AGAINST POPULIST TIDE



DUBAI: Roberto Azavedo, director general of the World Trade Organization,
mounted a staunch defense of his organization, which has come under attack from
rising anti-globalist and populist sentiment in the US and Britain.









CANADA TO FACE U.S. TRADE PROBLEMS EVEN IF NAFTA IS SIGNED: OTTAWA



VIENNA (Reuters) – Canada sends 75 percent of its goods exports to the United
States and is vulnerable to what Ottawa complains is increasing U.S.
protectionism since President Donald Trump took power in January 2017.









BOEING’S BIGGEST TRADE FIGHT COULD SPARK A U.S. CONFRONTATION WITH EUROPE



VIENNA (Reuters) – Boeing’s lawyers, still smarting from the shock of losing
their U.S. trade-court case against Bombardier’s CSeries jets, are now awaiting
an imminent ruling in a bigger trade fight over government subsidies.









BREXIT TO MEAN WIDESPREAD EU SPENDING CUTS: BUDGET COMMISSIONER



VIENNA (Reuters) – The European Union will have to cut spending in nearly all
areas to deal with the gap that net contributor Britain leaves after its
departure, Budget Commissioner Guenther Oettinger said on Monday.








TRUMP PROMISES ‘BIG WEEK’ FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, EYES FOREIGN AID



The White House on Monday will release principles for a $1.5 trillion
infrastructure overhaul, a plan that will focus on public-private partnerships
and funding from state and local governments.









US WITHDRAWAL FROM TPP A “VERY SERIOUS MISTAKE – CUTLER



NEW YORK: In the wake of recent efforts to revive the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) on Japan’s initiative, former deputy US trade representative, Wendy Cutler
called the US withdrawal from the TPP a “very serious mistake.”









U.S. SENATORS EXPRESS OPTIMISM ABOUT NAFTA AFTER TRUMP MEETING



WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican U.S. senators left a trade-focused meeting
with President Donald Trump on Wednesday expressing optimism that Trump is less
likely to scuttle the NAFTA trade pact than previously feared, and would press
ahead with talks to modernize it.









GRASSLEY MEETS WITH TRUMP TO TALK TRADE



DES MOINES — With Iowa’s agriculture economy hanging in the balance, U.S. Sen.
Chuck Grassley spent a chunk of his day Wednesday working to ensure the
preservation of a key international trade agreement.









ANNOYED WITH CANADA, US TRADE CZAR FLOATS IDEA OF SEPARATE NAFTA DEALS: LAWMAKER



WASHINGTON — The United States trade czar is expressing frustration with Canada
in the NAFTA negotiations, even floating the idea of concluding a quick
agreement with Mexico and sorting out a deal with Canada later, according to an
American lawmaker who attended a meeting with him Wednesday.









LAWMAKERS, FARM GROUPS AIM AT PRESERVING NAFTA



Antsy and in hopes of a “first, do no harm” negotiation, Missouri lawmakers and
farm producer groups spoke Tuesday about the importance of keeping intact the
North American Free Trade Agreement … or something like it.









U.S. TRADE LIKELY TO MODESTLY DRAG GDP GROWTH IN COMING QUARTERS



In November, the U.S. trade deficit had widened to USD 50.5 billion, recording
the first time that the deficit surpassed USD 50 billion since March 2012. There
was widespread strength on both the export and import side of the ledger. In the
September to November period, the value of exports rose 6 percent year-on-year.









ECONOMY: U.S. TRADE GAP HITS $566 BILLION IN 2017, HIGHEST SINCE 2008



The U.S. trade deficit hit the highest level in nine years in 2017, defying
President Donald Trump’s efforts to bring more balance to America’s trade
relationships.









MALAYSIA, SINGAPORE LAUNCH NEW TRADE LINK TO BOOST LIQUIDITY



Singapore and Malaysia announced plans on Tuesday for a new trading link between
their stock markets by the end of the year that will help lower trading costs
and encourage cross-border investments.









AUSTRALIA TOUTS BENEFITS OF U.S. REJOINING TPP



In a Washington, D.C. speech Monday, an Australian trade official stressed the
benefits of the U.S. rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.









GLOBAL ECONOMY WEEK AHEAD: U.S. TRADE DEFICIT, CHINA TRADE SURPLUS, BOE MEETING



The week ahead will feature data on the U.S. trade deficit and China’s trade
surplus, while central bankers in Australia, Brazil and the U.K. will make
monetary policy decisions.









INDIA-US TRADE ESTIMATED TO TOUCH $140 BILLION IN 2017: USISPF



Trade between India and the US is estimated to have jumped substantially from
USD 118 billion in 2016 to USD 140 billion in 2017, according to an advocacy
group that aims to promote bilateral trade.









NAFTA UNCERTAINTY RISKS POTENTIAL INVESTMENTS, PORT CEO WARNS



As the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) negotiations drag on, Eduardo
Campirano, CEO of Port of Brownsville in south Texas, can only cross his
fingers.









‘WE WILL FIX’ TRADE DEALS: TRUMP STAYS MUM ON NAFTA THREAT



WASHINGTON — Facing scores of his fellow Republicans publicly pleading with him
not to cancel NAFTA, U.S. President Donald Trump refrained from his oft-stated
threat to scrap the continental pact while promising to fix trade deals during
his prime-time address Tuesday.









SMITH PLEADS CASE FOR AGRICULTURAL TRADE AT NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS



Forget the stalemate over immigration and spending. Right now, Republicans are
most worried about President Donald Trump’s trade policy.









GOP SENATORS URGE TRUMP TO STAY IN NAFTA



A large group of Republican senators including Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
(R-Ky.) wrote to President Trump on Tuesday urging him not to withdraw from the
North American Free Trade Agreement.









TRUMP HINTS AT FIGHT OVER $1 TRILLION TRADE WITH EUROPE



President Trump has warned that the U.S. administration may soon address “very
unfair” trade with the European Union.









CHINA COULD TARGET U.S. FIRMS IF TRUMP LEVIES TARIFFS, GROUP WARNS



BEIJING — Chinese officials have warned that they will retaliate against
American companies if President Trump imposes tariffs on China, an American
business group said on Tuesday, with airplanes and agricultural products among
the likely targets.









REPUBLICANS SEEK TO TAME TRUMP ON TRADE



Forget the stalemate over immigration and spending. Right now, Republicans are
most worried about President Donald Trump’s trade policy.









A SOCIAL NETWORK FOR BUYERS AND SELLERS TO BOOST INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH ITS
CRYPTO CURRENCY



Despite the fact that Facebook and LinkedIn are used by millions today, these
social networks seem to miss a major trump card in future – they do not use
Blockchain. Meanwhile, a startup called TraDove has become the premier B2B
social network based on Blockchain.









PM INAUGURATES FREE TRADE ZONE, FIRST INTERNATIONAL GWARDAR EXPO




Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Monday inaugurated free trade zone and
first International Gwadar Expo in Gwadar. During the two-day expo, foreign
personalities, members of the diplomatic community and businessmen from across
the globe would take part.









DAVOS: TRUMP LAUNCHES ATTACK ON ‘PREDATORY’ TRADE



President Donald Trump has launched a fierce attack on “predatory” trade
practices, warning trading partners at the World Economic Forum in Davos that
the US will not tolerate unfair trade.









READ PRESIDENT TRUMP’S FULL REMARKS ON TRADE DEALS TO CNBC



Trump said he could rethink the massive Trans-Pacific Partnership trade
agreement, but only if the United States got a better deal. He also said the
U.S. had a “good chance” to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement,
but said he could still terminate the deal.









US COULD REJOIN TRANS-PACIFIC TRADE PACT IF BETTER DEAL IS REACHED



U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday the United States would rejoin 11
other nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade compact if it can get “a
much better deal than we had” in the accord agreed to by former President Barack
Obama.









US WANTS MORE TRADE NOT LESS, TREASURY SECRETARY MNUCHIN SAYS



Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday he wants to increase the level
of U.S. trade but warned that measures will be taken where trade practices are
deemed unfair.









U.S. SPARKS FEARS OF TRADE WAR AS TRUMP ARRIVES IN DAVOS



DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – A day after sending the dollar reeling with
comments supportive of a weak U.S. currency, U.S Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin said the Trump administration was not seeking a trade war but would
defend its economic interests.









PROPOSED NAFTA CHANGES COULD IMPACT FEDERAL IT



On the campaign trail, Donald Trump called the 1993 North American Free Trade
Agreement, “the single worst trade deal ever approved in this country” and vowed
to renegotiate the agreement.









NAFTA’S FATE UNCERTAIN AHEAD OF MONTREAL ROUND OF TALKS



OTTAWA —
The NAFTA trade agreement’s future hangs in the balance this week as negotiators
from the United States, Canada and Mexico try to settle major differences over
revamping a pact that President Donald Trump has threatened to abandon.









U.S. IMPOSES NEW TARIFFS, RAMPING UP ‘AMERICA FIRST’ TRADE POLICY



WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump slapped steep tariffs on imports of solar
panels and washing machines, kicking off his second year in office by showing he
is ready to start implementing his long-promised “America First” trade policy.









CORPORATE CANADA URGED TO UP ITS GAME IN PROMOTING NAFTA WITH AMERICANS



OTTAWA _ For all of Canada’s efforts to promote the North American Free Trade
Agreement on U.S. soil, there are concerns one important voice from the north
has been a little quieter than the rest: Canadian business.









CHINA SAYS UNITED STATES IS REAL THREAT TO GLOBAL TRADE, NOT ITSELF




BEIJING (Reuters) – The United States, not China, threatens the global trade
system, China’s foreign ministry said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald
Trump’s administration called U.S. support for Beijing’s joining the World Trade
Organization in 2001 a mistake.









MONTREAL MEETINGS ON NAFTA COULD IMPACT THOUSANDS OF MISSOURI WORKERS




The fate of tens of thousands of Missouri jobs could hinge on trade talks set to
resume this week in Montreal. Negotiators from the United States, Canada and
Mexico will gather for another round of North American Free Trade Agreement
negotiations. The U.S. wants to rework the deal, or possibly withdraw
altogether.









TRUMP TO FACE MIXED WELCOME AT ELITE DAVOS GATHERING




DAVOS, Switzerland — In Davos this week, participants can experience “a day in
the life of a refugee.” Or hear about ways to uphold the Paris climate accord
and promote free trade. Or rub elbows with any number of leaders of African
countries.









NAFTA TALKS SEEN ENDING HAPPILY, DESPITE GROWLS FROM TRUMP




BENGALURU/SAO PAULO (Reuters) – The North American Free Trade Agreement will
probably be renegotiated successfully with only marginal changes, said a large
majority of economists in a Reuters poll, despite the Trump administration’s
saber-rattling.









OIL FALLS AFTER IEA POINTS TO RISING U.S. PRODUCTION




LONDON—Oil prices fell Friday, as a leading energy monitor predicted U.S. crude
production would hit a record high this year, surpassing output from Saudi
Arabia and rivaling that of Russia.









TILLERSON: US WILL DISCOURAGE INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH ASSAD’S SYRIA




Tillerson said the U.S. would “discourage economic relationships” between Syria
and other countries until Assad is no longer in power. He also noted the U.S.
would work to diminish Iran’s influence in the country, accusing Iran of
financially propping up Assad’s government.









TRUMP SAYS TERMINATING NAFTA WOULD YIELD THE ‘BEST DEAL’ IN RENEGOTIATIONS




President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that terminating the North American
Free Trade Agreement would result in the “best deal” to revamp the 24-year-old
trade pact with Canada and Mexico in favor of U.S. interests.









UNITED STATES: USITC RESPONDS TO TRADE REPRESENTATIVE’S REQUEST TO IDENTIFY
‘UNFORESEEN DEVELOPMENTS’ THAT LED TO SOLAR CELL DECISION




US International Trade Commission’s response to unforeseen developments signals
strong administration action on solar cell tariffs.









UNITED STATES: INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS CREATE NEW COALITION TO ADVOCATE FOR NAFTA




A broad group of stakeholders in the food system joined together to create a new
coalition to advocate for America’s involvement in free trade agreements,
specifically the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).









U.S. OIL INDUSTRY SET TO BREAK RECORD, UPEND GLOBAL TRADE




HOUSTON (Reuters) – Surging shale production is poised to push U.S. oil output
to more than 10 million barrels per day – toppling a record set in 1970 and
crossing a threshold few could have imagined even a decade ago.









WISCONSIN RELIED ON NAFTA FOR 2016 EXPORTS




MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Nearly half of Wisconsin’s dairy, fruit and vegetable
exports went to Canada and Mexico last year, raising concerns amid the uncertain
future of the North American Free Trade Agreement.









KILLING NAFTA WOULD COST 300,000 AMERICAN JOBS, ANALYSIS SAYS




It would cost the United States 300,000 jobs, cut economic growth, hurt stocks
and cause prices for consumer goods to rise, according to an analysis.









US OIL INDUSTRY SET TO BREAK RECORD, UPEND GLOBAL TRADE




HOUSTON (Reuters)-Surging shale production is poised to push U.S. oil output to
more than 10 million barrels per day – toppling a record set in 1970 and
crossing a threshold few could have imagined even a decade ago.









EU TRADE CHIEF LAMENTS THE DECLINE OF US TRADE LEADERSHIP




The EU Commissioner for Trade criticized Washington for effectively
relinquishing the US’ role as a leader in global trade.









US AND CHINA PREPARES FOR TRADE CLASH OF THE TITANS




SHANGHAI—The last time Washington mobilized for a trade war, Ronald Reagan was
president and Japan the adversary.









TRUMP’S TRADE POLICIES COULD CANCEL OUT THE BENEFITS OF TAX REFORM, EY SAYS




Tax reforms may help the United States score more investments from both local
and foreign companies, but those benefits could be offset by the Trump
administration’s protectionist trade policies, a major accounting firm said
Friday.









MEXICO PRIVATE SECTOR SAYS OPEN TO TALKS ON NAFTA AUTO RULES




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – The leader of one of Mexico’s top business lobbies said
on Thursday the private sector was open to discussing rules of origin for autos
produced in North America, a major sticking point in talks to renegotiate the
NAFTA trade pact.









NAFTA SUPPORTERS USE STOCK MARKET TO TRY TO DISSUADE TRUMP FROM WITHDRAWING FROM
TRADE DEAL




When President Trump met with six Republican senators last week to talk about
trade, the lawmakers issued a stark warning: Implementing an unrestrained
“America first” agenda — such as withdrawing from the North American Free Trade
Agreement — would endanger stock prices that have soared since his election.








‘CANADA HAS JUST DETONATED A BOMB’: TRADE RELATIONS WITH U.S. PLUMMET AFTER WTO
COMPLAINT




OTTAWA — Canada launched the opening salvo in a trade war with the United States
Wednesday, lodging an international complaint about the superpower’s use of
punitive duties.









EXCLUSIVE: CANADA INCREASINGLY CONVINCED TRUMP WILL PULL OUT OF NAFTA




LONDON, Ontario (Reuters) – Canada is increasingly convinced that President
Donald Trump will soon announce the United States intends to pull out of NAFTA,
two government sources said on Wednesday, sending the Canadian and Mexican
currencies lower and hurting stocks.









U.S. TRADE DEFICIT RISES MORE THAN EXPECTED TO A NEAR 6-YEAR HIGH ON RECORD
IMPORTS




The U.S. trade deficit increased more than expected in November as imports of
goods surged to a record high amid strong domestic demand, making it likely that
trade will subtract from economic growth in the fourth quarter.









CHAMBER’S DONOHUE SAYS WITHDRAWAL FROM NAFTA WOULD BE ‘GRAVE MISTAKE’




U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue on Wednesday touted the
importance of global trade for the nation’s growing economy, arguing that
abandoning trade deals would ultimately undermine the expansion.









U.S. TARIFFS COULD HIT CORNER BROOK PULP AND PAPER




The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is anxiously awaiting word from the
U.S. Department of Commerce on possible new tariffs for Canadian newsprint.









U.S. MAY GET FIRST LNG IMPORT FROM RUSSIA DESPITE SANCTIONS: REPORT




(Reuters) – A vessel that may be carrying liquefied natural gas from Russia’s
new Yamal LNG export terminal could be heading to the United States despite
sanctions against the company that operates the Russian facility, according to a
report by S&P Global Platts and Thomson Reuters shipping data.









NAFTA TRADE VALUE JUMPS 7.9% IN OCTOBER




U.S.-NAFTA freight totaled $100.6 billion in October 2017 as all five major
transportation modes carried more freight by value with North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico during the month compared to
October 2016, according to data released by the U.S. Department of
Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).









GOP ANXIOUS WITH TRUMP ON TRADE




Republican senators from farm states are stepping up pressure on President Trump
ahead of a key round of trade negotiations scheduled later this month.









TRUMP SPEAKS TO FARMERS, HIGHLIGHTING TAXES AND TRADE




President Donald Trump promoted his administration’s accomplishments for rural
America in a speech before the American Farm Bureau Federation Convention in
Nashville, Tennesse on Monday.









WHITE HOUSE PREPARING FOR TRADE CRACKDOWN




President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to unveil an aggressive
trade crackdown in the coming weeks that is likely to include new tariffs aimed
at countering China’s and other economic competitors’ alleged unfair trade
practices, according to three administration officials.









TRUMP PREPARING TO UNVEIL NEW TRADE RESTRICTIONS ON CHINA: REPORT




The Trump administration is set to unveil tougher trade measures for China in
the coming weeks to combat alleged unfair trade practices, Politico reported
Sunday.









TRADE DISPUTE INVOLVING NEWSPRINT CAUSING HEARTBURN FOR MANY U.S. NEWSPAPERS,
PRINTERS




A petition by a paper maker in Washington state has set off alarm bells at
newspapers and printing plants across the country whose leaders say the outcome
could drastically increase newsprint costs, adding more financial pressure to an
industry already struggling with the drain of advertising and subscription
revenue in recent years.









NAFTA EXIT NEGATIVE FOR U.S. AUTOS




During 2017, President Donald Trump’s administration made three major policy
moves relevant to the U.S. auto industry.









US TRADE DEFICIT HITS $50.5 BILLION, BIGGEST SINCE 2012




WASHINGTON-The U.S. trade deficit rose to $50.5 billion in November, the largest
imbalance in nearly six years, as imports and exports both hit records.









AMERICAN RAILWAYS SUPPORT NAFTA




In an op-ed published this morning, the Association of American Railroads argued
that abandoning NAFTA would be a mistake and that Canada, Mexico and the United
States should be looking for ways to improve the trade deal.









SENATORS URGE TRADE RELIEF FOR OHIO WHIRLPOOL WORKERS




The International Trade Commission has ruled that workers at Whirlpool Corp.’s
facility in Clyde were hurt by unfair washing machine imports by Samsung and LG.









CANADA’S MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD TO PROMOTE TRADE AND NAFTA AT
AMERICAN FARM BUREAU FEDERATION ANNUAL CONVENTION IN TENNESSEE




NASHVILLE, TN, Jan. 4, 2018 /CNW/ – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister
of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, will visit Tennessee from January 5 to 8,
2018, where he will deliver a keynote address to the American Farm Bureau
Federation’s annual convention and participate in activities to promote
Canada-U.S. trade.









NAFTA WITHDRAW THREATS PUT TRANSPORTATION JOBS IN JEOPARDY




Withdraw threats by President Donald Trump regarding the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA) are putting transportation jobs at risk.









TRUMP’S TRADE POLICY BOOSTS EXPORTS — OF CANADIAN LOBSTER




CENTREVILLE, Nova Scotia — This lobster factory on a windswept bay in eastern
Canada is so remote that its workers have to drive for miles just to get
cellphone service. But Gidney Fisheries is truly global, with its lobsters
landing on plates in Paris and Shanghai through trade agreements hammered out in
far-off capitals.









IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION FEARS NAFTA WITHDRAWAL




(Washington, D.C.) — Trade officials will continue discussions regarding the
future of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in Canada.









US AND AUSTRALIA MEET TO REVIEW BILATERAL FTA




Officials from the United States and Australia held a meeting earlier this month
of the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Joint Committee to review the
implementation of the FTA. Both sides agreed that the FTA is a cornerstone of
the trade and investment relationship between the two countries and noted that
bilateral goods and services trade has increased substantially for both
countries since the agreement’s entry into force.









MINNESOTA FARMERS FEAR LOSING MILLIONS IF U.S. LEAVES NAFTA




ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota farmers fear they could lose millions of dollars if
the United States leaves the North American Free Trade Agreement.









NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS COULD AFFECT AVOCADO AND BEER PRICES




WASHINGTON (KFTA) — Negotiations surrounding the North American Free Trade
Agreement are on uncertain footing after the first series of meetings in
December, as changes to NAFTA could fundamentally alter the way the U.S., Canada
and Mexico trade goods.









EU-JAPAN TRADE DEAL WORRISOME FOR U.S. FARM EXPORTS




A recent trade deal between the European Union and Japan will have mixed impacts
for American farm exports but is part of a discouraging trend, experts say.









TRUMP’S NEW NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY SETS THE STAGE FOR DEEPER INDIA-US TIES




The United States (US) released its latest National Security Strategy (NSS)
document on 18 December. By and large, these releases are more important for the
intent they express than any actual policy decisions, and the Trump
administration’s first NSS is ripe with symbolism.









MINNESOTA FARMERS FEAR EXIT FROM NAFTA COULD COST THEM MILLIONS




Minnesota farmers are following the NAFTA negotiations — which enter their fifth
month in January — with one eye on their pocketbooks.









TRUMP’S TARIFF DECISION LOOMS LARGE FOR SOLAR COMPANY’S SALE




SolarWorld Americas Inc., one of two U.S. solar manufacturers asking President
Donald Trump for tariffs on imported panels, says the move could revive a
struggling industry. It may also boost the company’s value ahead of a potential
sale.









CONGRESSIONAL LAWMAKERS URGE ‘STRONG AND EFFECTIVE’ REMEDIES IN SOLAR TRADE CASE




A bipartisan group of 11 Congressional lawmakers have petitioned President Trump
for “strong and effective” trade remedies for imported solar equipment under
Section 201 of the 1974 Trade Act. A pair of United States-based manufacturers,
Suniva and SolarWorld, sought import relief earlier this year.









US FINALIZES HEFTY DUTIES IN BOMBARDIER-BOEING TRADE CASE




The United States on Wednesday finalized steep duties against Bombardier C
Series commercial jets, a move that may further inflame tensions over ongoing
negotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).









TRUMP’S THREATS TO PULL OUT OF NAFTA CONCERN MANY IN ARIZONA




At CAID Industries’ factory in Tucson, welders build massive tanks and steel
silos used by mining and oil and gas companies. Setting up shop here, just 70
miles from the border, wasn’t by chance.









NEW SECURITY STRATEGY FOCUSES ON BORDER SECURITY, TRADE




The United States will focus on border security and trade competitiveness along
with classic military threats in its new security policy.









ROSS: US STILL OPEN TO TTIP




The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)—a proposed agreement
between the United States and the European Union—hasn’t made many headlines
lately and some speculated that it would suffer the same fate as the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), from which President Donald Trump withdrew in
the early days of his presidency.









RUSSIA AND CHINA OBJECT TO NEW ‘AMERICA FIRST’ SECURITY DOCTRINE




MOSCOW — Officials in Russia and China pushed back on Tuesday against the
characterization of their countries as threats to the United States in a new
national security doctrine published by the White House a day earlier.









ENERGY INDUSTRY CONFRONTS THE NAFTA DOLDRUMS




WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump sent shock waves through the Texas business
world when he opened up the North American Free Trade Agreement for
renegotiation four months ago.









NAFTA WASHINGTON TALKS SAID TO LEAVE MAJOR DIFFERENCES UNTOUCHED




WASHINGTON (Reuters) – NAFTA negotiatiors made some progress on less
controversial issues this week but left untouched the thorniest subjects of
autos, dispute settlement and an expiry clause to be tackled at pivotal talks in
January in Montreal.









TRUMP TO ANNOUNCE NEW NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY ON TRADE WITH CHINA




BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday defended trade with the
United States as a win-win scenario ahead of a speech by U.S. President Donald
Trump laying out a new national security strategy that makes clear that China is
a competitor.









REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS MEET WITH PENCE OVER NAFTA CONCERNS




WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican governors from four U.S. states on Thursday
met with Vice President Mike Pence to voice deep concerns over proposed changes
to NAFTA that could affect jobs and manufacturing in their states, officials who
attended the meeting said.









IN D.C., ARKANSAS GOVERNOR ARGUES FOR NAFTA




WASHINGTON — Eliminating the North American Free Trade Agreement, as President
Donald Trump has threatened, would undermine Arkansas’ economy, Gov. Asa
Hutchinson told administration officials Thursday at the White House.









TEHAMA COUNTY HOSTS GLOBAL TRADE AND SMALL BUSINESS WORKSHOP




Red Bluff >> Those interested in opening or expanding a small business in Tehama
County were offered the chance to learn what resources are available in
California at the Global Trade and Small Business Workshop held Thursday at the
Red Bluff Community Center.









WTO MEETING ENDS IN DISCORD, MINISTERS URGE SMALLER-SCALE TRADE TALKS




BUENOS AIRES/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Trade Organization failed to reach
any new agreements on Wednesday, ending a three-day ministerial conference in
discord in the face of stinging U.S. criticism of the group and vetoes from
other countries.









LIGHTHIZER DEFENDS U.S. AGRICULTURE AT WTO MINISTERIAL




ARLINGTON, Virginia — U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) thanks U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer for his efforts to defend U.S. agriculture
against attempts to weaken the World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on domestic
support in agriculture. The Buenos Aires Ministerial would be a failure if the
trade liberalizing mission of the WTO were to take a massive step backwards
through a permanent exemption for market price supports for certain major
agriculture producers.









‘TIT-FOR-TAT’ TRADE WAR WITH CHINA COULD HURT US COMPANIES: FORMER TOP US
NEGOTIATOR




The US should avoid a “tit-for-tat” trade war with China because it could hit US
companies through higher costs, disrupted supply chains and battered consumers,
a former top US trade negotiator has warned.







CHAIRMAN ROBERTS: “TRADE IS MORE THAN A PRODUCT CROSSING A BORDER”




WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today addressed the
Washington International Trade Association, highlighting the benefits of NAFTA
to American agriculture and the numerous associated American jobs.









U.S., EU, JAPAN SLAM MARKET DISTORTION IN SWIPE AT CHINA




BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – The United States, European Union and Japan vowed on
Tuesday to work together to fight market-distorting trade practices and policies
that have fueled excess production capacity, naming several key features of
China’s economic system.









U.S. FINDS ALLIES TO CHALLENGE CHINA’S TRADE TACTICS




The U.S. finds itself isolated in its efforts to temper support for
globalization. It’s having greater success rallying rich countries to rein in a
common rival: China.

At the World Trade Organization meeting this week in Buenos Aires, the U.S.,
European Union and Japan agreed to target excess capacity in important
industries and called on countries to curb state financing. While the
declaration didn’t name China, it’s an implicit warning to President Xi Jinping
that they’re losing tolerance with its state-driven model.









TRUMP’S NAFTA THREAT WORRIES NORTHWEST’S CHRISTMAS TREE GROWERS




WASHINGTON — In the cheerless days of the last recession, as Americans were
spending less on Christmas trees, Oregon’s evergreen growers spotted an
opportunity.

Demand had been growing for Northwest-grown firs in Mexico, and the U.S. had a
surplus. Agricultural officials from both countries forged a relationship that
nearly doubled U.S. tree exports over four years, to $22.6 million in 2015. One
in six of the state’s Christmas trees are now trucked south of the border.









SENATORS PUSH FOR FAIR REWRITING OF NAFTA




Senators from the Farm Belt continue to reflect the anxiety of their
constituents over the economic impact of renegotiating the North American Free
Trade Agreement.

Agriculture remains one of the economic sectors most affected by President
Trump’s directive to refashion the 23-year-old trade agreement with Mexico and
Canada









GOLDMAN SACHS EXPECTS US TO ANNOUNCE NAFTA PULLOUT




US demands in NAFTA negotiations are impossible for Canada and Mexico to accept.
The positions will ultimately lead to an impasse and the US will announce its
intention to pullout of the agreement.

“For now, U.S. Trade Representative [Robert] Lighthizer looks willing to let the
talks fail unless he can secure major concessions,” they wrote. “While we expect
the rising odds of tax reform to put less pressure on the trade agenda, we do
not expect passage of tax reform will raise the odds of a successful Nafta
renegotiation, so a withdrawal announcement looks more likely than not even if
tax reform is enacted soon.”









FIVE ‘EXTREME’ NAFTA PROPOSALS BY U.S. THAT CANADA WILL NOT ACCEPT, ACCORDING TO
OUR LEAD NEGOTIATOR




OTTAWA — Canada’s chief negotiator for an update to the North American Free
Trade Agreement says some of the United States’ proposals are “completely
unworkable.”

Steve Verheul told a House of Commons committee Monday that Canada will not
accept the most “extreme” demands coming from President Donald Trump’s
administration, implying that his Mexican counterparts are of the same mind.









TRUDEAU STEPS UP ON TRADE FOR CANADA, AS AMERICA UNDER TRUMP PULLS BACK




OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau landed in Beijing on Sunday, with
expanding trade with China at the top of his agenda. As the United States under
President Trump becomes increasingly protectionist, Canada is moving in the
opposite direction.

Along with 10 other nations, Canada is trying to revive the Trans-Pacific
Partnership, a trade deal championed by the Obama administration and abandoned
by Mr. Trump. It is in trade talks with numerous other countries and free-trade
groups — including India, Japan and Singapore. And in late September its broad
free-trade pact with Europe clicked into action.








ECONOMISTS’ TAKE ON GOP TAX CUTS AND NAFTA




WASHINGTON – Economists expect the GOP tax overhaul to provide a modest boost to
the US economy, but they’re increasingly worried that a rewrite of the North
American Free Trade Agreement will take a toll on growth.

The National Association of Business Economics survey found that forecasters
expect tax law changes to add 0.2 percentage points of growth to the US economy,
down slightly from what they expected in the previous NABE survey in September.
The survey was taken Nov. 6-15, before the Senate passed a major tax overhaul
early Saturday.









STERLING SPIKES ON NEWS OF UK-IRELAND BORDER BREAKTHROUGH




Britain and the EU have reportedly agreed to avoid a hard border on the island
of Ireland, preventing what many have called a “political calamity” and
potentially severe economic fallout for the Republic of Ireland, for whom the
U.K. is a crucial trading partner.









CANADA’S TRUDEAU IN CHINA ON VISIT FOCUSED ON TRADE




Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau began a visit to China focused on trade
Monday with a stop at social media giant Sina, where he talked up the advantages
of travel to his homeland.
Accompanied by four Cabinet ministers, Trudeau was due to hold talks with
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Monday before meeting with President Xi Jinping
the following day.









E.U., SOUTH AMERICA NEGOTIATORS GUNNING FOR MASSIVE TRADE DEAL BY CHRISTMAS




In a time of a growing global protectionist tide, the sought-after agreement
seven years in the making between Europe and South America would cover $100
billion in annual bilateral trade. And the deal would act as a stark contrast to
President Donald Trump’s decision to pull the U.S. away from potential trade
deals with Europe and Asia that until not long ago were considered major boons
to the flow of world commerce.









TRUMP’S IDEA OF NEW NAFTA DEAL IS ‘TAKE, TAKE, TAKE,’ CANADIAN ENVOY SAYS




The United States promised Canada and Mexico a new “win, win, win” NAFTA deal,
but the Trump administration’s approach is more like “take, take, take,”
Canada’s ambassador to the United States told POLITICO.









CAMBODIAN GARMENT MAKERS SEEK CONTINUED SUPPORT AFTER EU TRADE ACCESS THREAT




PHNOM PENH (Reuters) – Cambodian garment makers on Friday urged international
buyers not to turn away from the country amid concerns that its access to vital
EU trade preferences could be under threat after the main opposition party was
dissolved last month.









US JOINS TRADE FIGHT AGAINST CHINA AT WTO




WASHINGTON — The United States is joining a fight against China at the World
Trade Organization in a decision likely to ratchet up tensions between
Washington and Beijing.The U.S. is supporting the European Union in a dispute
over China’s status at the WTO, which rules on trade disputes.









U.S. REBUKES CHINA FOR BACKING OFF MARKET EMBRACE




The Trump administration rebuked China for not being tough enough over North
Korea’s nuclear program and said the Asian country is backsliding on
market-oriented reforms.The U.S. wants to work with other major economies to
come up with a united response to what America sees as China’s foot dragging on
economic changes, ranging from reforming state-owned enterprises to curbing the
ruling party’s role in the economy, said David Malpass, the Treasury’s
undersecretary of international affairs.









BREXIT BRITAIN LOOKS TO CHINA
THE UK WANTS TO ATTRACT MORE TRADE AND INVESTMENT FROM CHINA ONCE IT LEAVES THE
EU.




With Britain leaving the world’s second-largest economy — the European Union —
and its future trading relationship with the bloc still uncertain, ministers
like Fox are looking to closer ties with the world’s other economic powerhouses.
After the U.S. — turning inward under Trump — the plumpest target is China.









THE UNITED STATES MAY BE PUSHING CANADA TOWARD ‘FREE TRADE’ WITH CHINA




Just days ahead of a Beijing visit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has
yet to decide on whether to launch talks on a free trade deal that China has
long pressed for and could face a cool reception over his government’s decision
to snub Chinese interest in Bombardier.

China wants a free trade pact similar to the ones it has with Australia and New
Zealand but Trudeau, aware of domestic unease at the idea, is moving slowly.










TRUMP SEEKS DETAILS ON SOLAR IMPORTS BEFORE SETTING TARIFFS




President Donald Trump’s trade representative requested more details about how
low-cost imported solar panels have harmed U.S. manufacturers as the White House
considers imposing tariffs.










US TO INVESTIGATE CHINESE ALUMINIUM TRADE




The US has announced another trade investigation, this time targeting China’s
aluminium industry.
The inquiry will examine if aluminium alloy sheet is being sold below cost or
with the help of government subsidies and could lead to tariffs.
The US called it an “historic” probe intended to advance President Donald
Trump’s tough-on-trade agenda.
It is initiating the investigation itself, not responding to a complaint from a
US company, as is usual.










AS GLOBAL TRADE GETS SET TO BOOM, FREIGHT FORWARDER DHL GETS READY WITH MASSIVE
EXPANSION




The freight forwarding firm DHL is never afraid to jump first. While many other
Western companies hesitated when China began opening up its central and western
realms, DHL plowed ahead, opening new hubs in places that are now some of the
most economically dynamic cities in the world. When the international media was
harbingering the coming collapse of China in 2014 as growth slid to a 24-year
low, DHL upped their stakes in the country by 50%, tacking on six new logistics
facilities that are set to open in 2020 — a year when China is now predicted to
be stronger than ever.











CANADA OPENS WTO CASE AGAINST UNITED STATES OVER LUMBER DUTIES




OTTAWA (Reuters) – Canada on Tuesday formally opened a case against the United
States at the World Trade Organization over a recent Commerce Department
decision to impose duties on Canadian lumber exports, the foreign ministry said.










ENDING NAFTA WOULD HURT GROWTH, COMPETITIVENESS OF UNITED STATES, CANADA: REPORT




DETROIT (Reuters) – Terminating the North American Free Trade Agreement would
harm the U.S. and Canadian economies and reduce their competitiveness versus
Asia and Europe, a report issued by the Bank of Montreal (BMO.TO) said on
Monday.










NEBRASKA’S FARMERS REALLY NEED NAFTA




With the fifth round of negotiations on the North American Free Trade Agreement,
Nebraskans whose livelihoods are tied to agriculture are nervous. Uncertainty
surrounding the pact between the United States, Canada and Mexico — from which
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to withdraw — has caused
Mexican buyers to begin searching for other sources in case they lose access to
the U.S. producers they’ve long trusted.









THE NAFTA YEARS HAVE BEEN TERRIBLE FOR MEXICAN GROWTH




What’s the opposite of a growth miracle? Whatever the term, it applies in spades
to Mexico in the Nafta era.

Poor countries are expected to grow faster than rich ones, and they need to.
Trade agreements are supposed to help. Yet by almost any benchmark — certainly
the ones trumpeted by the deal’s architects a quarter-century ago — the Mexican
economy’s performance has been dismal.










NO IRISH BORDER DEAL BEFORE EU TRADE AGREEMENT: BRITISH MINISTER




LONDON (Reuters) – Britain will not resolve the question of the Irish border
after Brexit until it has also agreed the outline of a trade deal with the
European Union, the country’s International Trade Minister Liam Fox said on
Sunday.










TRADE HIGH ON TRUDEAU’S AGENDA FOR VISIT TO CHINA NEXT WEEK




Trade will be high on the agenda when Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
visits China next week in a bid to boost business ties with the world’s
second-largest economy.










CHINA OCTOBER SERVICES TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS TO $17.8 BILLION – FX REGULATOR




BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s trade deficit in services narrowed to $17.8 billion
in October from $22.2 billion in September, the foreign exchange regulator said
on Monday.










NAFTA TALKS SPUTTER AS PARTIES REJECT U.S. HARD LINE




The quest to renew Nafta is slowing to a crawl as Canada and Mexico tiptoe
around America’s most controversial proposals, throwing into doubt the ability
of the three nations to reach a quick deal.

The U.S. is frustrated with the reluctance of Canada and Mexico to present
counter-proposals on key issues such as regional content rules for cars, which
could make or break a deal. Mexico and Canada continue to portray key U.S.
demands as unworkable, and are holding out hope the Trump administration will
bow to pressure from U.S. lawmakers and corporations to keep core elements of
the deal alive.











CANADA, MEXICO TO REBUFF U.S. OVER NAFTA GOALS AS TALKS BOG DOWN




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Canada and Mexico will rebuff the United States over its
demand for tougher NAFTA automotive content rules, top officials said on Monday
as negotiations to renew the treaty bogged down with only a few months to go.

U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening to quit NAFTA, which has reshaped the
continent’s auto sector over the past 23 years, unless major changes can be made
to return manufacturing jobs to the United States.










MAKING MANUFACTURING GREAT AGAIN WOULD ADD $530 BILLION TO GDP




The U.S. manufacturing sector has weathered a bumpy road over the course of the
past two decades – but successfully righting the country’s industrial ship would
mean an economic windfall of $530 billion, according to a new report from The
McKinsey Global Institute.









NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS: WHAT’S IN IT FOR THE U.S.-MEXICO ENERGY TRADE?




The U.S. trade relationship with Mexico has been under the spotlight since last
year’s presidential campaign. The pledge by Donald Trump to renegotiate the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) – including a withdrawal option –
was premised on two central arguments: that the U.S. is losing manufacturing
jobs to Mexico and that trade with Mexico is contributing substantially to a
gaping U.S. trade deficit.











CANADA, MEXICO TO QUESTION U.S. AUTO CONTENT DEMANDS AT NAFTA TALKS




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Canada and Mexico will not make counterproposals to U.S.
demands for tougher NAFTA automotive content rules but instead will offer
rebuttals and pepper American negotiators with technical questions on Monday,
people familiar with the talks said.

Canada will make a presentation arguing U.S. demands would cause serious damage
to U.S. as well as North American automotive manufacturing, a Canadian source
with knowledge of the negotiations said.










NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS SHIFT DOWN A GEAR




The latest Nafta talks have proven far less dramatic than the fireworks of
earlier rounds, though any deal remains far off as Mexico and Canada hold out
hope the U.S. will soften its demands. The fifth round of talks, which began in
Mexico City on Nov. 15 and wraps up on Tuesday, is the first held without the
top trade chiefs from the three countries.










MEXICO BRISTLES AT U.S. PROPOSAL THAT WOULD BENEFIT AT&T IN NAFTA




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico shot down a proposal by the United States to
include provisions in the North America Free Trade Agreement that would benefit
AT&T Inc (T.N), Mexico’s Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo said on Wednesday.

“AT&T, which is North American, asked its government to reflect its interests in
the negotiation,” Guajardo said in an interview on local radio without
specifying the details of the U.S. proposal. “You cannot have an agreement… that
gives a tailor’s cut, a perfect handiwork, to a specific company.”





TRUMP’S TRADE POLICY IS LIFTING EXPORTS. OF CANADIAN LOBSTER.




CENTREVILLE, Nova Scotia — This lobster factory on a windswept bay in eastern
Canada is so remote that its workers have to drive for miles just to get
cellphone service. But Gidney Fisheries is truly global, with its lobsters
landing on plates in Paris and Shanghai through trade agreements hammered out in
far-off capitals.

Of late, these trade pacts have been shifting in the factory’s favor, giving it
an advantage over its American competitors.

A new trade agreement between Canada and the European Union has slashed tariffs
on imports of Canadian lobsters. That means more 747s filled with Christmas-red
crustaceans will depart from Nova Scotia for European markets this winter — and
more revenue will flow to Gidney fisheries










MEXICO TO RESPOND TO TOUGH U.S. PROPOSALS AT FIFTH NAFTA ROUND




MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico will respond to U.S. demands for changes in
content rules for autos and an automatic expiration clause in the NAFTA trade
deal when negotiations on reworking the accord begin again this week, a top
government official said on Tuesday.

A fifth round of talks to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement
starts on Wednesday in Mexico City, notable for U.S. demands that the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce has labeled “poison pills.”










REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS JOINED FORCES IN SUPPORT OF NAFTA BY SENDING SERIES OF
LETTERS TO TRUMP




American lawmakers have escalated their campaign against the Trump
administration’s handling of the NAFTA negotiations, slamming White House
policies in a series of letters this week.

Separate letters have criticized the administration’s push for a so-called
sunset clause in the agreement; its proposal on auto-parts rules of origin; and
its idea of using international agreements as the vehicle for lowering the U.S.
trade deficit.










USTR ANNOUNCES NEW ENFORCEMENT PRIORITIES FOR GSP




US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer has announced a new effort to ensure
beneficiary countries are meeting the eligibility criteria of the Generalized
System of Preferences (GSP) trade preference program.

This new effort includes a heightened focus on concluding outstanding GSP cases
and a new interagency process to assess beneficiary country eligibility. This
interagency process complements the current petition receipt and public input
process for country practice reviews, which will remain unchanged









THE NEXT BIG WORRY FOR MARKETS—NAFTA FAILS AND TRADE WARS ERUPT




As trade negotiators prepare to meet in Mexico this week, Wall Street is
increasingly worried the 23-year-old NAFTA trade deal could fall apart, creating
the potential for new trade clashes in North America and around the globe.

Analysts say tough “America first” trade talk from President Donald Trump in
Vietnam last week raised new concerns about his opposition to deals like the
North American Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada. Trump has pushed for
the renegotiation of NAFTA, and he has also threatened to withdraw from it,
something analysts say appears to be increasingly possible.









TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP MOVES FORWARD WITHOUT US




On January 23, three days into his administration, President Donald Trump
withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a trade agreement with eleven
other countries. Many thought that was the end of TPP.

But last Saturday, at the APEC Summit that Trump also attended, the 11 remaining
countries agreed on a blueprint for finalizing the deal— without the United
States.










THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE ON NAFTA IS TRADER DOOMSDAY PREP




Lurking around the Nafta negotiations that resume Wednesday is a small yet
unnerving possibility: The $1 trillion trade pact unravels completely, taking
the Mexican peso and Canadian dollar down with it.

“There’s about a 10 percent chance that one side completely walks away,” said
Shawn Snyder, head of investment strategy at Citi Personal Wealth Management in
New York. “That would be a significant event.”









AMERICANS GENERALLY POSITIVE ABOUT NAFTA, BUT MOST REPUBLICANS SAY IT BENEFITS
MEXICO MORE THAN U.S.




As Mexico prepares to host the fifth round of negotiations over the 23-year-old
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), most Americans (56%) say that the
pact is good for the United States, while just a third (33%) say it is bad.

<


LAURA INGRAHAM EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ROBERT
LIGHTHIZER



On Saturday, November 4th, Laura Ingraham sat down for this exclusive interview
with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer










TRUMP PITCHES ‘AMERICA FIRST’ TRADE POLICY AT ASIA-PACIFIC SUMMIT




DANANG, Vietnam — President Trump pitched a go-it-alone, “America First” trade
policy to a gathering of nations on Friday that once pinned their economic hopes
on a regional pact led by the United States, vowing to protect American
interests against foreign exploitation.










US-CHINA DEALS SIGNED AMID RISING TRADE DEFICIT




BEIJING – US and Chinese companies on Wednesday signed business deals the two
sides valued at $9 billion during a visit by President Donald Trump in a
tradition aimed at blunting criticism of Beijing’s trade practices.










RATIONAL SELF-INTEREST IS AT THE HEART OF THE U.S.-SOUTH KOREA RELATIONSHIP.




President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea this week highlights a historic
time for the two countries. It comes just weeks after a heated war of words
between Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un at the recent United Nations
meeting. Equally important, it comes as the U.S. and South Korea undergo a top
to bottom reevaluation of conventional wisdom that has long guided the internal
policies of each country and our economic ties with each other. Few bilateral
economic and security relationships have such far reaching consequences.

Korea is America’s sixth largest two-way trading partner, with a whopping $112.2
billion in 2016. It would be sufficient to examine the relationship just from
the perspective of connected technology trade; for example, Apple and the Korean
Samsung together account for two-thirds of smartphones in U.S., and Korean Kakao
is a leading social network/gaming/taxi platform with more than 100 million
users. But the trade between our countries extends well beyond mobile phones and
apps, to vehicles, connected appliances, machinery, pharmaceuticals and fuels.










U.S. SEEKS RESTRICTIONS ON MEXICAN TRUCKING UNDER NAFTA




The U.S. has proposed another difficult change to the North American Free Trade
Agreement that could eventually restrict long-haul Mexican truckers from
operating in the country, according to people familiar with the discussions.

American negotiators asked to remove Mexico’s long-haul industry from a Nafta
chapter on cross-border services, according to an industry official familiar
with the proposal who isn’t authorized to speak publicly. That could open the
door to restrictions on truckers, as losing Nafta trade protections and
advantages would make it harder for Mexico to challenge any future U.S.
requirements on trucks such as new safety checks.










TRUMP PLEDGES TO CHANGE “OUT OF KILTER” US-CHINA TRADE RELATIONSHIP




Donald Trump pledged on Thursday to change a US-China trade and economic
relationship that is “far out of kilter” as he began a day of meetings in
Beijing with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

“The US really has to change its policies because they’ve gotten so far behind
China,” the US president told Mr Xi ahead of a meeting of their two delegations
in the Great Hall of the People. “It’s too bad past administrations allowed it
to get so far out of kilter,” Mr Trump added.










TRUMP’S TRADE ENDGAME COULD BE THE UNDOING OF GLOBAL RULES




What if President Trump’s ultimate goal is to kill the World Trade Organization?

When Robert Lighthizer, Mr. Trump’s top trade negotiator, cut his teeth on trade
diplomacy, back during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, the United States had an
idiosyncratic way of solving its grievances over trade: asking its trading
partners to curb their exports, or else.










A BIPARTISAN U.S. TRADE POLICY? LIGHTHIZER WILL FACE CHALLENGES




The role of “sunny optimist” may seem a strange fit for a Trump administration
trade official, but U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer tried it on
recently. In a discussion about renegotiating the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA), he mused about returning “to the days where there was a
substantial majority of people in both parties that voted for these trade
agreements. … That is my objective right now. I want to have a huge number of
Republicans and a huge number of Democrats.”










NAFTA TALKS CAUSING BUSINESS UNCERTAINTY: RIO TINTO EXECUTIVE




The current state of talks to update the NAFTA trade pact is creating
uncertainty among businesses and could hurt investments and growth, Rio Tinto
Aluminium (RIO.L) chief executive Alf Barrios said on Wednesday.

Canada and Mexico say several U.S. proposals for modernizing the North American
Free Trade Agreement are unacceptable, prompting increasing concern that
Washington could walk away from the trilateral deal.










RESPONDING TO TRUMP, CHINA SAYS NEVER SOUGHT TRADE SURPLUS




Responding to remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, a Chinese spokeswoman on
Thursday said the country never intentionally sought a trade surplus with the
United States and that some frictions are inevitable.

Trump on Wednesday said the U.S. trade deficit with China was “through the
roof,” calling it “so big and bad that it’s embarrassing saying what the number
is.”










NORTH KOREA, TRADE, BUSINESS DEALS: HIGH ASIA STAKES FOR TRUMP




President Donald Trump embarks Friday on a five-nation tour through Asia — his
longest foreign trip yet — where he’ll confront some of the most significant
tests of his national security and economic agendas.

Trump arrives in Asia amid deepening concerns over North Korea’s nuclear and
ballistic missile programs. Key allies in Tokyo and Seoul will be looking for
reassurance in the face of dangerous provocations from Kim Jong Un and bellicose
statements from the U.S. president himself. Trump hopes to court China into
exerting more pressure on Kim’s regime










U.S. TRADE PANEL SET TO RECOMMEND SOLAR TRADE TARIFFS




Federal trade officials on Tuesday will recommend measures to safeguard
struggling domestic solar panel manufacturers against cheap imports in a closely
watched case that could have a major impact on the price of U.S. solar power.

The vote by the U.S. International Trade Commission is a major milestone in a
case that has divided the solar industry for the last six months. The panel’s
proposals, which could include tariffs, a quota or other trade remedies, will be
delivered to President Donald Trump, who will make a final decision later this
year.










CHINESE AMBASSADOR RESPONDS TO TRUMP’S TRADE COMPLAINTS: ‘LOOK IN THE MIRROR’




China’s ambassador on Monday brushed off the Trump administration’s complaints
that Beijing is employing predatory trade and economic practices to bully and
intimidate neighbors, suggesting that the United States “look in the mirror
because they might be describing themselves.”

Ambassador Cui Tiankai’s comments during a briefing with reporters came as
President Trump prepares to leave Washington at week’s end for a 12-day swing
through five Asian nations, including China, during which the main topics are
expected to be confronting North Korea and discussions on U.S. trade relations
in the region.










GLOBAL TRADE REBOUNDS STRONGLY




While US President Trump tries to cut off the United States from globalization
and Britain turns away from the EU, global trade carries on and is movely more
nicely than expected. The IMF and WTO are set to increase their growth
forecasts.










MEXICO FEELS MORTGAGED TO NAFTA. TIME TO REFINANCE.




Secession was the talk of Mexico’s biggest business summit this week.

Not the latest news from Catalonia, but the idea that Mexico lost its
independence and ought to do something about it. An entire national model has
been based on catering to the North American Free Trade Agreement, the
23-year-old accord that links commerce between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
There’s regret that not much thought was given to what could go wrong.





TRUMP-HEAVY STATES AT BIGGEST RISK OF TRADE, NAFTA DISRUPTION




President Donald Trump to this point has made good on his campaign promises of
scrapping trade deals he feels are unfair to U.S. workers – despite warnings
from some analysts over the potential repercussions from the collapse of
decades-old trade arrangements.

Trump withdrew the U.S. from Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations shortly
after taking office – a move Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also promised on
the campaign trail to consider.










‘ARMY’ OF LOBBYISTS HITS CAPITOL HILL TO PRESERVE NAFTA




Automakers, retailers and other business leaders stormed Capitol Hill on Tuesday
in an extraordinary show of force against a Republican president they fear will
cripple or kill the North American Free Trade Agreement, an outcome business
leaders said could devastate their profits and harm the United States’ ability
to compete in a global market.

More than 130 representatives from an array of industries met with senators on
Tuesday to ratchet up pressure on lawmakers — many of whose constituents work
for companies dependent on Nafta — to keep the deal intact.










MEXICO FEELS MORTGAGED TO NAFTA. TIME TO REFINANCE.




Secession was the talk of Mexico’s biggest business summit this week.

Not the latest news from Catalonia, but the idea that Mexico lost its
independence and ought to do something about it. An entire national model has
been based on catering to the North American Free Trade Agreement, the
23-year-old accord that links commerce between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
There’s regret that not much thought was given to what could go wrong.










BANK OF AMERICA: 2 CHARTS SHOW WHY RIPPING UP NAFTA WOULDN’T SOLVE TRUMP’S BIG
ISSUES WITH THE DEAL




It’s no secret that President Donald Trump isn’t a fan of NAFTA. Throughout his
campaign, he promised to rip up trade deals, specifically zeroing in on the
North American Free Trade Agreement, the US’s trade deficit with Mexico, and the
US’s loss of manufacturing jobs.

The evidence available, however, favors the position that changing NAFTA would
neither reduce the US’s trade deficit nor meaningfully increase its
manufacturing jobs, according to two charts shared by Bank of America Merrill
Lynch’s Carlos Capistran and Ethan S. Harris in a recent report to clients.










TRUMP-HEAVY STATES AT BIGGEST RISK OF TRADE, NAFTA DISRUPTION




President Donald Trump to this point has made good on his campaign promises of
scrapping trade deals he feels are unfair to U.S. workers – despite warnings
from some analysts over the potential repercussions from the collapse of
decades-old trade arrangements.

Trump withdrew the U.S. from Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations shortly
after taking office – a move Democratic rival Hillary Clinton also promised on
the campaign trail to consider.










EVEN A NAFTA COLLAPSE WON’T KEEP COMPANIES FROM MOVING TO MEXICO




It wasn’t supposed to be like this, but the folks who help U.S. companies set up
production in Mexico say they’re having a solid year.

Tecma Group has more business than ever in its three decades doing relocation.
In just the last few weeks, it aided a maker of cleaning equipment and a
packaging company make the move south. Chicago-based Mexico Consulting
Associates has three new prospects interested in Mexico.









AUTO INDUSTRY TELLS TRUMP ‘WE’RE WINNING WITH NAFTA’




Major automakers, suppliers and auto dealers are launching a new coalition on
Tuesday to urge U.S. President Donald Trump not to withdraw from the North
American Free Trade Agreement.

Auto trade associations representing General Motors Co (GM.N) Toyota Motor Corp
(7203.T), Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE), Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS), Ford Motor Co
(F.N) and nearly every other major automaker, are part of the coalition dubbed
“Driving American Jobs” and backing an advertising campaign to convince the
White House and voters that the agreement has been crucial in boosting U.S.
automotive sector production and jobs.










TRADE DEFICITS ARE IRRELEVANT




When George Allen was an NFL head coach in the 1970s, his philosophy was:
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”

President Trump shares that philosophy. He sees trade surpluses as evidence of
winning and deficits as evidence of losing. So, his administration is
renegotiating NAFTA to reduce or erase the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico (we
have a surplus with Canada). And it demanded a renegotiation of the Korea-US
Free Trade Agreement reduce or erase the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea.
The Koreans grudgingly acquiesced.










STORMS IMPACT U.S. JOB MARKET; TRADE EXPECTED TO BOLSTER ECONOMY




WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits
fell more than expected last week, but the continued impact of Hurricanes Harvey
and Irma on the data made it difficult to get a clear picture of the labor
market.










AS TRUMP PREPARES FOR VISIT TO ASIA AND CHINA’S XI, U.S. INCREASINGLY FINDS
ITSELF BEHIND A WALL




As Donald Trump prepares for his first trip to Asia as president early next
month, including a meeting in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, it’s
worth looking at the wall that he has been able to build, this one around the
United States.










IS DONALD TRUMP REALLY GOING TO DESTROY NAFTA?




Donald Trump is a politician who rose to prominence based on his knack for
crafting catchy and deep-cutting sound-bites. As president, however, his ability
to comprehend complex public policy issues doesn’t appear to extend much beyond
the range of a 140 character limit.










U.S. BUSINESSES FEAR NAFTA DOOMED; MEXICO WARNS OF CONSEQUENCES




MEXICO CITY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The most powerful U.S. business lobby accused
the Trump administration on Tuesday of making “poison pill proposals” to
sabotage talks aimed at modernizing NAFTA, as negotiators began gathering in
Washington for fresh trade talks.










TRADE DEFICITS ARE IRRELEVANT




When George Allen was an NFL head coach in the 1970s, his philosophy was:
“Winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing.”

President Trump shares that philosophy. He sees trade surpluses as evidence of
winning and deficits as evidence of losing. So, his administration is
renegotiating NAFTA to reduce or erase the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico (we
have a surplus with Canada). And it demanded a renegotiation of the Korea-US
Free Trade Agreement reduce or erase the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea.
The Koreans grudgingly acquiesced.










STORMS IMPACT U.S. JOB MARKET; TRADE EXPECTED TO BOLSTER ECONOMY




WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits
fell more than expected last week, but the continued impact of Hurricanes Harvey
and Irma on the data made it difficult to get a clear picture of the labor
market.










TRUMP THREATENED TO KILL THE SOUTH KOREA TRADE DEAL, BUT NOW THE US HAS CHANGED
ITS TONE




The U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to terminate the U.S. trade agreement
with South Korea ended up spurring support for the deal — and now both parties
are striking a conciliatory tone.










WASHING MACHINE WARS: U.S. BACKS WHIRLPOOL IN TRADE FIGHT WITH SAMSUNG




The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted 4-0 in Whirlpool’s (WHR)
favor on Thursday, ruling that a “surge” of washing machines from Samsung
(SSNLF) and LG (LPL) have “seriously injured” domestic manufacturers.










U.S. TRADE DEFICIT SHRANK IN AUGUST AS EXPORTS ROSE




WASHINGTON — Rising exports and falling imports shrank the United States’ trade
deficit in goods and services to the lowest level in nearly a year, data
released Thursday by the Commerce Department showed.










TRUMP-THAILAND TALKS: WHAT TO EXPECT?




You know those awkward dinner parties when the two people you didn’t invite are
all anyone can talk about?
Well, imagine for a moment the conversation between Thailand’s Prime Minister,
Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the US President Donald Trump.
It is likely to be dominated by two countries that have preoccupied President
Trump’s brain space (and his social media feed) of late: North Korea and China.
But there are other things on the agenda – trade and defence ties for instance
are likely to be discussed as well.










TOP US NAFTA NEGOTIATOR SEES NO PROBLEM WITH PACE OF TALKS




The top U.S. negotiator at talks to modernize the NAFTA trade pact on Monday
dismissed questions about why his team had so far failed to produce specific
proposals on key issues, saying “I don’t see a problem.”

Officials from the United States, Mexico and Canada are in Ottawa for the third
of seven planned rounds of talks. The U.S. delegation has yet to unveil its
precise position on several points, prompting concerns the process to update the
1994 pact could drag on beyond the scheduled end-December finish.










LATIN AMERICA’S DELICATE DANCE WITH CHINA




When Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski welcomed his Bolivian counterpart
Evo Morales for a bilateral summit in Lima earlier this month, a long-mooted
interoceanic train was on the agenda once again.

The idea is for the railway to run more than 2,000 miles from Brazil’s Atlantic
coast, potentially cutting through the Amazon and over the Andes, to one of
Peru’s Pacific ports. The megaproject would be a massive feat of engineering,
comparable in scope and geostrategic purpose to the Panama Canal.









IN TRUMP ERA, BOEING’S TRADE DISPUTE BOILS OVER INTO A ‘MULTICOUNTRY FEUD’




Boeing is no stranger to disputes with foreign competitors, but a rising tide of
protectionism has turned its most recent trade disagreement into an
international throw down.
On Tuesday, the Commerce Department is expected to announce a decision on
Boeing’s allegation that Bombardier, a Canadian jet maker, was able to sell new
aircraft in the United States at unfairly low prices because of subsidies it
received from the Canadian government.










PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS PROTECTIONIST MEASURES AGAINST CHINESE SOLAR POWER. THAT’S
GOING TO HURT U.S. FIRMS.




On Friday, the U.S. International Trade Commission, a federal body, ruled that
U.S. solar manufacturers are being injured by solar product imports. This gives
the Trump administration an opportunity to increase duties on imported solar
equipment, which would raise the costs of solar energy for companies and
households in the United States.










HERE’S THE SCARIEST PART OF NAFTA, ACCORDING TO COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS




Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told CNBC on Friday that autos and auto parts are
a key area in overhauling the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

The “scariest part” of NAFTA as it’s currently written is that autos and auto
parts make up nearly all of the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico and Canada, Ross
said on “Squawk Box.










CHINESE CREDIT DOWNGRADE ‘NEGATIVE MOOD MUSIC’ AHEAD OF PARTY CONGRESS




China’s long-term credit rating on Thursday received its second downgrade from a
major credit agency this year – and its first from Standard & Poor’s Global
Ratings in nearly 20 years – as analysts warned of elevated “economic and
financial risks” in the world’s second-largest economy.

S&P in a statement Thursday indicated China’s considerable credit growth in
recent years had “contributed to strong real GDP growth and higher asset prices”
but that “it has also diminished financial stability to some extent.”










TRUMP TEAM READIES FOR NAFTA FIGHT OVER MAKING GOODS IN AMERICA




As negotiators from Canada, Mexico and the United States head to Ottawa this
weekend for a third round of North American Free Trade Agreement talks, the
Trump administration is releasing data it says proves the playing field is
tilted against American manufacturers.

A Commerce Department report released on Friday contains data showing the United
States is playing a diminished role in manufacturing products that are bought
and sold around the continent. Meanwhile, countries outside of North America —
like China — are capitalizing on Nafta’s weak rules and benefiting from the
trade agreement, the report said.









CHINA COMMERCE MINISTRY SAYS SOME COUNTRIES’ UNILATERALISM POSES CHALLENGE TO
GLOBAL TRADE




China’s commerce ministry, taking aim at the United States, said on Thursday
that some countries’ unilateralism is an unprecedented challenge to global
trade.

The comment from Ministry of Commerce spokesman Gao Feng at a news conference
was in response to a question about recent trade actions taken by the United
States.










AMERICA HOLDS THE WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION HOSTAGE
TRADE



EIGHT months into Donald Trump’s presidency, the rules-based system of global
trade remains intact. Threats to impose broad tariffs have come to nothing. Some
ominous investigations into whether imports into America are a national-security
threat are on hold. Mr Trump looks less a hard man than a boy crying wolf.









WTO SAYS GLOBAL TRADE REBOUNDING, PROTECTIONISM STILL A RISK




Global trade is rebounding strongly but risks remain, the World Trade
Organization said on Thursday, with commerce expected to grow by 3.6 percent in
2017, well above last year’s 1.3 percent.

The forecast marks a sharp upward revision of the WTO’s April estimate, when it
foresaw growth of 2.4 percent and in a range of 1.8-3.6 percent, due to a high
level of political and economic uncertainty.









MOST CANADIANS SAY WALK AWAY FROM NAFTA IF IT’S ‘A BAD DEAL’




A vast majority of Canadians say the government should ditch NAFTA if current
renegotiations end in a “bad deal for Canadians and the environment.”

In an EKOS poll carried out for the Council of Canadians, 77 per cent of
respondents said Canada would be better off with no deal than a bad deal; 48 per
cent strongly agreed.










US TRADE ENVOY SAYS WTO DISPUTE SETTLEMENT IS ‘DEFICIENT’




The WTO dispute settlement system is “deficient” and has often ruled in favor of
free trade that overlooks details of a trade agreement, U.S. trade envoy Robert
Lighthizer said on Monday.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Lighthizer, a
trade lawyer, made clear that the administration was poised to push for major
changes to the global trade system during upcoming meetings of the Geneva-based
trade body. WTO member countries will meet in Buenos Aires on Dec 10.










EU CHAMBER WARNS CHINA: OPEN ECONOMY FASTER OR RISK BACKLASH




A business group urged China on Tuesday to carry out promises to open its
economy and warned that inaction might fuel a backlash against free trade amid
mounting U.S. and European criticism.

The European Union Chamber of Commerce said in a report that Beijing is
backtracking in some areas, including by imposing new restrictions on food
imports, express delivery and legal services. It proposed hundreds of possible
changes to open the state-dominated economy wider or simplify rules in fields
from cosmetics to medical devices.










TRUMP TO PUNISH CHINA OUTSIDE WTO




U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Monday that the Trump
Administration is drawing up plans to punish China outside the World Trade
Organization.

Speaking at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington,
Lighthizer said the government is looking for “other ways” to defend American
companies and workers from the effects of China’s subsidized trade.










PUSH FOR NAFTA OVERHAUL MAY FALL SHORT, U.S. NEGOTIATOR SAYS



WASHINGTON — The top United States trade negotiator said Monday that it was
unclear whether Canada, Mexico and the United States could reach a deal to
overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement within the ambitious timetable
set by the Trump administration.









ROSS: NORTH KOREA PROBLEM WON’T STOP U.S. FROM CRACKING DOWN ON CHINA TRADE



Speaking at POLITICO’s Pro Policy Summit, Ross said resolving the nuclear
missile problem is the administration’s “No. 1 priority.”

“The primary responsibility of the president is to protect the American people,
so that has to be the sine qua non,” Ross said. But, he added, there is “nothing
logically inconsistent with that and having a trade policy that’s better
economically for us.”










NAFTA TALKS TARGET STUBBORNLY LOW MEXICAN WAGES



Now, U.S. and Canadian trade officials and labor advocates want to use the Nafta
renegotiation to prod Mexico into raising its wages.

“Higher wages in Mexico are in the interests of Mexico and the U.S.,” economist
Peter Navarro, a trade adviser to President Donald Trump, told The Wall Street
Journal recently. “Without this adjustment Mexico will never have a robust
middle class, and our middle class will wither if not die.”










TRUMP THREATENS TO SCRAP NAFTA IN SUNDAY MORNING TWEET



U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his threat to scrap NAFTA and ripped on
trading partners Canada and Mexico in a tweet early on Sunday, days before the
three countries were scheduled to hold a second round of negotiations on
rewriting the 23-year-old agreement.

“We are in the NAFTA (worst trade deal ever made) renegotiation process with
Mexico & Canada. Both being very difficult, may have to terminate?” he wrote.










U.S. GOODS TRADE DEFICIT WIDENS IN JULY; RETAIL INVENTORIES FALL



The U.S. goods trade deficit increased in July as exports fell, suggesting that
trade would make a modest contribution to economic growth in the third quarter.

The Commerce Department said on Monday the goods trade gap increased 1.7 percent
to $65.1 billion last month. Exports declined 1.3 percent, weighed down by an
8.0 percent tumble in shipments of motor vehicles.










U.S. BEGINS NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS WITH HARSH WORDS



The renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement is off to a rocky
start.
The Trump administration lectured Canada and Mexico on the failures of the
current agreement at an opening news conference Wednesday morning, while behind
closed doors negotiators began to seek significant concessions from America’s
neighbors.










CHINA BANS NORTH KOREA IRON, LEAD, COAL IMPORTS AS PART OF U.N. SANCTIONS



China announced a ban on imports of iron ore, iron, lead and coal from North
Korea on Monday, increasing the economic pressure on the Pyongyang regime, as it
moved to implement a package of sanctions put together by the U.N. Security
Council.
The ban will take effect from Tuesday, the Ministry of Commerce announced,
although China will continue to clear goods that have already arrived in port
until Sept. 5.










MAYBE IT’S TIME TO TRADE WITH NORTH KOREA



Let’s add a fourth option to the three options most often heard when the subject
is North Korea and the nuclear threat it poses to the United States: Trade with
North Korea. Or, I should say, rapidly increase what is now our limited trade
with North Korea.










TRUMP TO LAUNCH INVESTIGATION INTO CHINA TRADE VIOLATIONS



The Trump administration will take steps Monday to launch an investigation into
Chinese intellectual property violations that could result in severe trade
penalties, a threat the United States could wield to pressure Beijing into
improving its economic behavior and doing more to contain North Korea’s nuclear
threat.
The president plans to sign an executive memorandum Monday afternoon directing
his top trade negotiator to determine whether to investigate China for harming
intellectual property, innovation and technology, senior administration
officials said in a conference call Saturday morning.










USITC RULES TAIWAN FIBER EXPORTS HURT U.S.; PROBE TO CONTINUE



The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has made a preliminary decision
that exports of Taiwanese and South Korea polyester fiber firms have caused
damage to the polyester fiber industry in the U.S. because of their unfairly low
prices. “There is a reasonable indication that a U.S. industry is materially
injured by reason of imports of low melt polyester staple fiber from Korea and
Taiwan that are allegedly sold in the United States at less than fair value,”
the ITC said in a statement.









FOOD IS AT THE CENTER OF US-UK TRADE CONCERNS



President Trump has promised a “big, big” free trade agreement with the U.K.
once that country leaves the European Union in 2019. The British cabinet is,
however, split over the prospect. Some ministers believe that Britain should
clinch a deal with the U.S. at any cost. But others fear that a free trade deal
would lift the existing European ban on the importation of some controversial
American farm products and that could undermine British food standards.









BRITAIN SHOULDN’T ‘GO UP AGAINST’ U.S. IN TRADE TALKS



The U.S. may not be the best country for Britain to start its post-Brexit trade
agreements with, according to Adam Marshall, director general of the British
Chambers of Commerce. “I wouldn’t want to go up against them, early on, when I’m
just getting on my feet again as a country going into free trade agreements,”
Marshall said in an interview on Bloomberg Television on Friday. “The U.S. trade
representative is one of the best-oiled machines in the world when it comes to
negotiating trade deals.”









TRUMP EDGES CLOSER TO A TRADE WAR WITH CHINA, THANKS TO ALUMINUM FOIL



The United States has decided to levy an import tax on shipments of aluminum
foil from China, penalizing the country for what U.S. trade officials say are
unfair subsidies of its products.It’s a decision that could add to mounting
tensions between the world’s two biggest economies over trade, as the Trump
administration considers a wide array of trade measures that would clamp on
Chinese trade violations and the aluminum sector in particular.









GET READY. NAFTA TALKS ARE COMING SOON



Talks to renegotiate NAFTA — one of Trump’s chief campaign promises — begin in a
week in Washington.Trump blames NAFTA for an exodus of manufacturing jobs to
Mexico. He also credits his criticism of the free trade agreement as a key
factor in his election.









KORUS REDUX?



This may seem like something you’ve heard before, but the administration is
seeking to modernize an existing U.S. free trade agreement. This time, it’s the
United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement, better known as KORUS.









U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ISSUES AFFIRMATIVE PRELIMINARY COUNTERVAILING DUTY
DETERMINATION ON ALUMINUM FOIL FROM THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA



The U.S. Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced the affirmative
preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of
aluminum foil from the People’s Republic of China (China), preliminary finding
that Chinese exporters of aluminum foil received countervailing subsidies 16.56
to 80.97 percent. The Commerce Department will instruct U.S. Customs and Border
Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of aluminum foil from China
based on these preliminary rates.









U.S. TRADE COMMISSION NOW INVESTIGATING APPLE IN QUALCOMM PATENT DISPUTE



The U.S. International Trade Commission is investigating Qualcomm’s claims that
Apple is violating several of its patents related to mobile technologies in
several of its iPhone models. Qualcomm is seeking a ban on imports of the iPhone
models that allegedly infringe on its IP.
Earlier this year, Apple sued Qualcomm for $1 billion, alleging that the company
was collecting royalties on patents that it had “nothing to do with.” In April,
Apple announced that it would no longer be paying Qualcomm any royalties as it
pursued legal action against them.









CHINA USES FORCED LABOUR TO EXPORT PRODUCTS TO UNITED STATES, SAYS REPORT



China uses forced labour to export products to United States, says report. The
report titled ‘US Exposure to Forced Labour Exports from China: Developments
since the US Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015’ states that
the value of the Chinese forced labour exports to the US is unknown as China’s
forced labour industry has long been opaque.









CHINA ALUMINUM FOIL MAKERS TO CHALLENGE U.S DUMPING DUTIES: SOURCES



China’s top aluminum foil producers are preparing a legal defense challenging a
preliminary U.S. ruling on Wednesday that would impose hefty penalties on
imports from the world’s top producers, two sources familiar with the matter
said. Loften Aluminum, China’s top foil exporter to the United States, is
joining 11 other firms to fight the ruling, the first such case since the
inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, an official at the company said on
condition of anonymity.









RURAL AMERICA FEELS THE EFFECTS OF TRUMP’S TRADE POLICIES



There was a fascinating piece in Politico yesterday on the country’s
agricultural sector, which has struggled for a while, but which saw an exciting
new opportunity take shape last year. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (or TPP) was
seen as “a lifeline,” offering Rural America a chance to reach millions of new,
international customers. Donald Trump, a fierce opponent of the trade pact for
reasons he’s never been able to explain in any detail, was quick to close that
window. Now America’s rural exporters are watching other countries reach deals
on their own, leaving the United States on the sidelines.









TRUMP HAS NOT BEEN ‘SMART ENOUGH’ ON CHINA TRADE POLICIES, ANALYST SAYS



President Donald Trump’s latest plan to take action against China over trade
issues has some watchers worried about a trade war. Others say Trump is on the
right track in his efforts to retaliate against the United States’ largest
trading partner for alleged violations.









TRUMP’S STALLED TRADE AGENDA LEAVES INDUSTRIES IN THE LURCH



Donald J. Trump promised Americans that they would be exhausted from “winning”
on trade under his presidency. But nearly seven months after Mr. Trump took
office, the industries he vowed to protect have become tired of something else:
waiting.After beginning his presidency with a bang by withdrawing from the
Trans-Pacific Partnership pact in January, Mr. Trump has accomplished little
else of significance when it comes to reorienting deals with other countries.
Instead, his administration has been struggling to work through the complicated
rules that dictate international commerce. All the while, they are learning that
bold campaign promises are hard to keep when many voices advocate different
plans.









CHINA’S INTERNATIONAL TRADE GROWS LESS THAN EXPECTED, SURPLUS WITH US DIPS



China on Tuesday reported July exports were up 7.2 percent in dollar terms,
while imports were up 11.0 percent in dollar terms. Both were lower than
expected. Analysts polled by Reuters expected a 10.9 percent rise in Chinese
exports in July from a year ago in dollar terms. July imports were forecast to
increase 16.6 percent in dollar terms.









TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S AFRICA POLICY IN FOCUS AT AGOA TRADE TALKS



With the Trump administration’s trade agenda focused on reining in China and
renegotiating the North American Free Trade agreement, Africa has barely
appeared on the radar screen.That could change this week as President Donald
Trump’s top trade negotiator and other senior U.S. officials head to the West
African nation of Togo to review a Clinton-era free trade pact with sub-Saharan
Africa, in the administration’s first high-level delegation to visit the region.










TRUMP’S TRADE PULLOUT ROILS RURAL AMERICA




EAGLE GROVE, Iowa — On a cloud-swept landscape dotted with grain elevators, a
meat producer called Prestage Farms is building a 700,000-square-foot processing
plant. The gleaming new factory is both the great hope of Wright County, which
voted by a 2-1 margin for Donald Trump, and the victim of one of Trump’s first
policy moves, his decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.










GLOBALIZATION THRIVES IN ASIA AS EXPORT REVIVAL BUOYS GROWTH




For all the talk of globalization’s retreat amid the mercantilist rhetoric of
Donald Trump, it’s proving to be a very different story in Asia. Exports are
resurgent, governments are pursuing free-trade deals, and rather than bringing
jobs back home, American automakers are planning new facilities in China. That
early-2017 angst over potential for a trade war is now turning into recognition
there’s been something of a trade bonanza as the global economy’s strongest
synchronized upswing in seven years drives demand for Asian-made goods.










PRESIDENT TRUMP’S TRADE POLICY IS VALID AT ITS CORE




In May 2017 the U.S. trade balance was -$46.5 billion, meaning that amount was
subtracted from U.S. GDP in May of 2017. The unfavorable trade balance, as
identified by President Trump, has been caused largely by China and Mexico.










U.S. TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS AS EXPORTS HIT 2-1/2-YEAR HIGH




The U.S. trade deficit fell sharply in June as exports increased to their
highest level in 2-1/2 years, a positive development for the economy.The
Commerce Department said on Friday the trade gap decreased 5.9 percent to $43.6
billion, the lowest level since October 2016. May’s trade deficit was revised
slightly down to $46.4 billion from the previously reported $46.5 billion.










U.S. BUSINESSES FEAR TRUMP MISHANDLING OF CHINA IP, TRADE PROBE




In the latest delay of a White House trade move, a planned Friday announcement
of President Donald Trump’s trade action against China has been postponed, two
people familiar with the matter said. Sources previously told POLITICO Trump was
slated to hold an event at the White House on Friday in which he would direct
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to open an investigation under
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 over what the administration views as
Chinese violations of U.S. intellectual property rights and forced technology
transfer.










TRUMP DELAYS ANNOUNCEMENT OF TRADE ACTION AGAINST CHINA




In the latest delay of a White House trade move, a planned Friday announcement
of President Donald Trump’s trade action against China has been postponed, two
people familiar with the matter said. Sources previously told POLITICO Trump was
slated to hold an event at the White House on Friday in which he would direct
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to open an investigation under
Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 over what the administration views as
Chinese violations of U.S. intellectual property rights and forced technology
transfer.










USTR OFFICIALLY STARTS REEXAMINATION OF FTA WITH SOUTH KOREA




The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced recently it would begin a
reexamination of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement by formally notifying South
Korea the United States will call a special joint committee meeting to discuss
the trade agreement and consider changes.Per the KORUS agreement, the joint
committee is mandated to meet within 30 days, but U.S. trade promotion authority
law also requires 90 days of notice to the Congress of the administration’s
intent to renegotiate, which has not yet happened.










TRUMP GETTING READY TO GO AFTER CHINA ON TRADE




His administration is moving closer to launching an investigation into whether
Chinese trade practices are unfair, a senior administration official said. That
step could ratchet up tensions between the world’s two largest economies.The
investigation, which could result in tariffs or other measures, will include the
issue of the theft of American intellectual property, the official said. The
potential probe, which could be announced as soon as this week, was first
reported by digital news service Axios.










IN RARE BIPARTISAN DISPLAY,DEMOCRATS BACK TRUMP ON CHINA TRADE PROBE




Three top Democratic senators, in a rare show of bipartisanship, on Wednesday
urged U.S. President Donald Trump to stand up to China as he prepares to launch
an inquiry into Beijing’s intellectual property and trade practices in coming
days.Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer pressed the Republican president to
skip the investigation and go straight to trade action against China.










RUSSIA SAYS NEW U.S. SANCTIONS AMOUNT TO DECLARING ‘TRADE WAR’




Russian officials and lawmakers on Wednesday vented their frustration with U.S.
President Donald Trump’s decision to sign a bill imposing new sanctions on
Russia, warning that it will erode global stability and fuel conflicts.
In an emotional Facebook post, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described
the move as a humiliating defeat for Trump. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned
of possible new retaliatory measures.










SENATE DEMOCRATS SEEK TO OUTDO TRUMP ON TRADE




Senate Democrats on Wednesday began an effort to outdo President Trump on a
signature issue: protecting American workers from foreign competition.
Democrats, outflanked by Mr. Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign, are
seeking to recapture the loyalty of voters convinced that globalization is
eroding their fortunes and prospects.










MANUFACTURERS ARE SPLIT ON DEMOCRATS’ GET-TOUGH TRADE PLAN




U.S. manufacturers gave mixed reviews Wednesday to Democrats’ new bare-knuckled
trade proposals that aim to protect American workers and crack down on
businesses that move overseas. Among other ideas, the blueprint would impose a
35% tax on companies that move their headquarters abroad and make it easier to
penalize China for manipulating its currency to gain a trade advantage.










FREE-TRADE IS A TWO-WAY STREET




The Trump administration recently celebrated the workers and businesses that
make this country great. The purpose of “Made in America Week” was to recognize
that, when given a fair chance to compete, Americans can make and sell some of
the best, most innovative products in the world.










TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS SAID TO OPEN BROAD INQUIRY INTO CHINA’S TRADE PRACTICES




TThe White House is preparing to open a broad investigation into China’s trade
practices, according to people with knowledge of the Trump administration’s
plans, amid growing worries in the United States over a Chinese government-led
effort to make the country a global leader in microchips, electric cars and
other crucial technologies of the future.The move, which could come in the next
several days, signals a shift by the administration away from its emphasis on
greater cooperation between Washington and Beijing, in part because
administration officials have become frustrated by China’s reluctance to
confront North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.










CANADA SENDS NEW DIPLOMATS TO THE U.S. FOR NAFTA TALKS




The Trudeau government is beefing up its team in the United States as it
prepares a full court press to defend Canada’s interests in the looming
renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.Sources say the
government is creating a new position of deputy ambassador to the U.S. and is
filling it with one of this country’s foremost trade experts: Kirsten Hillman.










SENATE DEMOCRATS PUSH TRADE AS LATEST POLICY PLATFORM




As the Senate’s August recess approaches, Democrats are looking ahead to the
next policy item on their agenda — trade.On Wednesday morning, Senate Democrats
will roll out their latest trade policy proposals. Among them are the creation
of the American Jobs Security Council — an entity that can veto proposed foreign
purchases of U.S. companies — along with an independent trade prosecutor to go
after foreign countries so companies don’t need to rely on the World Trade
Organization, and principles for any renegotiation of the controversial North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).










U.S. SAYS IT WILL FIGHT ‘DISTORTIONS’ CAUSED BY CHINA’S ECONOMY




The U.S. said it will combat the “distortions” to the world economy created by
China’s economic system, especially in markets for steel and aluminum.In a
report to Congress, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said its primary goal
is to defend the government’s ability to impose duties on China for dumping
goods at artificially low prices or unfairly subsidizing Chinese firms. China’s
economic system, which doesn’t operate based on market principles, is hurting
American workers and industries, USTR said a report on its enforcement
priorities to the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees.










TRUMP’S TOP TRADE NOMINEES HAVE STRONG LINKS TO U.S. BEEF AND GROWTH HORMONE
LOBBIES




Donald Trump’s nominee to be the U.S. chief agricultural trade negotiator
previously called for the U.S. to walk away from trade talks with the EU if it
refused to drop its ban on beef reared with antibiotics and growth supplements,
Energydesk can reveal.The news could have implications for the UK’s attempts to
strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the U.S., with reports suggesting the U.S.
agricultural sector wants to weaken UK food standards—including the ban on
growth hormones—to help boost its meat exports.










‘HORRIBLE DEAL’ OR ‘GOLD STANDARD’: THE KOREA-U.S. TRADE PACT




For President Donald Trump, the free trade agreement with South Korea is a “job
killer” — a “horrible deal” that’s costing the U.S. $40 billion a year.The
architects of the deal on both sides disagree with Trump’s characterization of
the deal, which was heralded as a “gold standard” for FTAs when it came into
force in 2012, and still has strong advocates in the American business community
as well as in Korea.










CABINET DINNER TO LAUNCH SEVEN ROUNDS OF NAFTA TALKS




A high-level dinner of cabinet members from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico will
mark the start of NAFTA negotiations this month, followed by a seven-course diet
of negotiating rounds crammed in rapid succession. As their negotiating teams
arrive in Washington for the talks starting Aug. 16, sources say the cabinet
members leading the process, including Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister
Chrystia Freeland, will hold a dinner to mark the occasion.










SOUTH KOREA NAMES NEW TRADE MINISTER AMID U.S. PUSH TO AMEND FTA




South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Sunday appointed a former top envoy who
had negotiated a free trade agreement with the United States as his new minister
for trade, at a time when Washington is seeking to amend the deal.Kim
Hyun-chong, a U.S.-trained lawyer, was instrumental in framing South Korea’s
negotiating position on the deal for then president Roh Moo-hyun, who surprised
the country by choosing to initiate talks for the trade agreement.










U.S. HOPES NAFTA UPDATE AVOIDS PITTING FARMS AGAINST MANUFACTURERS




U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Friday he hoped farm business
with Mexico would not suffer due to President Donald Trump’s drive to get a
better deal for manufacturers. Speaking before talks between the United States,
Mexico and Canada to revamp the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), which will begin on Aug. 16 in Washington, Perdue said NAFTA had caused
problems for some sectors, but not others.










CHINA SAYS NO LINK BETWEEN NORTH KOREA AND CHINA-U.S. TRADE




There is no link between North Korea’s nuclear program and China-U.S. trade, a
senior Chinese official said on Monday, after U.S. President Donald Trump said
China had done nothing for the United States on North Korea.Trump, in tweets on
Saturday, said America’s “foolish past leaders” had allowed China to make
billions of dollars a year in trade and that he was disappointed in Beijing for
not solving the problem.










PERDUE: FARM LABOR FIX NOT LIKELY TO SURFACE IN NAFTA TALKS




Farms and ranches throughout the country won’t see their labor shortages solved
by a renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).In a call
with reporters while visiting Mexico ahead of the trade talks, U.S. Agriculture
Secretary Sonny Perdue said labor issues likely wouldn’t be addressed during
formal negotiations among the United States, Mexico and Canada, set to begin
August 16th.










TRADE POLICY FORUM MEETING BETWEEN INDIA, US UNLIKELY TO BE HELD THIS YEAR




In what may contribute to growing uncertainty in trade ties between India and
the US, the annual bilateral trade policy forum (TPF) meeting between the two
countries is unlikely to be held this year, amid a growing feeling in the US
that such high-level talks have not delivered intended results.Established in
2005, TPF seeks to resolve outstanding bilateral issues between the two
countries and promote trade and investment through focused discussions under
various working groups such as on agriculture, tariff and non-tariff barriers,
services, investment and innovation.










SCRAPPED CANADA-U.S. BORDER TAX PLAN SHOWS TRUMP’S LISTENING, LIBERALS SUGGEST




Canadian officials are praising a U.S. decision to drop a contentious border tax
proposal, suggesting its death signals an open-mindedness in the Trump
administration on open borders and free trade.Canada is pleased to see the
decision, Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Thursday, noting on
Twitter that both economies prosper together.










VALUE OF U.S. DEALS IN CHINA SINKS ON RISING TRADE TENSIONS




U.S. corporate acquisitions in China collapsed to their lowest level for 14
years in the first half of this year, as trade tensions between the two
countries and uncertainty about Chinese government regulations took a toll on
deal making.The value of mergers and acquisitions involving American companies
in China dropped 32 percent to just $523 million in the six months to June 30
from $771 million in the same period last year, and were down 87 percent from $4
billion in the first six months of 2015, according to Thomson Reuters data.










FACING TRADE WAR WITH TRUMP, EUROPE REDISCOVERS ITS SWAGGER




If U.S. President Donald Trump really wants a trade war, Brussels is more than
happy to give him one.Trump could hardly have chosen a worse moment to threaten
to slap tariffs on the European steel industry.










COMMERCE SECRETARY SAYS ‘COMPLEXITY’ HAS STALLED TRUMP STEEL PROTECTION PLAN




President Donald Trump’s pledge to quickly provide big import protection to U.S.
steelmakers has gotten bogged down in “complexity,” with no clear deadline for
completion, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told Congress on Thursday, according
to lawmakers who attended the briefing.”The secretary used the word ‘complexity’
more than any other word,” Michigan Democratic Rep. Sander Levin told reporters.










US-MEXICO BORDER MAYORS WORRY ABOUT NAFTA MAKEOVER




The first meeting of the U.S.-Mexico Border Mayors Association since Donald
Trump became president of the United States was marked Thursday by worries that
more limits on trade could stifle economic growth in a region of 12 million
people stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico.The 17 city
leaders paid little attention to Trump’s plans to build a “big, beautiful wall”
separating the two countries and to add 5,000 Border Patrol agents, focusing
instead on how the U.S., Mexico and Canada are preparing to overhaul the
23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, one of Trump’s favorite
punching bags.










FOWL MATTERS: WILL BRITAIN REALLY REJECT U.S. TRADE DEAL OVER CHICKENS?




Speaking to BBC Radio Wednesday morning, the U.K.’s secretary for the
environment, food, and rural affairs, Michael Gove, said Britain would not
accept a deal with the U.S. that included chickens treated with chlorine.”We
need to be in a position as we leave the European Union to be leaders in
environmental and in animal welfare standards,” said Gove.










TRUMP ADMINISTRATION STEPS IN ON FISHING LIMITS, AND THE IMPLICATIONS COULD
RIPPLE




The Trump administration, in an unprecedented decision, has rejected the
recommendation of a commission that has long overseen fishing issues along the
East Coast, raising deep concerns about political meddling in the ongoing
preservation of fragile stocks from Maine to Florida. More specifically, the
decision by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has stirred worries about the
consequences for summer flounder, one of the most fished species in the
Northeast. The decline of summer flounder could have a wider impact across the
region’s marine ecosystem.










AMID RESISTANCE, TRUMP BACKS AWAY FROM CONTROVERSIAL TRADE PLAN




President Trump said Tuesday that his administration is delaying a long-awaited
verdict on whether to restrict imports of foreign steel, again punting on a
decision that has divided U.S. industries and his own administration, as well as
strained ties with some of the country’s closest allies and trading
partners.“[W]e’re waiting till we get everything finished up between health care
and taxes and maybe even infrastructure,” the president told the Wall Street
Journal.










USTR LIGHTHIZER: TRUMP CHALLENGING CHINA’S INDUSTRIAL POLICIES – RADIO INTERVIEW




The top U.S. trade negotiator said late on Tuesday that President Donald Trump
is determined to challenge China’s use of unfair subsidies and “non-economic”
industrial policy to build up export industries that are costing American jobs.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, in a rare media interview, said
that the Trump administration would work to hold China’s practices to the rules
of the World Trade Organization, an organization that he has criticized for
being ineffective in enforcing fair trade.










US-UK TRADE TALKS OVERSHADOWED BY CHLORINATED CHICKEN




Hopes of securing a post-Brexit U.S.-U.K. trade deal have come under threat in
the first day of talks amid concerns over chlorinated chicken imports.Britain’s
International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has insisted that the issue of poultry
imports is “a detail of the very end stage of one sector” but British
campaigners insist that a proposed bilateral trade deal with the U.S. would
lower British food standards.










YOU MAY SOON BE ABLE TO TRADE OPTIONS ON BITCOIN, ETHEREUM




An image of Bitcoin and US currencies is displayed on a screen as delegates
listen to a panel of speakers during the Interpol World Congress in Singapore on
July 4, 2017.
Roslan Rahman | AFP | Getty Images
The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission announced Monday it unanimously
approved digital currency-trading platform LedgerX for clearing
derivatives.LedgerX initially plans to clear bitcoin options, the release said.










QUALCOMM ACCUSES TECH GROUP OF ‘MISDIRECTING’ TRADE REGULATORS




Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) fired back in its case against Apple Inc (AAPL.O) on
Monday, accusing its critics of waging a “coordinated effort aimed at
misdirecting” trade regulators. Earlier this month, Qualcomm filed a complaint
with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking to ban iPhones that use
chips “other than those supplied by Qualcomm affiliates.”










B.C. PREMIER HORGAN TO MEET WITH U.S. COMMERCE SECRETARY OVER SOFTWOOD LUMBER




B.C. Premier John Horgan will meet with the U.S. Secretary of Commerce when he
heads to Washington this week to make a case for a deal to resolve the
softwood-lumber dispute, which threatens the province’s single-largest export to
the United States.The Commerce Department confirmed that Mr. Horgan will meet
with Wilbur Ross, who was appointed to U.S. President Donald Trump’s cabinet
earlier this year. Mr. Horgan’s office did not say who else the Premier will
meet while he’s in Washington.










U.S. NAFTA PROPOSALS POSITIVE FOR MEXICO DEBT, MOODY’S SAYS




U.S. trade representatives’ proposals to update the North American Free Trade
Agreement point to the possibility of increased trade flows between Mexico and
the United States, Moody’s Investors Service says in a fresh analysis.With the
first round of Nafta negotiations to begin Aug. 16, and clarity last week from
the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on where things are
headed, here are excerpts from a report authored by Moody’s Jaime Reusche.










HERE’S WHAT COULD COME OUT OF THE UK TRADE SECRETARY’S MEETING WITH WILBUR ROSS



Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross is to welcome British Trade Secretary Liam Fox on
Monday to begin discussions for a new trade deal between the two countries. The
pair will be joined by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for the
two-day talks that aim to lay out a continuity agreement allowing businesses
from the two countries to continue trading after Brexit.










BRITISH BUSINESS CHIEF WARNS AGAINST SWIFT US TRADE DEAL



A headlong rush into a “politically attractive” trade deal with the US risks
exposing British companies to hostile takeovers and handing American firms the
upper hand, one of Britain’s leading business figures has warned.










THIS OBSCURE NAFTA CHAPTER COULD BE CANADA’S DEAL-BREAKER AGAIN



On Oct. 1, 1987, days before the U.S. and Canada signed their biggest-ever trade
deal, then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney shocked the Americans by walking away
from the negotiating table.










WHY A U.K. TRADE DEAL WILL BE HARDER THAN TRUMP THINKS



Britain and the United States will kick off informal talks on a trade deal when
U.K. officials visit Washington Monday. President Trump has said that he expects
a “very big” and “very powerful” deal that’s good for both countries to be
reached “very, very quickly.”










FINANCE, FARMING ARE FOCUS OF U.K.-U.S. TRADE TALKS, FOX SAYS



Removing commercial barriers with the U.S. could generate an additional 40
billion pounds ($52 billion) in trade with the U.K. by 2030, Trade Secretary
Liam Fox said Sunday as he warned that reaching a deal won’t be easy.












CHINA SAYS U.S. TALKS COVERED JOINT EFFORTS ON EXCESS STEEL CAPACITY



eeking a more positive spin on U.S.-China economic talks viewed as ending in
discord, China said on Thursday that the two sides agreed to “active and
effective measures” to reduce global excess steel production capacity.The
statement issued a day after the talks by the Chinese embassy in Washington did
not elaborate on the measures discussed by U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross
and Chinese Commerce Minister Zhong Shan on Wednesday.










TRUMP’S NAFTA COULD BE BIG WIN FOR AMAZON, E-COMMERCE



The Trump administration this week published a list of goals for the upcoming
renegotiation of NAFTA, the free trade agreement between the United States,
Canada and Mexico. There are no guarantees, but experts say Trump’s trade vision
could boost e-commerce sites like Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) and eBay (EBAY) —
helping create American jobs and closing the trade deficit with Mexico.










TRUMP’S MODEST PROPOSAL FOR A NAFTA REVAMP



Donald Trump has gone squishy by stages on the North American Free Trade
Agreement, which he once called “the worst trade deal maybe ever signed
anywhere.” In April, aides persuaded him not to abrogate the 23-year-old trade
pact with Canada and Mexico. On July 17, moderates scored another victory: The
Office of the U.S. Trade Representative released objectives for renegotiating
Nafta that aim to tune it up, not gut it.










TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S NAFTA DEMANDS MAKE SENSE: UNION PACIFIC CEO



The list of priorities U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer released this
week for the renegotiation of NAFTA with Mexico and Canada is reasonable and in
line with what the Trump administration has promised to focus on, the head of
America’s largest railroad said on Thursday.”It was a very reasonable document,”
Union Pacific Corp Chief Executive Lance Fritz said in an interview about a list
of priorities released this week by Lighthizer.










FIVE KEY NAFTA BATTLEGROUNDS TO WATCH WHEN NEGOTIATIONS GET UNDERWAY



U.S.-initiated negotiations to overhaul the North American Free Trade Agreement
are bound to be long and hard. Canadian officials maintain that Mexico is the
real target of President Donald Trump’s determination to renegotiate what he
considers to be a bad deal for America.










EXCLUSIVE: U.S., CANADA, MEXICO AGREE ON FAST-PACED NAFTA TALKS – SOURCES



U.S., Mexican and Canadian officials have agreed to an aggressive timetable to
renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), sources said,
aiming to conclude early next year to avoid Mexico’s 2018 presidential
elections.The plan is to hold seven rounds of talks at three-week intervals,
according to two Mexican officials who asked not to be identified because of the
sensitivity of the issue.










CORPORATE LOBBYING HELPED DERAIL BORDER TAX -SENIOR U.S. REPUBLICAN



An aggressive corporate lobbying effort to derail a Republican-backed border tax
has forced lawmakers working on tax reform to seek alternatives, Kevin Brady,
chairman of the tax-writing U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, said on
Wednesday.The proposed border adjustment tax on U.S. companies that move jobs
abroad and import products back into the U.S. market was meant to be a linchpin
of a Republican tax overhaul in the House of Representatives.










WHEN WILL THE OTHER SHOE DROP IN U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC RELATIONS



After an unexpectedly amicable start to U.S.-China relations under President
Trump, including high-level economic talks Wednesday, many are wondering when
the other shoe will drop.Trump early on was preoccupied with the North American
Free Trade Agreement and then on trade rivals such as Germany, largely giving
China, the biggest U.S. trading partner, a pass.










U.S. STEEL TARIFFS LIKELY TO TRIGGER SWIFT EU ‘SAFEGUARD’



After an unexpectedly amicable start to U.S.-China relations under President
Trump, including high-level economic talks Wednesday, many are wondering when
the other shoe will drop.Trump early on was preoccupied with the North American
Free Trade Agreement and then on trade rivals such as Germany, largely giving
China, the biggest U.S. trading partner, a pass.










TRADE TALKS FIZZLE AS CHINA REBUFFS KEY TRUMP TEAM DEMAND



U.S. officials fell short of securing ambitious gains in trade with China in a
meeting Wednesday and news conferences planned to cap off the event were
canceled as the two countries wrapped up 100 days of trade talks.The United
States unsuccessfully pressed China to make a substantial commitment to cut its
steel production, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on
the condition of anonymity to comment on private discussions.










U.S., CHINA SIDESTEP DISCORD TO FOCUS ON MORE BALANCED TRADE



U.S. and Chinese economic chiefs sidestepped their differences over North Korea
and steel imports ahead of a high-level forum in which the Trump administration
is seeking clear from China to open its markets. “There remains serious
imbalances which we must work to rectify,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said
Tuesday in Washington at an event organized by the U.S.-China Business Council,
a nonprofit group representing more than 200 American companies that do business
in China. “It is time to re-balance our trade and investment relationship in a
more fair, equitable and reciprocal direction.”










U.S. MAKES LOWER TRADE DEFICIT TOP PRIORITY IN NAFTA TALKS



WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in
the renegotiation of the 23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), saying its top priority for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade
deficit with Canada and Mexico.










US-CHINA TRADE RIFTS RESURFACE EVEN AFTER FRIENDLY SUMMIT



Cake and conversation, it seems, can go only so far to mend longstanding
economic rifts between the United States and China. Three months after President
Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, shared chocolate cake at
an amiable summit in Florida, tensions between the world’s two biggest economies
are flaring again.










U.S. AND CHINESE EXECUTIVES TO MEET ON NATIONS’ ECONOMIC RELATIONS



Leaders of major United States companies with deep ties to China will meet on
Tuesday with their Chinese counterparts to try to ease the increasingly rocky
economic relationship between the countries. On Tuesday, Wilbur L. Ross, the
secretary of commerce, will host a daylong meeting in Washington with more than
20 business leaders from the United States and China.









TRUMP’S NAFTA GOALS DRAW FROM TPP, CAMPAIGN PLEDGES



The Trump administration today released long-awaited goals for renegotiating
NAFTA, borrowing heavily from the discarded Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement
and putting a strong emphasis on reducing the bilateral trade deficits with
Canada and Mexico. “Too many Americans have been hurt by closed factories,
exported jobs, and broken political promises,” U.S. Trade Representative Robert
Lighthizer said in a statement released along with the goals. “Under President
[Donald] Trump’s leadership, USTR will negotiate a fair deal.”









WHITE HOUSE UNDER PRESSURE TO DROP GARRETT AS EX-IM BANK NOMINEE



President Donald Trump is standing behind former Rep. Scott Garrett, his choice
to head the Export-Import Bank, amid escalating pressure from business groups to
pull the plug on the nomination. “Scott Garrett is imminently [sic] qualified to
lead the Ex-Im Bank,” White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom said in a statement
to POLITICO. “The President stands behind his nomination and is looking forward
to his confirmation.”









U.S. MAKES LOWERING THE TRADE DEFICIT A TOP PRIORITY IN NAFTA TALKS



The United States on Monday launched the first salvo in the renegotiation of the
23-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), saying its top priority
for the talks was shrinking the U.S. trade deficit with Canada and Mexico. In a
much-anticipated document sent to lawmakers, U.S. Trade Representative Robert
Lighthizer said he would seek to reduce the trade imbalance by improving access
for U.S. goods exported to Canada and Mexico under the three-nation pact.









CHINA’S STEEL, ALUMINUM OUTPUT AT RECORD AS U.S. MULLS PENALTIES



BEIJING/MELBOURNE (Reuters) – China churned out record amounts of steel and
aluminum in June as producers rushed to cash-in on rallying prices in the wake
of a drive by Beijing to crack down on output of low-grade metal. That could
fuel concerns the world’s top steel producer will export more metal, stoking
global oversupply and fanning tensions with the United States after it accused
the nation of flooding international markets with cheap aluminum and steel.









TRUMP’S TEAM IS READY FOR A TRADE WAR OVER STEEL



The Trump administration expects other countries to retaliate against its
planned restrictions on steel imports, but Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told
lawmakers the move could be a necessary step to draw countries like China into
new negotiations.









IT’S SHOW TIME: TRUMP TO REVEAL HIS HOPES FOR NAFTA



WASHINGTON — After campaigning and complaining about NAFTA for two years, Donald
Trump is about to start doing some explaining: the U.S. president is poised to
release a list as early as today revealing how he wants to change the deal.
American law requires that the administration publish a list of its objectives
entering trade negotiations.









U.S.-CHINA TRADE TALKS SPUTTERING AT 100-DAY DEADLINE



SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) – Bilateral talks aimed at reducing the U.S. trade
deficit with China have yielded some initial deals, but U.S. firms say much more
needs to be done as a deadline for a 100-day action plan expires on Sunday. The
negotiations, which began in April, have reopened China’s market to U.S. beef
after 14 years and prompted Chinese pledges to buy U.S. liquefied natural gas.
American firms have also been given access to some parts of China’s financial
services sector.









U.S. FARM LOBBY TURNS UP HEAT ON TRUMP TEAM AS NAFTA TALKS NEAR



With talks to renegotiate the NAFTA trade pact just weeks away, U.S. farm groups
and lawmakers from rural states are intensifying lobbying of President Donald
Trump’s administration with one central message: leave farming out of it. Trump
blames the North American Free Trade Agreement – the “worst trade deal ever” in
his words – for millions of lost manufacturing jobs and promises to tilt it in
America’s favor.









MEXICO INDUSTRY EYES NAFTA CHANGES TO FIND COMMON GROUND WITH TRUMP



Mexican industry is exploring revising trade rules to ensure U.S. workers
benefit from a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to
address head-on U.S. President Donald Trump’s biggest beef with the treaty. With
talks due to start next month between the United States, Mexico and Canada,
Mexican officials have stressed the need to craft a new deal that would
strengthen the region against competitors, particularly in Asia.









TRUMP TO GET A RANGE OF OPTIONS TO CURB STEEL IMPORTS: SENATORS



BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) -U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday he
will present to President Donald Trump a range of options to restrict steel
imports on national security grounds, according to senators who met with Ross.
Senator Sherrod Brown said that Ross “pretty much committed” to announcing these
options next week as part of Commerce’s review of whether steel imports are
threatening U.S. national security under a 1962 trade law.









U.S. PLANS TALKS SOON TO REVAMP SOUTH KOREA TRADE DEAL, SOURCES SAY



BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration notified South
Korea that the U.S. wants to revise the trade deal between the two nations,
setting the stage for talks to begin within a month. U.S. Trade Representative
Robert Lighthizer requested a special session between the countries to discuss
possible “amendments and modifications,” he said in a letter on Wednesday to
South Korean Trade Minister Joo Hyung-hwan.









TARIFF FIGHT ROILS ARGENTINA’S SHALE PATCH AS MACRI OPENS TRADE



BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Argentina needs oil rigs to develop its vast shale oil
and gas resources. The United States has plenty of idle equipment laying around
after its own unconventional drilling boom cooled. But moving that machinery
from the plains of Texas to the windswept Patagonian desert is proving complex
and costly for global oil majors who say Argentina’s protectionist past is
slowing efforts to spark its own shale revolution. .









HOW FREE TRADE CAN MAKE YOU FAT



The North American Free Trade Agreement may have dramatically changed the
Canadian diet by boosting consumption of high-fructose corn syrup, a new study
suggests.









CHINA ENVOY SAYS NORTH KOREA TRADE GROWTH PICTURE ‘DISTORTED’



China’s ambassador to the United States has said reports of trade growth between
his country and North Korea, in spite of international efforts to press
Pyongyang to give up its nuclear and missile programs, give “a distorted
picture.”










DONALD TRUMP PUTS US IN A CLUB OF ONE




It wasn’t quite the G19 summit, but President Donald Trump’s approach to foreign
affairs is severely straining global cohesion on key issues like climate change
and free trade, exchanging an aggressive, traditional American leadership role
for isolation in a club of one. Don’t expect him to apologize, though.










UK-U.S. TRADE DEAL WILL NOT MAKE UP FOR LEAVING THE EU: MINISTER




A post-Brexit trade deal with the United States would not be enough to make up
for leaving the European Union, British justice minister David Lidington said on
Sunday, tempering Prime Minister Theresa May’s enthusiasm about the U.S. offer.
May had warmly welcomed assurances on Saturday by U.S. President Donald Trump
that a “very powerful” trade deal with Britain would be reached “very, very
quickly” after Britain leaves the EU.










TRUMP HAILS G-20 ‘SUCCESS.’ OTHERS SEE POLITICAL CHAOS AND AMERICAN DECLINE.



The fallout of Trump’s first face-to-face meeting with Russian President
Vladimir Putin was still being measured on Sunday. The one tangible outcome of
the meeting was a limited cease-fire in southern Syria (more on that later in
the newsletter), which swung into effect on Sunday.










THE EU-JAPAN TRADE DEAL IS THE WAKE-UP CALL DONALD TRUMP NEEDS



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made an unscheduled stop in Brussels Thursday
on his way to the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany. There, he and European Council
President Donald Tusk proudly announce d the conclusion of a new EU-Japan trade
deal.










CHINA HITS BACK ON TRUMP N KOREA TRADE CLAIM



It follows a tweet from Donald Trump that highlighted an “almost 40%” rise in
bilateral trade between the two nations in the first quarter of 2017. China
didn’t dispute that number, but state media suggested the president’s comment
was unfair and selective.










AS E.U. AND JAPAN STRENGTHEN TRADE TIES, U.S. RISKS LOSING ITS VOICE



LONDON — In the master plan advanced by President Trump, an unabashedly
aggressive United States is supposed to reclaim its rightful perch as the center
of the commercial universe, wielding its economic dominance to dictate the rules
of global trade.










AT G-20, E.U. WARNS OF TRADE WAR IF TRUMP IMPOSES RESTRICTIONS ON STEEL



HAMBURG — Leaders of the European Union warned sharply on Friday that President
Trump risks a trade war if he imposes restrictions on steel imports, a mark of
deep divisions as a summit of leaders of major world economies got underway.










SPURNED BY TRUMP, CHINA AND MEXICO TALK ABOUT A TRADE DEAL




President Trump threatened to slap tariffs on China and Mexico during his
campaign. Now the two nations could team up for their own trade deal. China’s
ambassador to Mexico, Qiu Xiaoqi, emphasized that China is ready to talk to
Mexico about a “free trade agreement.”










NO SUCH THING AS ‘FRICTIONLESS’ TRADE, BARNIER WARNS BRITAIN




The European Union’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier warned British
ministers and businesses who are calling for “frictionless trade” with the EU
after Britain leaves that that is “not possible”. Addressing an EU business
forum in Brussels on Thursday, Barnier said London’s “red lines” for a future
trade relationship meant Britain was definitely leaving the single market and
the customs union, and only membership of both allowed “frictionless” trading
arrangements.










CHINA TRADE WITH NORTH KOREA UP BUT IMPORTS OFF




China’s trade with North Korea has risen despite Beijing’s promise to enforce
U.N. sanctions over the North’s nuclear program, but Chinese purchases of most
North Korean exports have fallen. Customs data show total trade in the first
five months of this year rose 15 percent from a year earlier, driven by North
Korea’s purchases of Chinese oil and consumer goods.










THE E.U.-JAPAN TRADE DEAL: WHAT’S IN IT AND WHY IT MATTERS




The European Union and Japan announced a broad agreement on Thursday that would
lower barriers on virtually all the goods traded between them, a pointed
challenge to President Trump on the eve of a summit meeting of world leaders in
Germany. The agreement still needs further negotiation and approval before it
can take effect, but it is aimed at giving both economies some zip after years
in the doldrums.










WORLD LEADERS SIGNAL FREE-TRADE PLANS — WHETHER TRUMP JOINS OR NOT




In a pointed challenge to President Trump’s “America first” agenda, leaders of
the world’s biggest economies this week are touting an approach that breaks with
the past 20 years of global trade — sidestep the United States entirely.In the
days leading up to this week’s Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, leaders from
Germany, Japan and elsewhere are discussing new free-trade agreements that
exclude U.S. automakers and manufacturers.










TRUMP PROMISED TO MAKE TRADE FAIR AGAIN. IS HE SUCCEEDING?




One year ago, Donald Trump took the stage in a small town in Pennsylvania and
set out an agenda for his trade policy. In the speech, Trump made seven promises
to change America’s “failed trade policy.” Given his brief time in office, Trump
appears to be well on his way to accomplishing many of these goals. By our
count, he has fulfilled one of his promises, broken two, and is partly on the
way to completing four others.










TRUMP’S TRADE CHOICE: FOLLOW THE POSTWAR ORDER OR BLOW IT UP




It seems President Trump is ready to start rolling back globalization. Let’s
hope he doesn’t blow up the postwar economic order. While Mexican negotiators
waited for the United States to make its first move in its proposed
renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the president last
week turned on the invective against another trade deal he called unfair — that
negotiated by the Obama administration with South Korea.










TRUMP AND EU OFFER STARKLY DIFFERENT TRADE VISIONS AT G-20




Competing visions of world trade are set to collide at the Group of 20 summit of
world leaders in Hamburg, Germany, this week. U.S. President Donald Trump’s
“America First” approach faces off against the European Union and its support
for free trade, with the Europeans touting a new, far-reaching pact it is
completing with Japan.










COMMERZBANK AND FRAUNHOFER IML COLLABORATE ON BLOCKCHAIN-BASED TRADE FINANCE




Commerzbank and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in
Dortmund are working on “supply chains of the future”, including blockchain and
automated processes that run on top of them, sometimes called ‘smart contracts’.
The institute combines its heavyweight supply chain expertise to a space that is
currently one of the busiest areas of technology – the digitisation of trade
finance and the tracking of physical goods using synchronously appended
distributed ledgers.










PRESIDENT TRUMP DELIVERS TOUGH TRADE TALK DURING VISIT BY SOUTH KOREA’S NEW
LEADER




President Trump opened his meeting Friday with newly elected South Korean
President Moon Jae-in with tough trade talk, announcing he is renegotiating a
5-year-old trade deal between their two countries that was a joint legacy of
Presidents George W. Bush and Obama. Yet it was unclear from his and
administration aides’ remarks how significant a break Trump was making with a
free-trade agreement that had broad support when it was approved in Congress.










TRUMP RISKS GLOBAL TRADE WAR IF HE RESTRICTS IMPORTS OF STEEL AND ALUMINUM




Chinese and European diplomats have warned Donald Trump against reported plans
to restrict imports of steel and aluminum – a strategy that risks triggering a
global trade war. By invoking a rarely used law from the cold war era, the US
president could limit imports of goods deemed critical to national defence and
satisfy the “America first” elements of his support base.










SENATE DEM WANTS TO REWRITE ONLINE TRADE RULES IN NAFTA




Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wants the U.S. to renegotiate the online trade
provisions in the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The top Democrat
on the Senate Finance Committee called for reducing tariffs and red tape on
small online sellers, moving to stop data localization, and a “balanced approach
to copyright” that “ensures the free flow of ideas around the world” during a
speech organized by the Internet Association at the Capitol on Thursday.










WHAT TRUMP’S IMPENDING TRADE WAR COULD MEAN FOR THE UK




US President Donald Trump is considering launching what would amount to an
international trade war by imposing significant tariffs on major exporters of
steel and other goods, reports suggested on Friday. News site Axios reports that
Trump essentially intends to penalise China for what he sees as the country
deliberately flooding the market with cheap goods, thus making American products
uncompetitive. However, Axios suggests Trump favours blanket tariffs on imports,
regardless of where they come from.










TRUMP TO PRESS SOUTH KOREA LEADER ON TRADE AS NORTH KOREA LOOMS




U.S. President Donald Trump will press South Korean President Moon Jae-in to
solve trade differences over cars and steel in meetings in Washington focusing
on the nuclear threat from North Korea.
Concerns about the U.S. military’s THAAD missile defense system and China’s role
in the region also are likely to come up in talks between Trump and Moon at the
White House.










SOLAR TRADE CASE, WITH TRUMP AS ARBITER, COULD UPEND MARKET




Millions of Americans now get their electricity, at least in part, from the
solar panels that have rapidly spread throughout the country since 2010, thanks
to their sharply declining cost. For customers — including homeowners,
businesses and utilities — as well as for the companies that promote and install
them, cheap solar panels have been a good thing.










TRUMP PLOTS TRADE WARS AGAINST CABINET’S ADVICE: REPORT




President Trump is set on imposing high tariffs on steel and other imports,
despite push back from the majority of his Cabinet, according to Axios.
The Friday report said Trump and a few of advisers are committed to putting
tariffs on steel, and potentially other imports such as aluminum, paper,
semiconductors, and appliances.










TRUMP’S TRADE PLAN SETS UP GLOBAL CLASH OVER ‘AMERICA FIRST’ STRATEGY




The Trump administration is quietly preparing sweeping new trade policies to
defend the U.S. steel industry, a move that could reverberate across global
economies and incite other countries to retaliate.
In a bid to keep his campaign promise to crack down on unfair trade practices,
President Donald Trump is weighing trade restrictions on steel imports from
countries like China, according to two administration officials..










TRUMP’S PLAN TO SLAP TARIFFS ON STEEL IMPORTS CARRIES BIG ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL
RISKS




President Trump was standing on the banks of the Ohio River, and as barges
loaded with West Virginia coal floated by, he noted that half the United States’
steel is produced within 250 miles and told the crowd that soon “the steel folks
are going to be very happy.” Within that same distance lies the bulk of the U.S.
auto industry, which the president also has promised to protect.










CANADA-U.S. LUMBER SPAT IS LIKELY TO DRAG ON AFTER DUTY MOVE




A longstanding dispute over softwood lumber shipments from Canada to the U.S. is
likely to drag on, according to people closely following the saga, despite
reports that a deal could be reached soon. Major hurdles remain before a new
agreement would be possible, said a Canadian government official who asked not
to be identified because they weren’t authorized to comment publicly on the
subject.










TRUMP CONSIDERING TRADE ACTION AGAINST CHINA: REPORT




President Trump is considering taking trade actions against China, Reuters
reported Wednesday. Three senior administration officials told Reuters that the
president is considering putting an import tariff on Chinese steel.










TRUMP, SOUTH KOREA’S MOON TO SHOW UNITED FRONT DESPITE TRADE DIFFERENCES




President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in may present a
unified front over North Korea at the White House on Thursday and Friday, but
tension over trade could puncture their effort to strengthen the U.S.-South
Korea relationship. Moon, making his first trip to the United States since
becoming his country’s leader, will join Trump and his wife, Melania, for dinner
in the White House State Dining Room Thursday night ahead of meetings on Friday
that are expected to touch on North Korea’s nuclear program, China’s role in the
region and the U.S. military’s THAAD missile defense system.










LIGHTHIZER LAYS OUT US TRADE POLICY AGENDA, NAFTA HEARINGS GET UNDERWAY




US Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer discussed with lawmakers the
Trump administration’s trade policy priorities for the coming year, covering
areas such as the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) and the upcoming WTO ministerial conference. The first hearing was held
under the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday 21 June, with another hearing
held under the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday 22 June. These
meetings came just days ahead of the USTR public hearings on NAFTA, which are
taking place this week from 27-29 June.










THE REALLY, REALLY COLD CHAIN: EXPLORING CRYOGENIC SHIPPING




Sometimes, just plain “cold” isn’t cold enough. It’s a familiar issue for
shippers of valuable biologics — like tissue samples — where cellular
degradation is a risk. Fortunately, there’s an answer for businesses that need
to keep things cooler than cool: cryogenic shipping.









COMPANIES WORK TO CONTAIN FALLOUT FROM GLOBAL CYBERATTACK




Global firms scrambled to cope with fallout from a cyberattack that disrupted
computers across Europe and the U.S., as A.P. Moeller-Maersk , AMKBY 1.23% the
world’s biggest containership operator, shuttering terminals around the world.
Many firms affected said their day-to-day operations hadn’t been significantly
affected, but said they had been forced to isolate computer systems.









TRUMP GROWING FRUSTRATED WITH CHINA, WEIGHS TRADE STEPS: OFFICIALS




President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with China over its
inaction on North Korea and bilateral trade issues and is now considering
possible trade actions against Beijing, three senior administration officials
told Reuters. The officials said Trump was looking at options including tariffs
on steel imports, which Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross already has said he is
considering as part of a national security study of the U.S. steel industry.









PERRY EYES ENERGY PACT WITH MEXICO, CANADA AMID NAFTA CHANGE




The U.S. has a unique opportunity to develop a “North American energy strategy”
with Canada and Mexico, Energy Secretary Rick Perry said, striking a
conciliatory tone with the other members of the North American Free Trade
Agreement. While President Donald Trump has blasted Nafta and moved to
renegotiate it, Perry referred to the upcoming talks to rework the 1994 trade
pact as a “massage” of it, saying it presents an opportunity to bolster energy
ties, not enact new trade barriers.









VULNERABLE ‘CHOKEPOINTS’ THREATEN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, EXPERTS WARN




More than a dozen supply chains and trade routes that facilitate global food
trade are vulnerable to unforeseen crises or climate change, according to a new
report. Analysts at Chatham House, the U.K.-based think tank, released a report
Tuesday identifying 14 critical junctures, or “chokepoints,” through which large
volumes of global food trade pass that could be vulnerable to major disruption
if they are not properly maintained—an issue that could adversely affect global
food supply and prices.









VULNERABLE ‘CHOKEPOINTS’ THREATEN GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY, EXPERTS WARN




More than a dozen supply chains and trade routes that facilitate global food
trade are vulnerable to unforeseen crises or climate change, according to a new
report. Analysts at Chatham House, the U.K.-based think tank, released a report
Tuesday identifying 14 critical junctures, or “chokepoints,” through which large
volumes of global food trade pass that could be vulnerable to major disruption
if they are not properly maintained—an issue that could adversely affect global
food supply and prices.









TRUMP COULD START A TRADE WAR THIS WEEK




His administration could slap big tariffs on shipments of steel from other
countries, claiming they pose a risk to national security. The tariffs can go as
high as Trump wants — and could easily trigger retaliatory measures by other
countries, hurting other American industries.









TRUMP URGES INDIA’S MODI TO FIX DEFICIT, BUT STRESSES STRONG TIES




U.S. President Donald Trump urged Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do more
to relax Indian trade barriers on Monday during talks in which both leaders took
great pains to stress the importance of a strong U.S.-Indian relationship. At a
closely watched first meeting between the two, Trump and Modi appeared to get
along well.









CHINA’S PREMIER, LI KEQIANG, PRAISES FREE TRADE, IN CONTRAST TO TRUMP




Premier Li Keqiang of China reaffirmed on Tuesday his country’s desire to be
seen as the world’s new leader in globalization and free trade, but he offered
no specifics on how China might lower its own trade barriers, which are among
the steepest of any large country. Speaking at the opening of a World Economic
Forum conference in northeastern China, Mr. Li portrayed his country as deeply
committed to a continued opening up to international competition.









TRUMP’S PLAN TO MAKE AMERICAN STEEL GREAT AGAIN COULD SET OFF GLOBAL TRADE WARS




President Trump is on the brink of striking at China’s behemoth steel industry
through an obscure trade loophole in US law. But if he actually pulls it off, it
will be US allies, not China, that will feel the brunt of it — and they could
end up retaliating with harsh measures of their own, sending us down a path to
global trade wars. According to reports, we are just days away from finding out
what the White House is planning to do as it concludes its investigation into
whether steel imports into the US constitute a threat to national security,
which was announced in late April.









U.S. LAWMAKERS URGE TRUMP TO PRESS INDIA’S MODI ON TRADE, INVESTMENT




Leading U.S. congressmen have called on President Donald Trump to press Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to remove barriers to U.S. trade and investment
when they meet for the first time on Monday. The lawmakers, from the Republican
and Democratic parties, said in a letter to Trump that high-level engagement
with India had failed to eliminate major trade and investment barriers and had
not deterred India from imposing new ones.









EUROPE AND JAPAN NEAR TRADE DEAL AS U.S. TAKES PROTECTIONIST PATH




The European Union and Japan are close to sealing one of the largest trade
agreements ever, a deal that could further isolate the United States as
President Trump forges a protectionist path. The deal, which brings together two
giants encompassing a quarter of the world’s economy, would be a potent symbol
of free trade during a time of populist backlash over globalization.









LAWMAKERS WANT MEETING WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE US-MEXICO BORDER TRADE




Two Texas lawmakers on Thursday called on U.S. Trade Representative Robert
Lighthizer to meet with them and others whose districts border Mexico. Sen. John
Cornyn (Texas), the Senate majority whip, and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas) sent
a letter to Lighthizer, asking for a meeting to discuss the Trump
administration’s developing plan to update the North American Free Trade
Agreement (NAFTA).









U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE SAYS HE IS ‘TROUBLED’ BY FORD’S CHINA MOVE




U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Thursday he would support
taking action against U.S. automaker Ford’s decision to move some production to
China if the shift was because of “non-economic reasons.” Lighthizer, who was
appearing before a panel of U.S. senators, did not give details on the factors
that could trigger action from the administration of President Donald Trump or
what sort of action it might take.









U.S. SUSPENDS BEEF IMPORTS FROM BRAZIL




The United States on Thursday suspended imports of fresh beef from Brazil
because of safety concerns, dealing a blow to one of Brazil’s biggest industries
just months after Brazilian investigators accused food inspectors of accepting
bribes. In a statement announcing the decision, Agriculture Secretary Sonny
Perdue said, “Ensuring the safety of our nation’s food supply is one of our
critical missions.”









AS TRUMP FORGES HIS OWN VIEW OF US-INDIA BILATERAL TIES, CHALLENGE FOR MODI IS
TO BUILD ON THE GAINS OF PAST THREE YEARS




Prime Minister Modi goes to Washington next week at the midpoint of his term and
at the start of President Trump’s. The challenge facing Prime Minister Modi, as
President Trump starts shaping his view of US-India bilateral ties, is to build
on the gains of the past three years.









NAFTA CURRENCY RULES PORTEND TOUGH U.S., SOUTH KOREA TRADE FIGHT




U.S. government signals that it will push for a ban on currency manipulation in
the North American Free Trade Agreement have attracted little attention, as
Mexico and Canada are rarely accused of gaming the foreign-exchange market. The
strategy is likely to prove more contentious when the Trump administration turns
its attention to South Korea.









GERMAN EXPORTS TO ASIA SURGE, CALMING NERVES OVER PROTECTIONIST BACKLASH




German exports to Asia are rising strongly this year in a trend that could
mitigate the risks to Europe’s largest economy should U.S. President Donald
Trump make good on his protectionist promises.Figures released on Wednesday
showed Germany’s exports to China rising 12% in the first four months of the
year compared with the same period in 2016.









FOR THOUSANDS OF U.S. AUTO WORKERS, DOWNTURN IS ALREADY HERE




Wall Street is fretting that the U.S. auto industry is heading for a downturn,
but for thousands of workers at General Motors Co factories in the United
States, the hard times are already here. Matt Streb, 36, was one of 1,200
workers laid off on Jan. 20 – inauguration day for Republican U.S. President
Donald Trump – when GM canceled the third shift at its Lordstown small-car
factory here.









U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE LIGHTHIZER SAYS NO DEADLINE SET FOR NAFTA DEAL




U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said on Wednesday there was no
deadline for completing NAFTA trade talks between the United States, Canada and
Mexico even as lawmakers warned that U.S. business would be hurt by prolonged
negotiations. “There is no deadline. My hope is that we can get it done by the
end of the year, but there are a lot of people who think that is completely
unrealistic,” Lighthizer told a Senate Finance Committee hearing to discuss the
USTR’s budget.









ALUMINUM INDUSTRY SCRAMBLES TO ALIGN TRUMP’S TRADE GUNS: ANDY HOME




Aluminum industry executives will line up on Thursday to have their say on
whether foreign imports into the United States pose a threat to the country’s
security.The Section 232 investigation was announced by the Department of
Congress on April 27 and follows hot on the heels of a similar probe into U.S.
steel imports, the results of which are pending.









AFTER YEARS OF TALKS, JAPAN, EU NEAR ‘BROAD AGREEMENT’ ON FREE TRADE PACT




Japan and the European Union are nearing a broad agreement on a free trade pact,
Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and a senior EU trade official agreed on
Wednesday, the foreign ministry said. Japan and the European Union have been
negotiating an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) since 2013 to promote trade
and investment by eliminating tariffs and improving investment rules.









BREXIT: UK CAVES IN TO EU DEMAND TO AGREE DIVORCE BILL BEFORE TRADE TALKS




British negotiators have capitulated to key European demands for a phased
approach to Brexit talks, agreeing to park discussions on free trade until they
have thrashed out the cost of the multibillion-euro UK divorce settlement.
Putting a brave face on a concession that may further strengthen the tactical
dominance of the EU, the Brexit secretary, David Davis, insisted his initial
retreat remained consistent with long-term government strategy.









TRUMP SPARKS RUSH OF NAFTA LOBBYING




Lobbyists are gearing up for the looming renegotiation of the North American
Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a sweeping trade pact of critical importance to
the United States, Canada and Mexico. Trade officials from the three nations
will take the lead at the negotiating table, but business leaders are already
working to build consensus around possible changes to the agreement.









PERDUE LAUDS NAFTA AS BOON FOR FARMERS AS RENEGOTIATION LOOMS




U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and his counterparts from Canada and
Mexico lauded Nafta’s benefits to farmers as they began to lay the foundation
for broader negotiations to modify an accord that President Donald Trump once
called a “disaster.” Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Mexican
Agriculture Secretary Jose Calzada met with Perdue Tuesday in Georgia for what
the U.S. secretary said would be candid talks on “irritants” in the three-way
trade relationship.









UPDATE: CHILE, BRAZIL COULD OFFER RESPITE TO U.S.-CANADA LUMBER DISPUTE




On April 24, the Trump administration put an end to the tariff-free lumber trade
between Canada and the United States. The White House imposed a 24 percent duty
on Canadian lumber imports as an anti-dumping measure to counter the Canadian
government’s support of the logging industry. Yet another tariff is expected
later this month that could bring the total tax on these imports up to 30
percent, according to RBC Capital Markets’ estimates.









PERDUE MEETING ON AGRICULTURE A PRELUDE TO NAFTA RENEGOTIATION




Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue meets Tuesday with his counterparts from
Canada and Mexico for what he called candid talks on “irritants” in the
three-way trade relationship that will be a prelude to a renegotiation of Nafta
set to begin later this summer. New rules on Canada’s dairy-supply system and
how Mexico plans to enforce a recently concluded agreement limiting its sugar
exports to the U.S. will be among the topics of discussion when Purdue plays
host to Canadian Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Mexican Agriculture
Secretary Jose Calzada in Savannah, Georgia.









MERKEL PLEDGES TO PUSH FOR FREE TRADE AT G-20 SUMMIT




German Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Tuesday to strive for a broad,
rules-based and fair agreement on global trade at the meeting of Group of 20
leaders next month, aiming to convince the U.S. of the benefits of open markets.
“We will do everything in our power to achieve an agreement as broad as possible
in Hamburg,” Ms. Merkel said.









COMMERCE SECRETARY WILBUR ROSS TALKS TRADE




One of the most notable political trends over the past 18 months—and one with
the potential to affect companies across many industries—has been voter pushback
against globalization and free trade. Indeed, following the Brexit vote in the
U.K. and Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election, nations are
rethinking how they should trade with each other.









CHINA THINK TANK SAYS TRADE DETENTE WITH U.S. MAY NOT ENDURE




China isn’t likely to have a trade war with the U.S. this year, though 2018 is
harder to predict, according to former Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo. The
world’s largest trading nation hopes dialog will help ease tensions and aims to
make progress on agreements before President Trump visits the country, Wei told
reporters in Beijing Monday.









TRUMP FACES HIS BIGGEST TRADE DECISION YET




The White House is on the cusp of a major decision about whether to impose new
restrictions on steel imports, a choice that has divided President Trump’s
administration while sparking global fears about a burgeoning trade war. The
Commerce Department has for months been evaluating whether steel imports pose a
threat to national security, and it is expected within days to present Trump
with its finding and a recommendation, which Trump could quickly adopt or decide
to take a different course.









THIS FORMER NEW ZEALAND MINISTER WILL LEAD BREXIT TRADE TALKS




U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May named a former New Zealand diplomat, Crawford
Falconer, to be the government’s chief trade negotiations adviser, charging him
with helping to broker new trade deals with the rest of the world as Britain
prepares to leave the European Union. Falconer and his team will develop and
negotiate free trade agreements and market access accords with nations outside
of the EU, the Department for International Trade said on Friday in an
statement.









TRUMP TO CLAMP DOWN ON CUBA TRAVEL, TRADE, CURBING OBAMA’S DETENTE




President Donald Trump on Friday will announce plans to tighten restrictions on
Americans traveling to Cuba and clamp down on U.S. business dealings with the
island’s military, rolling back parts of former President Barack Obama’s
historic opening to Havana.









US-MEXICO SUGAR DEAL BRINGS RELIEF BUT TRADE RISKS REMAIN



There were collective sighs of relief this week in the US corn belt at the
prospect of the Mexican and US governments’ trade deal over sugar being
finalized.

The agreement — widely regarded as a dress rehearsal for the NAFTA
renegotiation’s — involves a reduction in the amount of refined sugar that
Mexico exports to the US, while also imposing an 8 per cent increase in its
price, which reduced the competitiveness vis-à-vis American produce.









THE BIGGEST TRUMP-ERA TRADE DISPUTE MAY BE OVER AIRLINES. HERE’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING.



The trade dispute that some call the biggest in history continues to simmer. For
over two years, American, Delta and United Airlines have claimed that their
competitors in the Gulf — Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways — are receiving
billions of dollars in government subsidies, violating the spirit of bilateral
air service agreements.









CANADA-EU TRADE DEAL’S JULY 1 TARGET THREATENED BY NEW CHEESE DISPUTE



Plans to bring most of Canada’s new trade deal with the European Union into
effect by July 1 may be unravelling due to a new dispute over who gets to import
EU cheese. Under the terms of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
(CETA), Canada has agreed to allow nearly 18,000 additional tonnes of European
cheese to be imported tariff free.









EU, JAPAN LAUNCH BIG PUSH TO SEAL TRADE DEAL BY JULY



Japanese and European negotiators are redoubling efforts to seal a political
agreement early next month on what would be the EU’s biggest free trade deal.
Sources from five EU countries said the goal of the latest whirlwind of
diplomatic activity is for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to jet into
Brussels for a summit July 5 or 6, ahead of a G20 summit in Hamburg on July 7.









TRUMP’S CUBA MOVES MAY CHILL LONG-SOUGHT U.S. FARM EXPORT PUSH



A rollback of Obama administration efforts to open Cuba to U.S. tourism and
trade may chill a rebound in agricultural sales to the island nation, setting
back a farm-lobby push that’s weathered two decades. U.S. Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson signaled Tuesday that changes would come as soon as Friday, when
President Donald Trump visits Miami.









PANAMA ESTABLISHES TIES WITH CHINA,
FURTHER ISOLATING TAIWAN



TAIPEI, Taiwan – Panama has severed diplomatic relations with Taiwan in favor of
recognizing China, the latest in a series of developments adding to the island’s
isolation on the world stage and raising questions about waning American
influence under President Trump. Panama’s decision handed Beijing a diplomatic
victory at a time when Mr. Trump, in hopes of securing cooperation on issues
like trade and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, has retreated from the
confrontational stances he took toward China as a candidate.









SHALE OIL BOOM TO HURT OPEC WELL INTO 2018



In its first forecast for 2018, the International Energy Agency said Wednesday
it expected countries outside the cartel to increase production by about 1.5
million barrels per day, outstripping the growth in global demand. The U.S.
alone will account for about half that increase in supply, the IEA said.









EU SET TO COMMIT TO CLIMATE DEAL, FREE TRADE IN TRUMP REBUFF



European Union leaders are planning to use a summit next week to declare their
commitment to global free trade and the Paris climate accord in a rebuff to U.S.
President Donald Trump. The bloc’s 28 leaders will issue a statement rejecting
protectionism and underlining that the Paris agreement is a “cornerstone for
global efforts to effectively tackle climate change, and cannot be
renegotiated,” according to a draft for the June 22-23 summit obtained by
Bloomberg.









IS TRUMP BECOMING MORE FRIENDLY TO TRADE?



President Trump continued with his promise to put “America First” recently when
he withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accord. This followed his
week of visits in Europe where he did not reaffirm the collective defense
provision of NATO (later reaffirmed). Both of these policy positions, although
shocking, were in line with what the President’s past views.
The foreign reaction was swift . German Chancellor Angela Merkel summed it up by
saying that Europe would have to look to its own devices and could no longer
depend on the “others” – clearing meaning only one – the United States.









TRADE JOBS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAVE JUMPED, BUT POLICY AND LABOR CHALLENGES
LOOM



Southern California has experienced a boost in trade and logistics employment in
the last decade, but policy and labor challenges lie ahead, according to a new
economic report.
Trade-related jobs increased nearly 10% from 2005 to 2015, more than double the
overall regional employment increase of 4.2%, the report released Monday by the
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. found.
Warehousing and logistics jobs led the charge, jumping 55.1% over the decade,
said the report, titled “Trade & Logistics in Southern California.”.









MEXICO CITY’S MAYOR CALLS FOR CARLOS SLIM, OTHER MEXICAN BILLIONAIRES TO
INFLUENCE NAFTA TALKS



What role should Mexico’s billionaires play in the upcoming renegotiation of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the trade pact with Mexico and
Canada that the Trump Administration has proposed be renegotiated?
Miguel Angel Mancera, Mexico City’s Mayor and a possible 2018 presidential
contender, has called for the creation of a 12-member group of Mexico’s richest
men to try to influence from the sidelines the remake of what Donald Trump has
labeled “the worst trade deal” ever. Top on Mancera’s list is Carlos Slim Helú,
Mexico’s richest person.









ROSS CONFIDENT ADMINISTRATION CAN NEGOTIATE BETTER TRADE TERMS



Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross expressed confidence that the Trump
administration can achieve better trade terms through negotiations with trading
partners, rather than immediately turning to tariffs or other punitive measures
that could generate retaliation or other economic repercussions.
President Donald Trump, who repeatedly warned in his 2016 campaign about
imposing tariffs or exiting international deals, this year decided not to pull
out of the North American Free Trade Agreement and instead announced
.









QATAR CRISIS TO SPEED THE RISE OF ASIA’S SPOT LNG TRADE



SINGAPORE — Qatar’s isolation by other Arab nations has dealt a strong hand to
Japanese utilities in talks reviewing long-term gas contracts with the top LNG
exporter, likely accelerating a shift to a more openly traded global market for
the fuel. If Japan gets its way in the periodic contract review, the world’s
biggest buyer of LNG would have to import more short-notice supplies from
producers such as the United States, another step away from rigid deals that run
for decades towards a more active spot market.









U.S. AND EU CLAIM VICTORY IN BOEING SUBSIDY CASE



NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The World Trade Organization issued a ruling Monday to
settle a dispute between the European Union and United States over subsidies
received by Boeing. Officials on both sides of the Atlantic quickly sought to
portray the decision as a victory for their domestic airline industries.
“This decision is a tremendous victory for American manufacturers and workers,”
said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk in a statement.









CHINA, SINGAPORE SEEK TO EXPEDITE RCEP TRADE TALKS



China and Singapore will do their best to expedite talks on the Regional
Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), Singapore’s foreign minister said,
calling the potential pact a statement on the importance of free trade.
The Beijing-backed RCEP has been given new impetus by U.S. President Donald
Trump’s withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement, to
which China is not party.









ASIA AND EUROPE SET TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF US TRADE PROTECTIONISM



Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to take on China and its trade practices.
But according to a new study, it is US allies in Asia and Europe that are set to
bear the burden of a new wave of US protectionism shaping up to be the largest
seen in decades.
The study released on Monday by a leading expert on trade disputes and
protectionism comes as US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross hurries to deliver
within days a plan to impose new restrictions on steel imports, arguing that the
country’s national security is at stake. .









U.S. BUSINESS GROUP URGES TRADE FIXES AHEAD OF CHINA’S PARTY CONGRESS



A U.S. business lobby in China said on Thursday that Washington should use
leverage afforded by China’s desire to avoid trade frictions with the United
States ahead of its Communist Party Congress this fall in order to fix market
access discrepancies.
Beijing and Washington agreed to 100 days of trade talks after U.S. President
Donald Trump met his counterpart Xi Jinping in April, aimed at cutting last
year’s $347 billion U.S. trade in goods deficit with the world’s second largest
economy.









TREASURIES – BUND TRADE IS ABOUT TO GET INTERESTING



In recent years, many investors have been burned by their conviction that the
price of German bonds would fall relative to U.S. Treasuries of the same
maturity, as the yield on the 10-year bund dipped for the first time into
negative territory. But with the return of consistent growth and a reduction in
near-term political risk in the euro zone, options prices indicate that interest
rates are more likely to increase than decrease in Europe’s largest economy.
This is a significant departure from a number of months ago, when options market
prices were neutral as to the direction of rates in Germany.









IN SOUTH CAROLINA, GERMANY IS CONSIDERED
A PARTNER, NOT A TRADE RIVAL



President Donald Trump has objected to Germany’s trade surplus with the United
States, reportedly singling out its auto industry success for criticism. But in
South Carolina, an early primary state that helped propel him to the Republican
nomination, the Germans aren’t seen as an overseas rival but as a valued
economic partner.









ANALYST: THE ‘TRUMP TRADE’ HAS TURNED INTO A ‘TRUMP FADE’



With former FBI Director James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence
Committee and the elections in the U.K. today, those headlines alone could have
been enough to stir the market..









PORT BANS CHOKE QATAR’S COMMODITY TRADE AS GAS SUPPLY WORRIES GROW



U.S. President Donald Trump joined in the dispute on Tuesday, saying leaders he
met on a Middle East trip had warned him that Doha was funding “radical
ideology” after he had demanded they take action to stop financing militant
groups. Qatar vehemently denies the accusations made against it.

Qatar is now unable to load crude oil onto supertankers together with other
Gulf-based grades, and price agency S&P Global Platts said it would not
automatically include the country in its Middle East price benchmark.









TRUMP TRADE’S DEMISE SENDS A CLEAR NEGATIVE MESSAGE



The euphoria in markets following Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential election
victory that came to be known as the Trump trade is stumbling. Last week’s
decision by Trump to pull out of the Paris climate accord bolstered the
perception that the U.S. may be become a more isolated player on the world
stage, negatively affecting the dollar. The market for U.S. Treasuries is taking
note of these developments amid signs that the economy is having trouble gaining
steam, as evidenced by a precipitous flattening of the yield curve.









THE PESO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CAN’T-MISS TRUMP TRADE, BUT IT’S COMPLETELY
REVERSED



The Mexican peso has recovered all its losses versus the U.S. dollar made since
President Donald Trump was elected, discounting the worst fears of a trade war
between the U.S. and its southern neighbor.
“The peso is on a big round trip,” said Robert Sinche, chief global strategist
at Amherst Pierpont. Dollar/peso, at 18.34 was up more than 12 percent since
Jan. 1 and about right where it was before the election.









MEXICO AGREES TO SUGAR TRADE DEAL, BUT U.S. REFINERS REMAIN UNHAPPY



MEXICO CITY — Mexico agreed to demands from the United States to cut exports of
refined sugar, striking a deal on Tuesday in a contentious trade negotiation
that was closely watched as a prologue to talks on renegotiating the North
American Free Trade Agreement.
The dispute stemmed from complaints by American sugar refiners that Mexico was
taking advantage of unfair trade practices to dump refined sugar in the American
market and at the same time limit the amount of raw sugar it exported to
American refineries..









THE HIGH COST OF THE ANTI-TRADE WAVE



There is no topic about which both parties have spewed more economic nonsense
than trade. Preying on populist ignorance and xenophobic fears, politicians have
taken something that is unarguably of tremendous value to the United States and
turned it into an evil. You’d think that trade was making us poorer.









SUGAR-TRADE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN US AND MEXICO EXTENDED



Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Monday extended the deadline for sugar trade
negotiations between the United States and Mexico by 24 hours, saying extra time
was needed to complete “final technical consultations” for a deal.









U.S. GROWTH BUMPED DOWN AMID TRUMP TAX, TRADE UNCERTAINTY




Citing “substantial” risks related to uncertainty from President Donald Trump’s
trade, tax and economic agendas, the World Bank on Sunday revised down its 2017
growth projections for the United States.
The international body now predicts the U.S. economy will expand at a clip of
just 2.1 percent in 2017, according to its latest Global Economic Prospects
report.









WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR AGRICULTURE IN NAFTA RENEGOTIATIONS



As President Donald Trump’s administration sifts through its trade toolbox,
preparing to tinker with the North American Free Trade Agreement, the
agriculture world is holding its breath.
NAFTA’s inception in the 1990s contributed to a boom in agriculture trade
between the U.S., Canada and Mexico. There’s a general consensus that the
agreement isn’t perfect – as made evident by Canada’s recent dairy policy
adjustments and America’s newly announced lumber tariffs.









WORLD BANK SAYS TRADE, MANUFACTURING TO BOOST 2017 GLOBAL GROWTH




The World Bank on Sunday maintained its forecast that global growth will improve
to 2.7 percent this year, citing a pickup in manufacturing and trade, improved
market confidence and a recovery in commodity prices.
The update of the multilateral development lender’s Global Economic Prospects
report marked the first time in several years that its June forecasts were not
reduced from those published in January due to rising growth risks.










TRUMP’S OILY TRADE DEFICIT




Last week, the U.S. Commerce Department announced that, year-to-date, the U.S.
goods and services trade deficit increased 13.4 percent over the same period in
2016. All but three weeks of this January-April deficit expansion occurred on
President Donald Trump’s watch. Since he has made a fetish of trade deficits and
promised to “fix” them, it may be worth delving into the details to see what
happened.










BIG MARKET MOVERS: INVESTORS AREN’T QUITE READY TO RE-PULL TRIGGER ON TRUMP
TRADE




It was a good week for the U.S. stock market — at least compared to recent
weeks. Even after the “soft” Friday jobs report, the market kept grinding
higher, especially big growth stocks, which in the past week saw their biggest
inflow in the past four months, according to Bank of America Merrill Lynch data.
Talk of the beleaguered Trump Trade has even been replaced by talk, among some,
of a Trump Trade restart.










SUGAR TALKS MAY HINT AT TRUMP APPROACH TO U.S.-MEXICO TRADE




MEXICO CITY — The sugar barons of Florida, Alfonso and José Fanjul, have been
equal-opportunity political donors for decades, showering largess on the
campaigns of Democrats and Republicans alike to ensure that lawmakers will
protect the American sugar industry.










TRUMP TALKS TOUGH ON TRADE, BUT HIS TEAM IS TREADING LIGHTLY




WASHINGTON — President Trump has called the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal a
“rape” of the United States. He has scolded Germany for being “very bad” on
trade because it runs a surplus. And in April he said that he was “psyched” to
terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, only
to reverse course.










US FACES STRUGGLE TO EASE NERVOUS ASIAN ALLIES’ FEARS OF A RETREAT



When James Mattis speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on Saturday,
the US defence secretary will face a very different landscape from the one that
greeted his predecessor at last year’s event.
At the Asian defence forum in 2016, Ashton Carter chided China over its actions
in the South China Sea, warning that it risked “erecting a Great Wall of
self-isolation”. At the same time, then president Barack Obama was pushin g
Congress — ultimately unsuccessfully — to back the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a
12-nation trade deal that was the economic arm of his Asia “pivot”.










WIDER U.S. TRADE GAP MAY SIGNAL DRAG ON SECOND-QUARTER GROWTH



U.S. demand for foreign-made goods climbed and exports declined, causing the
trade deficit to widen in April, which may restrain the pace of economic growth
this quarter, Commerce Department data showed Friday.
Highlights of Trade Balance (April)
• Gap increased 5.2% to $47.6b (forecast was $46.1b) from a revised $45.3b in
March








TRUMP COULD START A TRADE WAR BY DITCHING THE PARIS CLIMATE ACCORD



President Trump has risked starting a trade war by deciding to pull the U.S. out
of the Paris climate accord.
That’s the assessment of trade experts who argue that other countries could
respond by slapping tariffs on American products that are cheaper to produce as
a result of the move.









US, EU OFFICIALS TO EXAMINE NEXT STEPS FOR TRADE TIES



The US and the EU are planning to develop a “joint action plan” on trade,
reports suggest, after leaders met in Brussels, Belgium, late last week.
US President Donald Trump met with European Council President Donald Tusk and
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker in the Belgian capital. The
meeting came as part of a larger trip that the new American president was making
overseas, which also included attending the G7 leaders’ summit in Taormina,
Italy, among other stops.









TRUMP TARGETS GERMAN TRADE, AND THE SOUTH GRIMACES



GREER, S.C. — No matter that this small Southern city sits squarely in the
middle of Trump country: The president, with his criticism of German trade
policy, was setting off alarm bells in the mind of Mayor Richard W. Danner.









SPEED LIMITS ON TRADE TALKS



The Trump administration flamboyantly discarded the Trans-Pacific Partnership
(TPP) upon taking office. Team members cast doubt on the fate of ongoing talks
with Europe. There was a near brush with terminating the North American Free
Trade Agreement (NAFTA). This would all seem to suggest a relatively tranquil
time ahead for trade negotiators.









TRUMP HOSTS PRIME MINISTER PHUC OF VIETNAM AND ANNOUNCES TRADE DEALS



WASHINGTON — President Trump welcomed the prime minister of Vietnam to the Oval
Office on Wednesday, cutting business deals and discussing the transfer of a
Coast Guard cutter to a onetime enemy that the United States now views as a
front-line defender against an expansionist China.










TRUMP TRADE’S SO DEAD YOU MAY AS WELL BUY IT, SAYS CITIGROUP



Citigroup Inc. says it may be time to bet on Donald Trump. With inflation
trending lower and economic growth picking up globally, “Trumponomics” — tax
cuts and increased government spending — has largely lost its grip on asset
markets, Citi strategists led by Jeremy Hale wrote in a recent note. That’s made
the risk-reward equation for the medium-term reflation trade favorable, they
wrote.









CHINA TURNS TRADE SCREWS ON GERMAN CARS



Talks on car sales between Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday are likely to influence EU trade policy
for years. China, ever the master of divide-and-rule tactics when confronting EU
trade policy, has threatened to impose a car quota system that could seriously
dent the sales of Germany’s blue-riband industry, affecting brands such as
Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, Mercedes and Porsche.









BLIND SPOTS IN TRUMP’S TRADE TIRADE AGAINST GERMANY



WASHINGTON – The last time relations between the United States and Europe were
this bad – in the spring of 2003, during the buildup to the invasion of Iraq –
the administration of George W. Bush decided to “punish France and forgive
Russia,” in a phrase attributed to the national security adviser at the time,
Condoleezza Rice. Now, President Trump has flipped the formula, punishing
Germany while largely ignoring France.










US SHALE, TRADE AND SANCTIONS WORRY RUSSIAN FINANCE MINISTER AS ECONOMY GETS
BACK ON TRACK



As Russia’s economy show signs of improving, its Finance Ministry remains
positive on the outlook yet doesn’t expect to let its guard down just yet. “We
see that the Russian economy has started to develop at a higher rate. It has
come out of recession this year and we anticipate annual growth of around 2
percent,” Anton Siluanov, finance minister for Russia, told CNBC Tuesday via a
translator.










THIS REMOTE FACTORY IS WHERE TRUMP MAY FINALLY DRAW THE LINE ON TRADE



HAWESVILLE, Ky. — When Bill Hughes went to fight in Iraq in 2003, members of his
Army unit lined their vehicles with scrap metal, sandbags and bulletproof vests
to protect themselves from roadside bombs. By the time his younger brother Ryan
Young was in Iraq in 2008, the vehicles were made of a high-purity aluminum
alloy that was much more effective at absorbing the blast.










VIETNAM LOOKS TO SALVAGE OBAMA TRADE GAINS IN TRUMP VISIT



Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has a tough task when he visits the
White House this week: Convince President Donald Trump to advance trade ties
that blossomed under the Obama administration. To do so, Phuc plans to highlight
all the U.S. jobs his nation supports through imports of American goods like
airplanes, engine turbines and maize.










G-7 LEADERS AGREE TO MAINTAIN SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA, FIGHT PROTECTIONISM — UPDATE



TAORMINA, Italy — The Group of Seven nations struck deals on sanctions against
Russia and global trade, overcoming disputes on two issues that threatened to
pit U.S. President Donald Trump against the other six leaders. The nations
agreed at a summit Saturday to maintain sanctions on Russia for its interference
in Ukraine until the conditions of a peace process negotiated in Minsk, Belarus
are fulfilled. They also promised to go further if Moscow’s behavior warrants
tougher action.










TRUMP ADMINISTRATION NEARING COMPLETION OF CUBA POLICY REVIEW: SOURCES



The Trump administration is nearing completion of a policy review to determine
how far it goes in rolling back former President Barack Obama’s engagement with
Cuba and could make an announcement next month, according to current and former
U.S. officials and people familiar with the discussions. President Donald
Trump’s advisers are crafting recommendations that could call for tightening
some of the trade and travel rules that Obama eased in his rapprochement with
Havana but which are expected to stop short of breaking diplomatic relations
restored in 2015 after more than five decades of hostility, the sources said.










US TRADE DEFICIT UNEXPECTEDLY SWELLS, INVENTORIES DECLINE



The US received a fresh batch of soft data on Thursday as the trade deficit
widened and inventories declined signalling a potential drag on growth in the
second quarter.
An advanced reading of the US trade deficit swelled by 3.8 per cent to $67.6bn
in April, from $65.1bn he previous month, the Census Bureau said. That compared
with economists’ expectations that the deficit would shrink to $64.5bn.










COHN ACKNOWLEDGES TRUMP CALLED GERMANY ‘VERY BAD ON TRADE’



Donald Trump’s top economic adviser acknowledged that the president said Germany
is “very bad” when it comes to flooding the U.S. with cars, but insisted it
wasn’t a dig at one of the U.S.’s most important allies.
“He said, ‘They’re very bad on trade,’ but he doesn’t have a problem with
Germany,” Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, said as Trump
joined a meeting of the Group of Seven leaders in Sicily. “He said his dad is
from Germany. He said, ‘I don’t have a problem with Germany, I have a problem
with German trade’.”










WHAT DOES THE US PAY FOR TRADE DEALS?



There is an interesting trade debate occurring on the editorial pages of the
Wall Street Journal. First, the economist Chad Bown and the lawyer Alan Sykes
ventured to correct Trump administration misunderstandings of the multilateral
trading system.










G-7 DEADLOCKED ON CLIMATE AND TRADE AS CANADA PRESSES ITS CASE



Group of Seven nations remain at odds over what pledges — if any — to make on
climate change and trade as leaders began a two-day summit in Sicily, Canadian
officials said.
In a pair of briefings Friday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s
government pledged to push for action on environmental issues and advocate for
trade, while making clear there is no agreement. G-7 nations haven’t yet settled
on wording for pledges on either climate or trade, a Canadian government
official told reporters in one briefing.










CHINA WRITES 117-PAGE WISH LIST FOR ‘WIN-WIN’ U.S. TRADE TIES



China has drawn up a list of concessions it says can help deliver a “win-win”
trade relationship with the U.S.

The government wants to beef up infrastructure cooperation with the U.S. and
accept greater imports of goods ranging from soybeans to aircraft, according to
a 117-page document released by the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday. The report
also recognizes the Trump administration’s grievances with China and
globalization, urging “balanced development” of ties from now on.










TRUMP FACES ROUGHER RECEPTION IN NATO, EU MEETINGS



After a warm welcome in the Middle East and a “fantastic” visit with the pope,
U.S. President Donald Trump walks on shakier ground on Thursday when European
Union and NATO leaders will press him on defense, trade, and environmental
concerns.

The Republican president, midway through his first foreign trip since taking
office, has basked in the glow of favorable receptions in Riyadh and Jerusalem,
where leaders lauded his harsh words for Iran.










DEFICITS IN TRADE AND DEFICITS IN UNDERSTANDING




And therein lies the first major difference between the 1960s and today: The
dollar is fully flexible, with markets determining the exchange rate, rendering
trade imbalances self-correcting.

So why has America been recording a large, persistent trade deficit, and why
isn’t the dollar devaluing? It’s due to the second major difference: The
investment-based demand for foreign currencies—which we momentarily set
aside—has ballooned. People no longer exchange currencies just to buy foreign
goods.










THIS ‘TRUMP TRADE’ DOESN’T NEED CONGRESS AND THAT’S WHY WALL STREET LIKES IT



While most of the so-called Trump trades require the president to successfully
team up with a Republican-led Congress to make business-friendly laws, there’s
one group of companies that Trump alone can help and already has, according to
Wall Street.

“Our conversations with trade lawyers have noted that the Trump administration
has had a ‘chilling effect’ with respect to growing trade with the United
States, especially in Asia,” said Credit Suisse research analysts Curt Woodworth
and Serena Rocha Calejon in a report Wednesday.










JOINT STATEMENT BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION



On 22 May 2017, H.E. Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan received H.E. Mr.
Roberto Azevêdo, Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in
Tokyo. The Director-General also held meetings with H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida,
Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture,
Forestry and Fisheries, H.E. Mr. Yosuke Takagi, State Minister of Economy, Trade
and Industry and H.E. Mr. Motome Takisawa, Parliamentary Vice-Minister for
Foreign Affairs.










NEW TRUMP TRADE REP LIGHTHIZER SPARS OVER PROTECTIONISM IN ASIA



In a stormy first foray abroad for Robert Lighthizer, the new U.S. Trade
Representative disagreed over protectionism with Asian and Pacific countries
that look sceptically at the Trump administration’s “fair trade” agenda.
With the United States on one side and the 20 other members of the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum on the other at a meeting in Vietnam, a
planned joint statement had to be scrapped because of these differences.










MODERNIZING TRADE FOR NAFTA AND BEYOND



In the 25 years since the conclusion of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA), the American software industry has transformed. It has evolved from
floppy disks and desktop computing to cloud computing, smart devices, and data
analytics. Innovation moves quickly, and those changes continue at a rapid rate
– artificial intelligence, blockchain, and “smart” contracts are each reshaping
how software is developed and used.










TRUMP BUDGET WANTS TO HALVE OIL STOCKPILE, OPEN ARCTIC REFUGE TO DRILLING



U.S. President Donald Trump’s White House wants to sell half of the nation’s
emergency oil stockpile and open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to drilling
as part of plans to balance the budget over the next 10 years, documents by the
administration showed. The White House budget, which will be delivered to
Congress on Tuesday, is meant as a proposal and may not take effect in its
current form. But it reveals the administration’s policy hopes, which include
ramping up American energy output.










AUSTRALIA OPENS NEW TRADE HORIZON IN LATIN AMERICA



CANBERRA—Australia plans to begin free trade talks on Wednesday with Peru,
hoping to use a resulting pact to broaden commerce with three more Latin
American countries and help counter a U.S. tide of protectionism. The talks come
days after trade ministers from Australia and the 10 other countries remaining
in the Trans-Pacific Partnership met in a push to revise the pact without
Washington. President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. in January.










UPDATE 2-CHINA, RUSSIA SET UP WIDE-BODY JET FIRM IN NEW CHALLENGE TO BOEING,
AIRBUS



SHANGHAI, May 22 (Reuters) – China and Russia on Monday completed the formal
registration of a joint venture to build a wide-body jet, kick-starting
full-scale development of a program aimed at competing with market leaders
Boeing Co and Airbus SE. State plane makers Commercial Aircraft Corp of China
Ltd (COMAC) and Russia’s United Aircraft Corp (UAC) said at a ceremony in
Shanghai the venture would aim to build a “competitive long range wide-body
commercial aircraft.”










TURKEY, RUSSIA SIGN MEMORANDUM ON LIFTING TRADE RESTRICTIONS: TURKISH SOURCES



ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey and Russia signed a memorandum on lifting trade
restrictions against each other, Turkish presidential sources said on Monday,
after Ankara and Moscow agreed at a meeting this month to settle trade disputes.
The memorandum was signed by Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek and his
Russian counterpart Arkady Dvorkovich in Istanbul, the sources said.










DUMPED BY TRUMP, REMAINING TPP NATIONS VOW TO FORGE AHEAD



The 11 countries left in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement have
backed a proposal to continue with the pact, despite U.S. President Donald Trump
pulling out of it in January, New Zealand’s trade minister said. Todd McClay,
who chaired the meeting on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Sunday suggested the path was open for the U.S. to
rejoin if it changed its mind.










TRUMP’S TRADE REP BRINGS ‘AMERICA FIRST’ POLICY TO ASIA-PACIFIC SUMMIT



U.S. President Donald Trump’s new trade representative held his first
face-to-face meetings with some key partners on Saturday as the United States
charts an “America First” policy that has upended the old global order and
sparked fears of protectionism. Robert Lighthizer met ministers from Canada and
Japan on the sidelines of a gathering of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
(APEC) countries in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, the biggest trade meeting since
Trump took office.










PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CLAIM THAT ‘WE ALWAYS LOSE’ IN U.S.-CANADA TRADE DISPUTES



“I don’t know who the people are that would put us into a NAFTA, which was so
one-sided. … Wilbur [Ross, the secretary of commerce] will tell you that, you
know, like, at the court in Canada, we always lose. Well, the judges are three
Canadians and two Americans. We always lose. But we’re not going to lose any
more. And so it’s very, very unfair.”
— President Trump, in an interview with the Economist, May 4, 2017
This new talking point by the president on NAFTA, the North American Free Trade
Agreement, piqued our interest. We wondered: What court in Canada with a
majority of Canadian judges rules against the United States in trade matters?










COUNTRIES ACTING ALONE POSE MAIN RISK TO TRADE SYSTEM, WTO SAYS



The biggest risk to the global trade order is one country taking unilateral
action that disrespects the system, according to World Trade Organization
Director-General Roberto Azevedo. “This temptation exists whenever you have a
very sluggish economy, where you have near-stagnation, the tendency to find
solutions looking inward is higher,” Azevedo said in an interview Saturday on
the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers meeting
in Hanoi, Vietnam.










TRUMP TRADE OFFICIALS PREFER TRI-LATERAL NAFTA DEAL: U.S. SENATORS



The Trump administration’s top trade officials hope to keep the North American
Free Trade Agreement as a trilateral deal in negotiations with Canada and Mexico
to revamp the 23-year-old pact, senators said on Tuesday. Several members of the
Senate Finance Committee said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and new U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Lighthizer told them in a closed door meeting that they
would prefer the current three-nation format but left open the possibility of
parallel bilateral agreements with Canada and Mexico.










CAN ASIA REACH HIGH-INCOME?



In a single generation, Asia has transformed itself from a low-income continent
to a middle-income one. In 1991 more than 90 percent of the region’s population
still lived in low-income countries. By 2015, more than 95 percent lived in
middle-income countries (Figure 1). Rapid growth propelled most of the
region—including the most populous countries of China, India, and Indonesia—into
middle-income status. Is the continent now on its way to reaching high income in
the next generation?










TRADE PACT DUMPED BY TRUMP COULD BE REVIVED AT ASIA-PACIFIC MEETING



Japan and other remaining members of the Trans Pacific Partnership will this
weekend decide how to revive the trade agreement ditched by U.S. President
Donald Trump. Their trade ministers will talk on the sidelines of an
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, where newly
appointed U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is also due to give more
detail of Washington’s trade plans.










U.K. CONSERVATIVE PARTY SETS IN STONE PLAN TO LEAVE EU CUSTOMS UNION



LONDON—The U.K.’s governing Conservative Party confirmed Thursday it intended to
extract Britain from the European Union’s customs union as well as the single
market as it published its manifesto for a national election on June 8. The
party, which opinion polls suggest will be returned to government with an
increased majority, also opened the way to some financial settlement with the EU
after Brexit—sidestepping a likely early sticking point in Brexit negotiations
likely to start next month. The U.K. is expected formally withdraw from the EU
in early 2019.










NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER HAILS JAPAN’S ROLE IN TPP BEFORE MEETING ABE



New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English said Wednesday ahead of his meeting with
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo that both countries “can and will” take a
leading role in securing the future of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact
following the withdrawal of the United States.










REFLECTIONS ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE WTO’S TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT



More than three years after its adoption at the Bali ministerial conference, the
WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force in February 2017.
The time has now come for the multilateral trade body’s African member states to
set in motion their implementation efforts.










MEXICO: WE’LL TALK NAFTA BUT DON’T DARE USE TARIFFS



Mexican officials are happy to renegotiate a trade deal with President Trump and
his team to make it more balanced. But they warn their US counterparts: Don’t
play tough and slap taxes on us.










EU-SINGAPORE INVESTMENT DEAL REQUIRES MEMBER STATE RATIFICATION, RULES ECJ



Europe’s top court has said EU member states must sign off on some issues
related to investment in a key trade deal with Singapore, in a judgment that
could set a precedent for a post-Brexit trade pact with the UK.










JAPANESE PM ABE SAYS IT IS HIS ‘STRONG WISH’ THAT THE US RETURNS TO THE TPP



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that his country would continue
pushing for a trans-Pacific trade deal, but he hoped the U.S. would rejoin the
pact.









JAPAN AND NEW ZEALAND AGREE TO AIM FOR PROGRESS ON TPP BY NOVEMBER



Japan and New Zealand confirmed they will aim to reach an agreement with other
signatories to move the Trans-Pacific Partnership forward by November despite
the withdrawal of the United States.









FORMER U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE URGES RENEGOTIATION WITH CHINA



TOKYO—The U.S. trade representative during China’s accession to the World Trade
Organization in 1999 on Tuesday accused Chinese President Xi Jinping of
accelerating reversals in liberalizing changes, resulting in discrimination
against U.S. companies.









TRADE GROUPS APPEAL TO BEIJING TO POSTPONE CYBERSECURITY LAW



BEIJING — A coalition of 54 global business groups appealed to Chinese
authorities Monday to postpone enforcing a cybersecurity law they warned
violates Beijing’s free-trade pledges and might harm information security.









U.S. FIRMS WANT IN ON CHINA’S GLOBAL ‘ONE BELT, ONE ROAD’ SPENDING



XUZHOU, China — As China plans to build a raft of roads, rail lines, ports and
airports across Asia, Africa and Europe, skeptics say Chinese companies will be
the only real winners from the ambitious initiative.









LIGHTHIZER APPROVAL AS TRADE REP PAVES WAY FOR NAFTA TALKS



The U.S. Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick as top trade negotiator,
clearing the way for the administration to reset relations starting with the
North American Free Trade Agreement.









JAPAN PITCHES IDEA OF FIVE-NATION TPP: SOURCES



An idea has emerged that the Trans-Pacific Partnership can take effect among at
least five nations including Japan, Australia and New Zealand, instead of 12,
sources involved in the negotiations said.










U.S. ALUMINUM SECTOR URGES BRITAIN, EU TO UNITE AGAINST CHINA



Representatives of the U.S. aluminum industry are speaking to EU counterparts
and have written to British Prime Minister Theresa May urging action against
what they says are “massive illegal subsidies” in China that threaten Western
jobs.









US TRADE DEFICIT NARROWS IN MARCH



The U.S. trade deficit narrowed in March to the lowest level since October as
both exports and imports fell. But the politically sensitive trade gap with
China rose.










TRUMP SAYS NORTH KOREA IS “MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT” THAN BETTER TRADE DEAL WITH
CHINA



President Trump said China’s help in dealing with North Korea is “worth making
not as good a trade deal for the United States.”
“I think that, frankly, North Korea is maybe more important than trade,” he said
in an interview that aired Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation.”










GERMANY’S MERKEL ARRIVES IN UAE TO TALK TRADE AND REFUGEES



While in Abu Dhabi, Merkel will discuss the upcoming G20 summit and urge leaders
to do more to take in refugees. But an Emirates official has warned that Germany
should be vigilant about possible security risks at home.










HOW TRUMP’S TARIFF AGAINST CANADA COULD LEAD TO A TRADE WAR



Earlier this week, the Trump administration announced a preliminary decision to
impose a 20% tariff on Canadian softwood lumber imports. The move stems from an
ongoing trade issue that dates back at least to the Reagan administration, which
is poised to hurt both the US and Canadian economies if the countries can’t
resolve it.”










CHINA PUSHES FOR TIGHTER DUMPING RULES IN WTO FILING



China has proposed tightening the rules on when countries can impose
anti-dumping and anti-subsidy tariffs, saying their use was rising and that such
charges were often misused and distorted international trade.”











TRUMP SLAPS DUTY ON CANADIAN LUMBER, INTENSIFYING TRADE FIGHT



U.S. President Donald Trump intensified a trade dispute with Canada, slapping
tariffs of up to 24 percent on imported softwood lumber in a move that drew
swift criticism from the Canadian government, which vowed to sue if needed.”











RUSSIA-U.S. TRADE UP 25% IN 2017 AS TRUMP OFFERS THUMB’S DOWN ON EXXON MOBIL
WAIVER



President Trump put the kibosh last Friday on Exxon Mobil’s request to be
allowed to resume a venture with a Russian oil company.
That’s a not-particularly-surprising decision given the FBI and congressional
investigations under way regarding Russia’s efforts to undermine the 2016
election and Trump associates’ contacts with Russian pre- and post-election as
well as the fact that his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is the former CEO
of the oil company.”











IMF MEMBERS SET ASIDE TRADE SPLIT AS FRENCH VOTE RATTLES NERVES



International Monetary Fund members on Saturday dropped a pledge to fight
protectionism amid a split over trade policy and turned their attention to
another looming threat to global economic integration: the first round of
France’s presidential election.”











FINANCE LEADERS DEFEND TRADE, WORRY ABOUT THOSE LEFT BEHIND BARRIERS



World finance leaders, confronted by a growing backlash against globalization,
will seek to build support for free trade by finding ways to help those left
behind.
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said he was “very much aware of the fact that
there are many who have not benefited from globalization, who are very angry at
the fact that they have not benefited.”











U.S. AND INDONESIA SEEK TO CUT TRADE AND INVESTMENT BARRIERSD



Indonesia and the United States agreed on Friday to find ways to reduce barriers
to U.S. companies operating in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, visiting U.S.
Vice President Mike Pence and Jakarta’s investment chief said.











PACER PLUS NEGOTIATIONS CONCLUDED



The 14 countries participating will sign the agreement in Tonga in June.
PACER Plus is expected to enhance the economic development of Pacific island
countries through greater regional trade and economic integration with Australia
and New Zealand.










JAPAN’S EXPORTS RISE IN MARCH, TRADE FRICTION FEARS CLOUD OUTLOOK



Japan’s exports rose in March at the fastest pace in more than two years as
increased shipments of car parts and steel signaled that expanding overseas
demand could help boost the country’s notoriously slow economic growth.
Exports rose 12.0 percent in March from a year ago, more than the median
estimate of 6.7 percent annual growth.










EURO AREA INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN GOODS SURPLUS €17.8 BN-€1.7 BN SURPLUS FOR EU28



The first estimate for euro area (EA19) exports of goods to the rest of the
world in February 2017 was €170.3 billion, an increase of 4% compared with
February 2016 (€163.2 bn). Imports from the rest of the world stood at €152.6
bn, a rise of 5% compared with February 2016 (€144.9 bn).










JAPAN BACK DOWN BRINGS TPP BACK FROM THE DEAD



A surprising about-face by Japan has resurrected the Trans Pacific Partnership,
a regional free trade deal considered dead after US President Donald Trump
withdrew from the agreement following his election.











RCEP FACING A CRITICAL DEADLINE




ASEAN is well on its way to becoming a global leader for regional integration
and an important step in this process is on deadline.
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations, which were
to have been substantially concluded at the end of 2015, will now enter the 18th
round in May.











IMF WARNINGS OF US PROTECTIONISM ‘RUBBISH’, SAYS ROSS




Warnings of US protectionism by Christine Lagarde, head of the International
Monetary Fund, and others are “rubbish”, Donald Trump’s top trade official has
said in a new attack on the big trade surpluses of China, Europe and Japan.
Speaking ahead of the arrival in Washington of global finance officials for this
week’s IMF and World Bank spring meetings, commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said
those accusing the Trump administration of protectionism were firing at the
wrong target.










CANADA AGREES ON FREE TRADE WITH ITSELF




DOING business across Canada is not for the impatient. Its ten provinces and
three territories see themselves as quasi-countries. They set standards and
write laws with little regard for what their neighbours are doing. In Ontario
petrol must be at least 5% ethanol; Manitoba insists on an 8.5% blend. Each
province has its own ideas of how much grain dust people can be exposed to, and
what sort of packages coffee creamer should come in.











CHINA EXPORTS RISE 16.4%; TRADE SURPLUS RETURNS




China’s exports and trade surplus increased more than expected in March on
improved global demand, underpinning expectations that next week’s read on
growth in the first quarter will show steady economic momentum.










CANADA AGREES ON FREE TRADE WITH ITSELF




DOING business across Canada is not for the impatient. Its ten provinces and
three territories see themselves as quasi-countries. They set standards and
write laws with little regard for what their neighbours are doing. In Ontario
petrol must be at least 5% ethanol; Manitoba insists on an 8.5% blend. Each
province has its own ideas of how much grain dust people can be exposed to, and
what sort of packages coffee creamer should come in.











POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL WITH INDIA ‘WORTH EXTRA £2 BILLION TO BRITISH ECONOMY’




Britain will be able to increase its exports to India by more than £2 billion
per year after Brexit by cutting EU red tape, a new analysis has found.
The UK currently faces significant tariffs on its trade with India because of
the European Union’s failure to agree a free trade deal.










WORLD TRADE SEEN GROWING 2.4 PERCENT IN 2017, UNCERTAINTY WEIGHS: WTO




World trade is on track to expand by 2.4 percent this year, though there is
“deep uncertainty” about economic and policy developments, particularly in the
United States, the World Trade Organization (WTO) said on Wednesday.











POST-BREXIT TRADE DEAL WITH INDIA ‘WORTH EXTRA £2 BILLION TO BRITISH ECONOMY’




Britain will be able to increase its exports to India by more than £2 billion
per year after Brexit by cutting EU red tape, a new analysis has found.
The UK currently faces significant tariffs on its trade with India because of
the European Union’s failure to agree a free trade deal.











EU SEES ‘RENEWED SENSE OF URGENCY’ IN TRADE TALKS WITH JAPAN




The European Union and Japan are showing renewed urgency in talks on a
free-trade agreement, with EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom urging both
sides to meet a year-end deadline in the face of increasing protectionist
sentiment.











EURASIA IS ON THE RISE. WILL THE US BE LEFT ON THE SIDELINES?




The world’s biggest geopolitical trend today is not America First, or the global
war on terror, or Brexit, or the renewed Cold War with Russia. It is the
economic integration of Europe with Asia, especially the European Union with
China. Europe and Asia co-inhabit the world’s largest landmass, Eurasia. They
are increasingly connected economically as well. Trump’s protectionism and
bellicosity will speed up the integration of Europe and Asia, and threaten to
leave the United States on the sidelines.











TRUMP’S QUICK WINS ON CHINA TRADE WON’T WIPE OUT THE DEFICIT




President Trump toned down his rhetoric when he met his Chinese counterpart, Xi
Jinping, late last week. This was not the start of a trade war some had feared.
There was no repeat of claims that China was stealing U.S. jobs by manipulating
its currency. There was also no grand bargain between the leaders of the world’s
two biggest economies. Instead, they agreed to a “100-day plan” for talks,
according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross.











THE TRADE DEFICIT WITH CHINA IS A PROBLEM — BUT NOT FOR THE REASON TRUMP THINKS




There are many potential sources of conflict between the world’s two largest
economies. But President Trump has forecast that his meeting Thursday and Friday
with Chinese President Xi Jinping would be a “very difficult one” for a
particular reason: Trade deficits.











WHY INDIA COULD BE THE WINNER OF A U.S.-CHINA TRADE WAR




The prospect of a trade war between China and the U.S. elicits frequent warnings
of the risk to the global economy. India sees it somewhat differently.











CHINA MARKET ACCESS IN SPOTLIGHT AS FIRST TRUMP-XI MEETING NEARS




Henry Paulson used to urge his Chinese counterparts during trade and investment
talks to help him keep America’s markets open to them by increasing access to
theirs.










TRADE AFTER THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP




In mid-March, ministers and high-level representatives from nations that have
signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as China, Colombia and South
Korea, met for the first time since the Trump administration withdrew from the
trade accord. The signal from Viña del Mar, Chile, where the meeting took place,
was clear: Multilateral trade and Pacific integration are alive and kicking.










U.S. TRADE DEFICIT DROPS 10% IN FEBRUARY




The U.S. trade deficit sank almost 10% in February, aided by an increase in
exports to a 26-month high and a plunge in imports of autos, cellphones and
other consumer goods. The deficit fell to $43.6 billion in February, more than
canceling out a big increase in January that raised the nation’s trade gap to a
five-year high of $48.2 billion. Figures are seasonally adjusted.










TRADE AFTER THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP




In mid-March, ministers and high-level representatives from nations that have
signed on to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as China, Colombia and South
Korea, met for the first time since the Trump administration withdrew from the
trade accord. The signal from Viña del Mar, Chile, where the meeting took place,
was clear: Multilateral trade and Pacific integration are alive and kicking.










KOREA FILES COMPLAINT WITH WTO AGAINST CHINA’S THAAD RETALIATION




Korea has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization panel against
China for its economic retaliation against the country’s decision to deploy a
U.S. anti-missile system in the said country. This has been raised during the
WTO meeting in Zurich, Switzerland last March 28 to 30.










2017 NATIONAL TRADE ESTIMATE REPORT




The National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE) is an annual
series that surveys significant foreign barriers to U.S. exports. The report
provides, where feasible, quantitative estimates of the impact of these foreign
practices on the value of U.S. exports. Information is also included on actions
taken to eliminate barriers.










TRUMP TRADE CRACKDOWN ‘NOT ABOUT CHINA’




Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is doubling down on a push to deepen ties with
China, with Canada’s new envoy signaling he can move ahead on a free-trade deal
without quickly advancing extradition treaty talks.










TRUMP TRADE CRACKDOWN ‘NOT ABOUT CHINA’




President Donald Trump is expected to sign two executive orders targeting the US
trade deficit, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit.
One order will include a study looking at causes of the deficit by examining
unpaid duties and foreign trade abuses.










UK TRIGGERS BREXIT, STARTS EYEING UP MIDDLE EAST




International trade minister Liam Fox has said that the UK is already in
informal talks with 12 countries around the world, many of which are in the
Middle East. Free trade agreements, lucrative arms deals, human rights concerns:
let’s look at what the government has done so far in the region post-Brexit
vote.











BREXIT QUESTION DRAWS U.S, RUSSIAN, CHINESE INTEREST AT WTO




China, Russia and the United States said on Monday they were taking an interest
in Brexit, a World Trade Organization source said, after a question about a
tricky but vital reform required by Britain arose at the Geneva-based trade
body.











NZ, CHINA FTA UPGRADE AGREED AMONG SLEW OF NEW DEALS




New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and China Premier Li Keqiang signed off
a series of cooperation deals spanning trade, customs, travel and climate change
and confirmed commencement of official talks on an upgrade to the nine-year old
free-trade agreement between the two countries.











TRADE, GLOBALIZATION FOCUS OF CHINESE PREMIER’S AUSTRALIAN VISIT




Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is in Australia for a five-day visit that will focus
on boosting global trade.
China is Australia’s largest export market, responsible for nearly a third of
its total exports, according to the government.











BRAZIL MEAT SCANDAL DEEPENS AS CHINA, EU BAR SOME IMPORTS




A scandal over expired meats in Brazil deepened on Monday with the European
Union and China deciding to halt some meat imports from Latin America’s largest
nation.
The developments represent a major blow to Brazil, one of the world’s largest
exporters of meat, which is struggling to emerge from its worst recession in
decades.










S KOREA COMPLAINS TO WTO ABOUT CHINA OVER THAAD



South Korea has appealed to the World Trade Organization to determine if the
Chinese government is treating South Korean companies unfairly. Seoul claims
Beijing is retaliating economically over its deployment of a US anti-missile
defence system.










JAPAN’S ABE AND GERMANY’S MERKEL TALK UP FREE TRADE, URGE ‘SLUGGISH’ EU TO SIGN
KEY DEAL



Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday
urged the European Union (EU) to finally sign a free trade deal with Japan
following nearly four years of negotiations.










TREASURY’S MNUCHIN FENDS OFF PUSH TO REJECT PROTECTIONISM



U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin rebuffed a concerted push by world
finance chiefs Saturday to disavow protectionism, fanning fears that the Trump
administration’s pursuit of an “America First” policy could ignite global trade
conflicts.










TRUMP DOESN’T WANT TRADE WARS, TREASURY SECRETARY MNUCHIN SAYS



U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Thursday that the Trump
administration has no desire to get into trade wars, but certain trade
relationships need to be re-examined to make them fairer for U.S. workers.










USTR NOMINEE LIGHTHIZER OUTLINES TRADE STANCE IN SENATE HEARING



Robert Lighthizer, the nominee for the post of US Trade Representative (USTR),
testified during a Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday 14 March that he would
work to implement President Donald Trump’s “America first” vision on trade,
while fielding questions from lawmakers on topics ranging from the renegotiation
of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to his planned stance on
China.










CHINA LOOKS TO G-20 MEETING FOR MORE CLARITY ON TRUMP POLICY FOG



Watching. Observing. Waiting. That’s China’s stance as U.S. President Donald
Trump’s new administration works on crafting its trade policy, according to
Commerce Minister Zhong Shan.










TRUMP’S USTR NOMINEE PLEDGES TOUGH ENFORCEMENT OF U.S. TRADE LAWS



President Donald Trump’s choice for the top U.S. trade negotiator on Tuesday
pledged an “America First” strategy to aggressively enforce U.S. laws and trade
deals to stop unfair imports and push China to scrap excess factory capacity.










TRUMP’S TRADE ‘HAMMER’ AIMS TO POUND CHINA, MEXICO AND THE WTO



The trade talks on steel imports were dragging on, and Robert Lighthizer didn’t
care for the Japanese offer. So he folded it into a paper airplane and launched
it across his desk at Japan’s lead negotiator.










REPUBLICANS POSE GROWING CHALLENGE TO TRUMP’S TRADE AGENDA



Republican lawmakers are showing increasing resistance to President Donald
Trump’s trade agenda, worried that his plans could hurt exports from their
states and undermine longstanding U.S. alliances.










STEVEN MNUCHIN TO FOCUS ON CURRENCIES AS G-20 GIRDS FOR TRUMP ERA



US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin plans to use his debut at a Group of 20
meeting in Germany this week to drive home the message that the US won’t
tolerate countries that engage in currency devaluation to gain an edge in trade,
according to people familiar with the matter.











EU’S MALMSTRÖM PUSHES FOR DEEPER TRADE TIES IN ASIA-PACIFIC REGION




Boosting economic ties with the Asia-Pacific region is one of the main items on
the EU trade docket this week, as the bloc’s top trade official travels to
Singapore and the Philippines for talks on advancing various initiatives.











ADIDAS CEO DOESN’T SWEAT POTENTIAL U.S. BORDER TAX




Adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted says the sporting-goods giant isn’t feeling too much
pressure from a potential border adjustable tax that would levy a 20% tax on
goods imported into the United States.











US TRADE DEFICIT JUMPS TO 5-YEAR HIGH OF $48.5 BILLION




The U.S. trade deficit jumped in January to the highest level in nearly five
years as a flood of mobile phones and other consumer products widened America’s
trade gap with China. The result underscores the challenges facing President
Donald Trump in fulfilling a campaign pledge to reduce America’s trade deficits.











CIOBO DEFENDS VISA RULES AS INDONESIA AND AUSTRALIA SEEK TO CEMENT TRADE DEAL




Australia’s trade minister, Steve Ciobo, has defended tough visa entry
requirements for Indonesian students ahead of a high level visit to the country
to complete an Australia-Indonesia trade deal.
Australia’s prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, will join Ciobo and a delegation
of 120 Australian business people for the Indonesia-Australia Business Week
(IAWB).











TRUMP THREATENS TO TEAR UP THE TRADE RULE BOOK




The framework of rules for global trade has withstood some fearsome ructions
over the past few years. The rise of China, which aroused resentment about job
losses across the world; the global financial crisis and the threat of renewed
global protectionism; mounting inequality within some rich countries frequently
blamed on trade: all have strained the World Trade Organisation’s ability to
keep the peace.











BREXIT COULD HELP EU STRIKE FREE TRADE DEAL WITH INDIA, MEPS BELIEVE




The EU believes it may stand a better chance of striking a free trade deal with
India after the UK leaves the union, despite the importance Britain attaches to
trade with its old colony.










ARAB, AFRICAN MINISTERS CALL FOR ENHANCED TRADE




The International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) in partnership with
the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) and the Minister Delegate for Industry,
Trade, Investment, and Digital Economy, in charge of Morocco’s Foreign Trade
organised a forum of the Arab-Africa Trade Bridges Programme (AATB) on 22-23
February in Rabat.










TRUMP’S CHINA TRADE THREAT LOOMS LARGE OVER TAIWAN ECONOMY



Call it collateral damage. If Donald Trump delivers on threats to put punishing
tariffs on Chinese goods, plenty of pain would be felt in Taiwan, a de facto
U.S. ally that Beijing considers a breakaway province.









WTO’S TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT ENTERS INTO FORCE



A major milestone for the global trading system was reached on 22 February 2017
when the first multilateral deal concluded in the 21 year history of the World
Trade Organization entered into force. In receiving four more ratifications for
the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA), the WTO has obtained the two-thirds
acceptance of the agreement from its 164 members needed to bring the TFA into
force.









TRUMP ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS CHANGE IN CALCULATING U.S. TRADE DEFICIT



The Trump administration is considering changing the way it calculates U.S.
trade deficits, a shift that would make the country’s trade gap appear larger
than it had in past years, according to people involved in the discussions.









JUNCKER WARNS UK ON PRE-BREXIT BILATERAL TRADE DEALS AS LONDON EYES BEIJING



European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has warned the UK it cannot
negotiate bilateral trade deals in the period before it leaves the EU. London,
meanwhile, is eyeing up China with talk of a ‘golden era.’










ASIA TRADE PACT ON TRICKY GROUND OVER FREE MIGRATION



An Asian trade pact in focus after President Donald Trump pulled out of a rival
deal has struck trouble over an issue that’s tripped up politicians from Europe
to the U.S. — borders.









CHINA FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA OFFICIALS ON TRADE



The past fortnight has seen ministerial-level meetings in Canberra and Auckland
on trade, as China’s foreign minister travelled to the Australian and New
Zealand cities to discuss deepening trade ties with the two nations
respectively, officials say.









U.S. FIRMS IN CHINA SEE CHANCE FOR RESET ON MARKET ACCESS



A frustrated American business community in China is increasingly lining up
behind the Trump administration’s strident calls for a tit-for-tat approach with
Beijing on trade and investment.









IF TRUMP CHANGED TACK ON NATO, CAN HE U-TURN ON THE IMF AND WTO?



Donald Trump did not assume the US presidency as a committed multilateralist. On
that, partisans of all political persuasions can agree. Among his most
controversial campaign statements were some suggesting that Nato was obsolete, a
position that bodes ill for his attitude to other multilateral organisations and
alliances..









TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT: WHY TFA IS A KEY STEP TOWARDS DEMOCRATISATION OF
TRADE, ECOMMERCE



” Multilateralism seems down and out. So does trade liberalisation. Any
suggestion that the UN or the WTO may bring about meaningful progress
increasingly falls onto disbelieving ears. To be sure, the pace of globalisation
has been rapid. The resulting feeling of nervousness is, therefore,
comprehensible.”









TRUDEAU SAYS EU MUST SPREAD BENEFITS OR RISK TRADE’S DECLINE



” The trade pact between Canada and the European Union approved this week could
be one of last multilateral trade deals unless policy makers share the benefits
more widely, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told European lawmakers.”









MEXICO’S FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT UP IN FOURTH QUARTER




Foreign direct investment in Mexico grew in the fourth quarter from the third
quarter and from a year earlier, despite fears of a freeze following the
election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency.









TRUMP MAY WITHDRAW U.S. FROM WTO, OUTSIDE ADVISOR SAYS




During the presidential transition period, Dan DiMicco, the former CEO of Nucor
Steel Corp., was thought to be the likely choice to be the U.S. Trade
Representative in the Trump administration.










PANAMA SEEKS $210 MLN TRADE SANCTIONS AGAINST COLOMBIA AT WTO




Panama wants to impose $210 million of annual trade sanctions on Colombia,
according to a filing published by the World Trade Organization on Monday, after
winning a legal challenge against a so-called “money laundering” tariff.










EU AND OTHERS GEAR UP FOR WTO CHALLENGE TO US BORDER TAX




The EU and other US trading partners have begun laying the groundwork for a
legal challenge to a US border tax proposal in a move that could trigger the
biggest case in World Trade Organisation history.










THESE COUNTRIES COULD BE TRUMP’S NEXT TRADE WAR TARGETS




India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam have largely escaped U.S. President
Donald Trump’s glare on trade, but he may yet come looking. The U.S. runs trade
deficits with all of them, in some cases quite big ones.










CHINA SEEKS TO CALM FEARS OVER CAPITAL CONTROLS




China’s top foreign exchange regulator says the country will not follow the “old
road of capital controls”, as the government seeks to reassure investors that
their money will not be trapped in China following recent measures to restrict
capital outflows.









CANADA’S TRUDEAU OPENS TALKS WITH TRUMP AIMING TO BOOST TRADE




Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday opened talks at the White House
with U.S. President Donald Trump, seeking to nurture economic ties while
avoiding tensions over issues such as immigration on which the two are sharply
at odds.










TRADE DEALS ARE COMPLICATED BECAUSE TRADE IS COMPLICATED




The new administration has introduced Washington to a new mantra on trade.
Complicated multilateral trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership or
NAFTA, are a thing of the past. “No longer will we enter into these massive
deals, with many countries, that are thousands of pages long — and which no one
from our country even reads or understands,” President Trump promised on the
campaign trail.










TRUMP’S NEXT TRADE TARGET: EUROPE’S SCOOTERS AND CHEESE




Washington has a prime opportunity to slap 100 percent tariffs on key EU
exports. Iconic European products ranging from Roquefort cheese to Vespa
scooters will soon be in Donald Trump’s sights.










FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT INTO EMERGING MARKETS SEEN FALLING TO POST-CRISIS LOWS




Forecast suggests another dour year of capital flows and economic growth for
emerging markets










EU, LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES MOVE TO DEEPEN TRADE TIES




Efforts on behalf of the EU and Mexico to modernise a sixteen-year old free
trade agreement have been ramped up, following a phone call between EU Trade
Commissioner Cecilia Malmström and Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo
Villareal last week.










THE PITFALLS OF RENEGOTIATING NAFTA




A revision of the North American trade deal will not give Donald Trump what he
wants










BRAZIL CHALLENGES CANADA AT WTO OVER BOMBARDIER AID




Brazil opened a formal complaint against Canada at the World Trade Organization
(WTO) on Wednesday, accusing the country of distorting the global aerospace
industry with subsidies for plane maker Bombardier Inc.










U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WARNS AGAINST TEARING UP NAFTA TRADE DEAL




Trade agreements have been central to American politics for some years. The idea
that renegotiating trade agreements will “make America great again” by
substantially increasing job creation and economic growth swept Donald Trump
into office.










REVOKING TRADE DEALS WILL NOT HELP AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASSES




Trade agreements have been central to American politics for some years. The idea
that renegotiating trade agreements will “make America great again” by
substantially increasing job creation and economic growth swept Donald Trump
into office.










GLOBAL FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT FELL 13% IN 2016, BUT MODEST RECOVERY EXPECTED
IN 2017




“FDI recovery continues along a bumpy road. Particularly of concern is the sharp
drop-off in manufacturing investment projects, which play such an important role
in generating badly needed productivity improvements in developing economies,”
UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi said.










U.S. TAX PLAN WOULD BREAK WTO RULES, LAWYERS SAY, AS EU BUSINESS FRETS




A proposed U.S. corporate tax reform would almost certainly contravene
international trade rules if implemented, lawyers told Reuters, risking the
biggest dispute in the history of the World Trade Organization.










SENATORS: CAREFUL HOW WE RENEGOTIATE NAFTA




While renegotiations could strengthen and modernize NAFTA, any effort to impose
new restrictions or barriers on our ability to trade with Mexico and Canada will
have serious consequences for Arizona, including massive job losses for workers
and dramatically higher costs for consumers.










TRUMP TRADE EXPERT RIPS GERMANY FOR ‘MANIPULATING’ EURO




In his first week in office, U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew the United
States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, thereby dealing a massive blow to
U.S. trade relations with allies and partners in Asia. For week two, Team Trump
has set its sights on wrecking U.S. trade with Europe.










TRUMP’S TRADE WAR MAY HAVE ALREADY BEGUN




America’s traditional allies are on the lookout for new friends. They have heard
the mantra “America First” from the new president, divining a Trump doctrine:
global cooperation last. Europeans have taken note of Mr. Trump’s denigration of
the European Union and his apparent esteem for the Russian president, Vladimir
V. Putin. In Asia and Latin America, leaders have absorbed the deepening
possibility that Mr. Trump will deliver on threats to impose punitive tariffs on
Mexican and Chinese imports, provoking a trade war that will damage economic
growth and eliminate jobs around the world.










A TRUMP TRADE AGENDA




Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton ran against trade in the 2016 presidential
election. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), in particular, became the symbol
of all of globalization’s ills. But, like President Obama, President Trump will
soon discover that trade is an opportunity to favorably define a presidency.










TRUMP TO SEEK QUICK PROGRESS WITH JAPAN’S ABE ON REPLACEMENT TRADE DEAL




President Donald Trump will seek quick progress toward a bilateral trade
agreement with Japan in place of a broader Asia-Pacific deal he abandoned this
week, when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the White House next month,
an official in the Trump administration said on Thursday.










WAYS & MEANS CHAIR BRADY DEFENDS BORDER ADJUSTABILITY AS WTO-COMPLIANT




House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) defended the House
GOP’s tax blueprint — particularly its border adjustability provision — by
saying he is “very confident” the bill would withstand World Trade Organization
challenges if it became law, though he expects other countries to criticize the
move nonetheless.”










CHINA TO INCLUDE AUTOS, NEW ENERGY, GRAPHENE INTO OVERCAPACITY CUTS




More industries are likely to be included in China’s drive to cut excess
capacity, which so far has focused on steel and coal, a report said Monday, as
President Xi Jinping vowed to “reduce low-end and inefficient supply.”










IT’S OFFICIAL: TRIPS HEALTH AMENDMENT IN EFFECT, FIRST EVER TO A WTO AGREEMENT




More than a decade after World Trade Organization member states approved the
first-ever legal amendment to a WTO agreement, the change to the international
intellectual property agreement has entered into effect. Five more members
ratified the amendment in recent days, bringing supporters over the minimum
needed to put into effect for the amendment aimed at boosting exports of medical
products made under compulsory licence.










CHINA IN POLE POSITION TO SHAPE REGIONAL TRADE AGREEMENTS AFTER TRUMP QUITS TPP




China is in a strong position to set the agenda for trade in the region after US
President Donald Trump officially abandoned the Trans-Pacific Partnership,
leaving its other 11 members searching for an alternative deal.










WILL HOUSE REPUBLICANS’ “BORDER ADJUSTABLE” TAX PLAN CAUSE A TRADE WAR?
(SPOILER: MAYBE NOT!)




Perhaps the highest legislative priority for House Republicans in the 115th
Session of Congress is an overhaul of the United States’ antiquated and onerous
corporate tax code.










TPP WITHDRAWAL TRUMP’S FIRST EXECUTIVE ACTION MONDAY, SOURCES SAY




President Donald Trump on Monday will start to unravel the behemoth trade deal
he inherited from his predecessor, as two sources familiar with the matter told
CNN he plans to sign an executive order to withdraw from the negotiating process
of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.










U.S. FILES TRADE CHALLENGE AGAINST CANADA OVER WINE




The Obama administration on Wednesday launched a trade challenge against
Canada’s treatment of U.S. wines, arguing the rules in place undermine fair
competition.










DALIO SAYS MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS ARE THREATENED BY POPULISM




Ray Dalio, the billionaire founder of hedge-fund giant Bridgewater Associates,
said the rise of populism threatens multinational corporations and is the
biggest force in the world today.










U.S. LAUNCHES WTO COMPLAINT OVER CHINESE ALUMINUM SUBSIDIES




The Obama administration on Thursday launched a new complaint against Chinese
aluminum subsidies at the World Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of
artificially expanding its global market share with cheap state-directed loans
and subsidized energy.










U.S. LAUNCHES WTO COMPLAINT OVER CHINESE ALUMINUM SUBSIDIES




The Obama administration on Thursday launched a new complaint against Chinese
aluminum subsidies at the World Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of
artificially expanding its global market share with cheap state-directed loans
and subsidized energy.










TRUMP’S NEXT SUPPLY CHAIN TARGET: BIG PHARMA




In a press conference today, Donald Trump launched an attack on the
pharmaceutical industry. He called for their manufacturing facilities to return
to US production.










WAYS AND MEANS REPUBLICANS READY TO GROW THE ECONOMY, HELP AMERICANS




In the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee—which has jurisdiction over taxes,
international trade, health care, several anti-poverty programs, Medicare, and
Social Security—our six Subcommittees are preparing ambitious agendas to grow
our economy and help Americans of all walks of life.










FIAT MAY HALT PRODUCTION IN MEXICO IF DONALD TRUMP RAISES TARIFFS




Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Monday that
if tariffs set in a Trump administration on vehicles made in Mexico and imported
to the United States are too high, the company may end Mexican production.










AS 2017 APPROACHES, EU PREPARES FOR BUSY YEAR ON TRADE AND INVESTMENT AGENDA




The coming year is expected to be a pivotal one for the 28-nation EU bloc, as it
embarks on the next chapter of the “Brexit” process and sees elections in
various large member states, while also working to advance its foreign trade and
investment agenda on multiple fronts.










U.S. CHALLENGES CHINA’S GRAIN IMPORT QUOTAS AT WTO




The United States on Thursday launched a challenge to China’s use of tariff-rate
quotas (TRQs) for rice, wheat and corn at the World Trade Organization, charging
that Beijing’s administration of the program breached its WTO commitments and
hurt U.S. farm exports.










BREXIT TRADE DEAL COULD TAKE 10 YEARS, SAYS UK’S AMBASSADOR




A post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal might take 10 years to finalise and still fail,
the UK’s top diplomat in Brussels has privately told the government.










EUROPEAN COMPANIES WITH CHINESE SUPPLY-CHAINS BRACE FOR NEW ANTI-DUMPING
FRAMEWORK




An approaching World Trade Organization deadline makes higher prices likelier
for European goods made with parts and materials imported from China.










WALLONIA PROPOSES NEW RULES FOR NEGOTIATING INTERNATIONAL TRADE DEALS




The Belgian region of Wallonia, which gained worldwide notoriety by keeping the
CETA agreement and an EU-Canada summit hostage for several days, unveiled the
Namur Declaration on Monday (5 December), proposing a new way to negotiate
international trade treaties.










KEY GOP LAWMAKERS NONCOMMITTAL ON TRUMP’S 35 PERCENT TARIFF THREAT FOR U.S.
COMPANIES




Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and his counterpart in the
House, Ways & Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), have so far declined
to support or oppose President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to punish U.S.
companies with a 35 percent tariff for moving operations abroad.










MOST US MANUFACTURING JOBS LOST TO TECHNOLOGY, NOT TRADE




The US did indeed lose about 5.6m manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2010. But
according to a study by the Center for Business and Economic Research at Ball
State University, 85 per cent of these jobs losses are actually attributable to
technological change — largely automation — rather than international trade.










EGA MINISTERS FAIL TO REACH ANTICIPATED DEAL FOLLOWING NEGOTIATIONS




Ministers of countries negotiating an Environmental Goods Agreement were unable
to bridge divides and strike a deal in Geneva following what was supposed to be
the final round of negotiations and a concluding ministers meeting on the
plurilateral initiative.










LAWMAKERS IN EU, CANADA BEGIN CONSIDERATION OF CETA TRADE DEAL




The next stage in the approval process for the EU-Canada trade pact is now
getting underway, officials say, with parliamentary committees in Europe
preparing to vote on the accord in the coming weeks. On the other side of the
Atlantic, the deal has already been tabled in the Canadian parliament for
legislative consideration.










PETERSON INSTITUTE PRESIDENT: ‘I DON’T THINK THE TPP WILL DIE’




Adam Posen, the president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics,
thinks the Trump administration ultimately will remain part of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership if Japan and other TPP countries make a strong case for the deal. “I
don’t think the TPP will die,” Posen told a Japanese newspaper .










IS THIS HOW WE’LL MAKE THINGS IN 2030?




Manufacturing and production systems will be completely transformed by the
Fourth Industrial Revolution – a period characterized by a fusion of
technologies that is blurring the lines between the physical, digital, and
biological spheres.










WTO PANEL FINDS ONE WASHINGTON STATE TAX BREAK FOR BOEING VIOLATES RULES




A World Trade Organization dispute settlement panel on Nov. 28 issued a report
finding that one of the seven Washington State tax incentives given to Boeing
challenged by the European Union constitutes a prohibited subsidy contingent on
the use of domestic over foreign goods.









IN TEXAS, BUSINESS OWNERS HOPE DONALD TRUMP’S NAFTA RHETORIC IS JUST TALK




“How are you going to go in and end a trade agreement that has been in place for
more than 20 years where the economy of North Texas is so intertwined with the
economies of Canada and Mexico?”









JAPAN TO FORM $900M INVESTMENT FUND WITH RUSSIA



Japanese and Russian state-backed lenders will create a fund to jointly invest
in Moscow’s priority development projects, part of efforts to promote better
business and diplomatic ties.









APEC LEADERS VOW TO FIGHT PROTECTIONISM, LOOK TO CHINA ON TRADE



Pacific Rim leaders vowed on Sunday to fight protectionism and Chinese officials
said more countries are looking to join a China-led trading bloc after Donald
Trump’s election victory raised fears the United States would scrap free trade
deals.









INSIDE DONALD TRUMP’S ECONOMIC TEAM, TWO VERY DIFFERENT VIEWS



Mr. Trump captured the presidency with a small coterie of advisers whose public
views diverge sharply on several fronts, most vividly on trade policy, which the
president-elect made a centerpiece of his campaign.









CANADA, MEXICO LEADERS TO DISCUSS NAFTA STRATEGY THIS WEEKEND: SOURCE



The leaders of Mexico and Canada will hold talks this weekend on the potential
impact that a Donald Trump presidency could have on the NAFTA trade pact, a
source close to the matter said on Thursday.









FINANCE COMMITTEE REPUBLICANS STRESS NEED TO WORK WITH TRUMP ON TRADE, TPP



Just over week after the election of Donald Trump effectively eliminated the
chances for a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership this year, Republican
members of the Senate Finance Committee said they see a path forward in working
with the president-elect on trade policy — including the possibility of making
changes to TPP.









PACIFIC RIM LEADERS EYE CHINA LEAD ON TRADE AFTER TRUMP WIN




Leaders of Pacific rim nations gathered in Peru on Friday, looking to China to
salvage hopes for regional trade as prospects of a Donald Trump presidency in
the United States sounded a possible death knell for the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) free trade pact.









STEVE MNUCHIN AND WILBUR ROSS SHORTLISTED FOR TOP ECONOMIC ROLES



Trump signals he plans to pursue pro-growth and business friendly economic
policy.









U.S. IMPORT PRICES FIRMING



Prices for foreign goods shipped to the U.S. rose in October, a sign of firming
inflation driven by higher fuel costs. The import-price index, measuring the
cost of goods ranging from Canadian oil to Chinese electronics, rose 0.5% from a
month earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday. Economists surveyed by The
Wall Street Journal expected prices to rise 0.3%.









OBAMA ADVISERS ‘CLEAR-EYED’ ABOUT TPP’S FATE IN THE LAME-DUCK



Ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum leaders’ summit, Obama
administration officials this week said they are “clear-eyed” about the
prospects of a lame-duck vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, citing
statements from leaders on Capitol Hill who have ruled out that possibility.









DONALD TRUMP’S NAFTA PLAN WOULD CONFRONT GLOBALIZED AUTO INDUSTRY



The tens of thousands of parts that make up any vehicle often come from multiple
producers in different countries and travel back and forth across borders
several times. This is a tenet of modern manufacturing: Where a product is
ultimately assembled increasingly has little bearing on where its component
parts are made.









EXPERTS WEIGH IN: WHAT THIS ELECTION MEANS FOR U.S. FOREIGN POLICY AND NEXT
STEPS



e U.S. election season was watched with great interest around the world, and
with good reason—with the office of the presidency comes great power in the
domain of international affairs. We asked Brookings foreign policy experts what
this election means for U.S. foreign policy (both in general and for a
particular region or issue they work on), as well as what key recommendation
they’d make to the incoming president.









JAPAN DEFIES TRUMP, APPROVES TPP TRADE PACT



Japan’s lower house of parliament has passed the contentious Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) free trade deal, a move largely viewed as an empty gesture
because the US president-elect flatly rejects it.









US ELECTION: WORLD PREPARES FOR NEW ERA FOLLOWING SURPRISE TRUMP WIN



Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States, winning the
Electoral College vote in the world’s largest economy. The outcome – which has
surprised pollsters, policy analysts, and even campaign officials themselves –
has shaken global markets, as both the US and the international community begin
to react to new leadership in Washington that promises to break with decades of
previous policies.









REPUBLICANS MAINTAIN SENATE MAJORITY, KEEP CONTROL OF FINANCE COMMITTEE



The Republican party has maintained its edge in the Senate, according to the
AP’s tally, allowing the GOP to keep control of the Finance Committee.









U.S. BUSINESSES BRACE FOR UNCERTAINTY



Donald Trump’s surprise victory leaves large U.S. businesses bracing for
revamped trade pacts and a potential crackdown on overseas operations, but the
promise of lower corporate tax rates at home.









EUROPEAN CARMAKERS FEAR TRUMP FALLOUT ON TRADE, IRAN



Germany’s mighty automakers wasted little time on Wednesday in voicing concern
that Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president may damage trade, and with it
their business…Trump’s surprise victory will rattle groups including BMW that
have invested heavily in Mexican production to serve the U.S. market – as well
as posing a potential threat to investments by Renault and PSA in Iran.









NEW GLOBAL TRADE ALERT SYSTEM LAUNCHED TO BOOST MARKET ACCESS FOR DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES



A new online alert system designed to help government agencies and small and
medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) keep track of the latest information on
regulatory requirements for international trade was launched today (8 November)
by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), the
World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).









THE LAST, BEST HOPE FOR A GOOD TRADE DEAL



But the best chance for the TPP would be action under Obama, since he is openly
for it. If, as seems likely, the Trans-Pacific Partnership doesn’t pass in the
next few weeks, it will represent the triumph of a vocal minority over the
national interest.









UK EAGER TO HAVE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT WITH INDIA: NIRMALA



The UK is “eager” to have a free trade agreement (FTA) with India as the pact is
expected to further boost economic ties between the two. “Yes, they are eager to
have an FTA. They certainly look at India as one of the potential FTA partners.
We are also happy to engage with them,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman told reporters here.









BREXIT EU-UK TRADE NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE ‘VERY TOUGH’: WTO CHIEF



Trade deals between the U.K. and European Union (EU) post-Brexit are likely to
be “tough”, the head of the World Trade Organization (WTO) told CNBC.









CHINA AND RUSSIA AIM TO INCREASE TRADE TURNOVER TO $200 BILLION BY 2020



Chinese premier Li Keqiang capped his tour through the One Belt, One Road’s
hinterland with a stop in St. Petersburg, Russia to meet with his Russian
counterpart Dmitry Medvedev. The 21st regular meeting of the Russian and Chinese
heads of government came with the usual raft of agreements and memorandums.









IS CHINA READY TO MAKE THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD TO SET GLOBAL TRADE RULES?



In the 15 years since joining the World Trade Organisation, China has leaped
from six to two in the world’s economic rankings and become the globe’s biggest
trading nation. Now China is seeking to match that economic might with a greater
say over the rules underpinning the trading system, challenging the dominance of
the United States and Europe.









HOW AFRICANS VIEW CHINESE INVESTMENT



Strategic collaboration with Africa has become a priority in the global North,
East, and West. Powers that once saw the African continent primarily as a source
of raw materials now focus on “partnership” and “development,” following the
lead of the U.S. African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) in highlighting
mutual benefits of investment and trade.









CHINA FIRMS EYE ‘MADE IN VIETNAM’ WINDFALL – IF OBAMA’S TPP SURVIVES



Even as doubts linger over the future of U.S. President Barack Obama’s TPP once
he leaves office, early moves by China Inc to leverage off Vietnam’s lower
factory wages – about a third that of China’s – show a re-centering of the
world’s factory activity.









INDIA IS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR BRITAIN AS IT LEAVES THE EUROPEAN UNION



Relationships between nations are meant to be reinvented from time to time, as
Theresa May clearly hopes to do during her visit to India this week. And history
has its own way of giving opportunities to do that. As Brexit moves through its
paces, one such opportunity beckons India and the UK, two nations bound by
shared history going back centuries.









SMART REFORMS COULD IMPROVE SRI LANKA’S EXPORTS: WORLD BANK



“Sri Lanka’s leading firms have risen to standards of global excellence,
demonstrating that world class levels of operational performance, efficiency,
and innovation can be achieved with the right management, technology and worker
training,” said Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough, World Bank Country Director for Sri
Lanka and the Maldives.









IN INDIA WITH THERESA MAY



Today, the smog across Delhi is just a little bit lighter. Prime Minister
Theresa May arrived yesterday on her first international trade mission to hear,
and read, a devastating wave of frustration and hurt about how India views our
tight visa controls on students.









US TRADE OFFICIALS PREPARE FOR A POST-ELECTION LANDSCAPE ON TPP



“With less than one week remaining until US voters go to the polls, officials
both from the current Obama administration as well as from other Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) countries are ramping up their efforts to build support for
ratifying the 12-country pact.”










U.S. WINE, SPIRITS GROUPS CHARGE CANADIAN RESTRICTIONS VIOLATE TRADE OBLIGATIONS



“Two U.S. groups representing the wine and distilled spirits industries are
claiming measures instituted by Canadian provinces that give favorable treatment
to domestic wines and spirits run counter to Canada’s international trade
obligations.”










MORE PAIN AHEAD FOR OCEAN SHIPPING



“The overcapacity that has plagued ocean shipping firms in recent years will
only grow wider in the coming years, The Boston Consulting Group Inc. said in a
report.”










EU-MERCOSUR DEAL HITS FRESH SETBACK



“The President of South American trade bloc Mercosur’s parliament (Parlasur)
thinks that the EU’s current tabled offer is “unsatisfactory” and made it clear
that it shouldn’t be signed in its current form. EurActiv Spain reports.”










HOW U.S. ELECTION MAY IMPACT FACTORIES IN MEXICO



“The U.S. presidential election is still days away but the impact of the
campaign and its outsized focus on Mexico already are being felt in the market
for warehouses and factories in border towns like Juarez, Monterrey and
Saltillo.”










MAERSK CALLS A TENTATIVE BOTTOM TO CONTAINER SHIPPING WOES



“The world’s biggest container shipping line on Wednesday called a tentative
bottom to the woes afflicting the industry even as it reported its second
quarterly loss in a row.”










OBAMA MAKES A LONG-SHOT BID FOR TPP TRADE DEAL



“President Barack Obama is forging ahead with a long-shot bid to bring a
12-nation Pacific trade agreement to a vote in Congress immediately after an
election that has stirred deep antitrade sentiments in both parties.”










U.S. COMMODITY GROUPS CALL FOR ADDRESSING EU BIOTECH ISSUES IN TTIP TALKS




“The U.S. Grains Council and USA Rice are calling on U.S. negotiators to address
within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership the European Union’s
“asynchronous approval process” of biotechnology traits as well as the EU’s
low-level presence policy.”










7 WAYS INTERNATIONAL TRADE IS LIKE BASEBALL



“The sounds of baseball in October mean the postseason and the World Series.
Meanwhile, the sounds of international trade policy bashing can only mean an
election around the corner. Turns out we can learn a lot about international
trade policy from baseball. Let’s take a look at seven lessons.”









SOUTH KOREA THROWS ITS SHIPBUILDERS A $9.6 BILLION LIFELINE



“South Korea plans to spend $9.6 billion on ships from local yards to stave off
the collapse of its shipbuilding industry, the latest evidence of the wrenching
impact of a prolonged slump in global trade.”









U.S. BUSINESS GROUPS SET SIGHTS ON CUBA



“U.S. business officials are headed south this week to explore ways for American
companies to boost business in Cuba and to scope out opportunities for foreign
direct investment, setting up alongside companies from other nations at the
annual Havana International Trade Fair.









THE DOMESTIC BUSINESS CASE FOR TPP



“Ratification of the 12-nation trade deal would be an historic, against-the-odds
victory for President Obama. But the urgent need for action has less to do with
his legacy and more to do with economic and political realities.”.









JAPAN’S LARGEST SHIPPING FIRMS TO MERGE CONTAINER OPERATIONS



“Japan’s three largest shipping companies said Monday they would merge their
container shipping operations to create the world’s sixth-largest player in an
effort to cope with a global decline in the container business.”.









WTO AIRBUS RULING CONTAINS ‘SERIOUS’ LEGAL ERRORS, EU SAYS



“The European Union said the World Trade Organization committed several “serious
errors” when it found that EU member states failed to eliminate billions of
dollars of illegal subsidies for the European aircraft consortium, Airbus Group
SE.”.









UPS CEO SEEING GREATER COMMITMENT FROM OBAMA ADMINISTRATION ON TPP DEAL



“The top executive at United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N) said on Thursday he is
seeing a greater commitment from President Barack Obama’s administration on
getting the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal completed despite negative
election campaign rhetoric about free trade agreements.”.









ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS AGREEMENT NEGOTIATORS PREPARE FOR DECEMBER DEADLINE



“A group of 17 WTO members – counting the 28-nation EU as one – negotiating
tariff cuts on select environmental goods will engage in a busy schedule of
consultations over the coming weeks in a bid to secure a deal in time for a
ministerial meeting in early December.”.









WHAT THE CHINA TRADE WARRIORS GET WRONG



“After three intense presidential debates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump
managed to agree on at least one thing: The Trans-Pacific Partnership is bad for
America, in part because many trade deals have supposedly caused trade deficits.
Unfortunately, they’re both wrong.”.









EU-CANADA TRADE DEAL: BELGIANS BREAK CETA DEADLOCK



“Belgian political leaders have reached a consensus in support of the Ceta trade
deal between the EU and Canada, Prime Minister Charles Michel has said.”.









EU SETS BELGIUM AN ULTIMATUM ON CETA



“The European Union is giving Belgium until Monday evening to decide whether it
will agree to sign a trade deal with Canada after a Belgian region has
persistently refused to support the accord, Belgian and EU officials said.”.









SERVICES INDUSTRY WAITING ON ENFORCEMENT OF TPP DATA FIX FOR NON-TISA COUNTRIES



“With less than a month to go before lawmakers return to Capitol Hill for a
lame-duck session that could involve a vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership,
members of the services industry are waiting for the Obama administration to
present them with an enforceable solution to address a ban on data localization
for the financial services sector in TPP countries that are not part of the
Trade in Services Agreement.”.









MAJOR BANKS MARK FIRST-EVER INTERNATIONAL TRADE USING BLOCKCHAIN TECH



“The first cross-border transaction between banks using multiple blockchain
applications has taken place, Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Wells Fargo &
Co said on Monday, resulting in a shipment of cotton to China from the United
States.”.









THINK TANKS WEIGH IN ON WHERE THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE TRADE POLICY



“A diverse cross-section of think tanks has analyzed the potential trade
policies of the two presidential candidates, and in recent reports and blogs
offered detailed assessments — and some skepticism — about where the next
administration is likely to go on trade matters.”.









BRITAIN THWARTS EU HOPES OF TOUGHER TRADE STANCE ON CHINA



“The U.K. has raised the stakes in its first major fight with the EU’s biggest
countries since the Brexit referendum by rejecting pleas for tougher trade
defenses against China.”.









CHINESE GROUP MULLS $700 MILLION STEEL INVESTMENT IN PHILIPPINES



“China’s Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co. agreed to consider setting up a stainless
steel plant in the Philippines that could cost as much as $700 million, as part
of a wider push to boost trade and economic ties between the two countries.”.









AS EU-CANADA SUMMIT APPROACHES, PRESSURE GROWS TO REACH CETA CONSENSUS



“The European Council is due to begin a two-day leaders’ meeting on Thursday,
where they are expected to confirm whether they are in a position to sign a
negotiated trade deal with Canada. The gathering is being pegged as a pivotal
moment for the future credibility of the EU’s foreign trade policy and watched
as a litmus test for global economic integration more broadly.”.









CHINA SCORES WTO VICTORIES AGAINST SOME U.S. ANTI-DUMPING METHODS



“China won the bulk of a World Trade Organization complaint against certain U.S.
methods of determining anti-dumping duties on Chinese products in a WTO dispute
panel ruling released on Wednesday.”.









USTR FROMAN CALLS FOR “PRAGMATIC MULTILATERALISM” IN CHARTING WTO COURSE



“US Trade Representative Michael Froman issued a call for fellow WTO members to
follow a growing trend of “pragmatic multilateralism,” particularly as they work
to chart a path toward the organisation’s next ministerial conference in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, and beyond.”.









AUTO POWERHOUSE SLOVAKIA EYES POST-BREXIT UK CAR INDUSTRY



“Car industry giant Slovakia is showcasing itself as a global centre for auto
assembly during its EU presidency amidst warnings by foreign car firms they may
leave the UK in the event of a hard Brexit.”.









RISE IN GLOBAL TRADE THE TONIC THE WORLD ECONOMY NEEDS: REUTERS POLL



“The world economy needs international trade to pick up, according to Reuters
polls of hundreds of economists who see no end yet to the aggressive monetary
stimulus through which central banks have tried to prop up inflation.”.









BELGIAN REGION OF WALLONIA BLOCKS EU-CANADA TRADE DEAL



“Lawmakers in the small Belgian region of Wallonia today (14 October) voted to
block an EU-Canada trade deal in a move set to have serious implications for
future trade talks with the US and a non-EU UK.”.









ITC NOW ACCEPTING MISCELLANEOUS TARIFF BILL PETITIONS



“The International Trade Commission has opened up its miscellaneous tariff
petition process for companies and members of the public who feel they qualify
for duty suspensions or reductions on certain products.”.









JAPAN MAKES EARLY PUSH IN ASIA TO RATIFY TPP TRADE DEAL



“The Japanese parliament began debating the Trans-Pacific Partnership, hoping to
boost its chances in the U.S. after the presidential election, although some see
the strategy backfiring.”.









EU APPEALS AGAINST WTO RULING IN DISPUTE OVER AIRBUS SUBSIDIES



“The European Union launched an appeal on Thursday against a World Trade
Organization (WTO) panel finding last month that it had failed to rein in
billions of dollars of subsidies to planemaker Airbus.”.









WORLD BANK-IMF ANNUAL MEETINGS CALL FOR TACKLING INEQUALITY, SUPPORTING TRADE



“The Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund
(IMF) drew to a close on Sunday, following a weekend of intense discussions on
how to tackle the challenge of inequality and address a growing distrust in many
countries of globalisation, particularly in a context of persistently slow
growth.”.









HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE WILL KILL SOME JOBS BUT CREATE OTHERS



“The Obama administration may be headed for the exits, but it continues to focus
on the impact of artificial intelligence on the economy and the nation at
large.”.









EU LOSS IN BIODIESEL WTO APPEAL SHARPLY LIMITS RESPONSES TO CHINA NME EXPIRATION




“The European Commission’s toolbox to maintain significant AD duties on Beijing
after key provisions of its World Trade Organization Accession Protocol expire
in just under two months has been greatly diminished due to a final legal defeat
at the World Trade Organization in a dispute over the legality of using
third-country data to establish AD duties, expert sources told Inside U.S.
Trade.”.









CHINA TRADE: ANOTHER WEAK SIGNAL FOR GLOBAL ECONOMY




“Chinese trade data for September was surprisingly dour. Exports contracted 10%
from a year earlier. Imports of things like coal, iron ore and oil didn’t fall
in volume terms, which should provide some solace to commodities bulls.”.









TTIP NEGOTIATORS CONCLUDE FIFTEENTH ROUND, PLEDGE TO PUSH FORWARD




“Negotiators for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP)
concluded their fifteenth round last week, touting advances and pledging to make
additional progress in the coming months, even as the talks’ long-term future
remains unclear.”.









DIGITAL PRINTING FUELS SPEED TO MARKET



“Fast is the new black in fashion today and many brands are turning to digital
printing to help them respond to an increasingly want-now market.”.









WHY TPP MATTERS FOR THE U.S. SERVICES SECTOR



“Trade agreements, like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), would significantly
benefit the largest and fastest growing sector in the U.S. economy. Services
account for 78 percent of total U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and 82 percent
of the American workforce.”.









WTO MEMBERS DEBATE NEW PROPOSALS TO EASE GLOBAL FLOW OF SERVICES



“WTO members welcomed efforts to reinvigorate services negotiations at a meeting
of the Working Party on Domestic Regulation on 6 October 2016. Under discussion
were two new proposals — on a trade facilitation agreement for services and on
new disciplines for measures relating to the licensing and qualification of
services suppliers.”.










EUROPEAN COMMISSION PARALYSED OVER DATA FLOWS IN TISA TRADE DEAL



“European Commission officials have struck a deal that could put a clause
guaranteeing international data flows into a trade agreement with 22 countries
outside the bloc, including the United States and Australia. But the Commission
is in deadlock over whether to cave to pressure from the US despite criticism
that salvaging the pact on services could undermine EU privacy law.”.










OCTOBER SURPRISE? AMERICANS SUPPORT A US ENGAGED WITH WORLD, SURVEY FINDS.



“Despite the isolationist notes in the presidential election, Americans prefer
to remain engaged with the world, a new survey says.”.









IMF WARNS U.S. RATE HIKE COULD DISRUPT ASIAN CAPITAL FLOWS



“A disorderly reaction to possible U.S. interest rate hikes could disrupt
capital flows and heighten asset price volatility in Asia, the International
Monetary Fund said on Thursday.”.









FORGET BRUSSELS, BREXIT’S TOUGHEST BATTLEGROUND IS THE WTO



“Negotiating Brexit with 27 occasionally hostile EU states will turn out to be
the easy task for the U.K.”.









LEW: TPP CAN GET DONE IN THE LAME-DUCK SESSION



“Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Thursday expressed confidence that Congress will
pass President Obama’s signature trade agreement after the November elections.”.









FREE TRADE AGREEMENTS HAVE BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA



“Is our large trade imbalance a result of too many free trade agreements (FTA’s)
or a result of not having enough of them? FTA’s, by definition, help level the
playing field. When FTA’s are not in place countries often tilt that field
against US producers through tariffs and non-tariff barriers to trade.”.









BRAZIL, ARGENTINA CLASH WITH VENEZUELA OVER MERCOSUR MEMBERSHIP



“The Presidents of Brazil and Argentina have expressed their concern over the
deteriorating political and economic situation in Venezuela. Both governments
have renewed their warning that they intend to withdraw the country’s active
membership of the regional trading bloc Mercosur.”.









CHINA, GEORGIA SIGN PRELIMINARY TRADE PACT



“China and Georgia on Wednesday signed a preliminary free trade agreement that
is expected to take effect from the end of 2017.”.









THE ULTIMATE DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY 3D PRINTING WILL NOT ONLY CHANGE THE WAY WE
TRADE; IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE LIVE



“3D printing and the disaggregation and diffusion of product design and
manufacturing – which will touch all tangible items – will massively disrupt
existing economic models and render much of today’s national trade and health
and safety regulation anachronistic and ineffective.”.









TPP FAILURE WILL BE US’S LOSS, CHINA’S GAIN, EXIM BANK BOSS SAYS



“”We really can’t afford to sit on the sidelines and lose out,” Hochberg said on
the sidelines of the India Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum in New
Delhi. “If we don’t do TPP, China is ready to engage with them.””.









CHINA’S FOREIGN TRADE STILL FACES BIG DOWNWARD PRESSURE: XINHUA



“China’s foreign trade still faces big downward pressure despite some
improvement in August, Xinhua news agency reported on Tuesday, citing Shen
Danyang, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce.









NAFTA COMES UNDER FIRE IN CAMPAIGN, BUT SCRAPPING TRADE DEAL WOULD COME AT
SIGNIFICANT COSTS



“The view among mainstream economists is that NAFTA has raised incomes in the
U.S. while costing it thousands of manufacturing jobs. Whether you view the
agreement as a plus or a minus, the reality is that the U.S., Canada and Mexico
are now a single integrated economy.”









SOUTH ASIA CONSOLIDATES TOP GROWTH SPOT, NEEDS TO IGNITE PRIVATE INVESTMENT TO
STAY ON TRACK



” South Asia has defied a sluggish world economy and solidified its lead as the
fastest growing region in the world in 2016, a new World Bank report said today.
Led by solid performance in India, economic growth is expected to gradually
accelerate from 7.1 percent in 2016 to 7.3 percent in 2017.”









AUSTRIA’S CHANCELLOR SEES CETA NEGOTIATIONS ON RIGHT TRACK



“Austria’s government yesterday (3 October) seemed to have found common ground
on a free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada with Chancellor
Christian Kern, who has criticised the pact in the past, saying negotiations
were on the right track.”









IMF LOWERS U.S. ECONOMIC FORECAST, WARNS OF RISKS OF ANTI-TRADE POLICIES



“The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday downgraded its forecast for the U.S.
economy and warned that “persistent stagnation” here and abroad could add more
fuel to a populist backlash against trade and immigration that would further
stifle growth.”









HIGHLIGHTS: BRITISH PM MAY ON BREXIT, ARTICLE 50 AND TRADE



“The referendum result was clear. It was legitimate. It was the biggest vote for
change this country has ever known. Brexit means Brexit – and we’re going to
make a success of it” Prime Minister Theresa May said Sunday.









ZIMBABWE: CHINESE INVESTORS TO PARTNER SMES



Chinese investors are raring to partner with local small business enterprises to
develop this country, SMEs representatives who recently attended the 20th China
International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) have said. The 10 delegates
last week briefed Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Sithembiso Nyoni on
their trip to CIFIT which ran from September 8-11.









WTO FORUM WINDS DOWN WITH E-COMMERCE IN SPOTLIGHT



The World Trade Organization’s annual public forum will wrap up today after
three days of panel discussions and question-and-answer sessions focused,
broadly, on inclusive trade — with a significant number of those centering on
electronic commerce.









EU AND US TRADE NEGOTIATORS SEEK TO GET TTIP TALKS BACK ON TRACK



Trade negotiators will meet in New York next week to search for common ground on
the controversial EU-US trade deal, which has been buffeted by strong opposition
on both sides of the Atlantic.









IF TPP FAILS, CHINA TAKES ADVANTAGE



The administration of US President Barack Obama is moving into its final three
months in office and the trajectory of one of its signature foreign policy
initiatives – the US “rebalance” to the Asia-Pacific – remains unclear.









EU AT RISK OF BILLIONS IN SANCTIONS OVER FAILURE TO END JET AID



The European Union failed to eliminate subsidies to planemaker Airbus Group SE
that were previously found to violate trade rules, the World Trade Organization
said in a ruling that opens the door to billions of dollars in sanctions against
Brussels.









CHAIRMAN LEVIN APPLAUDS WTO FINDINGS ON ILLEGAL SUBSIDIES TO AIRBUS



Click here to read Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin’s (D-MI)
statement applauding the World Trade Organization’s panel report that found
Airbus received illegal subsidies from the European Union









WTO EXPECTED TO RULE AGAINST EU ON AIRBUS SUBSIDIES



LONDON—The World Trade Organization is expected to rule Thursday that the
European Union failed to adequately eliminate illegal subsidies to plane maker
Airbus Group SE, according to people familiar with the finding.









WHO HATES TRADE AGREEMENTS? SURPRISINGLY, NOT VOTERS.



WASHINGTON — Few issues in this campaign cycle seem as toxic as trade: Both
major-party presidential candidates oppose President Obama’s 12-nation
Trans-Pacific Partnership, and congressional leaders, having refused all year to
vote on the trade accord until after the election, suggest they will not do so
even then — potentially killing the largest regional trade pact in history.
So that must mean voters are overwhelmingly opposed, right? Wrong.









PERU PRESIDENT CALLS TPP’S EXCLUSION OF CHINA ‘WORRISOME’



Peru’s new president said Monday it was “worrisome” that China is not part of
the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership but his government would seek
ratification for U.S. President Barack Obama’s signature trade deal.









ABE DEFENDS MONETARY POLICY AHEAD OF BOJ, PUSHES FOR TPP TRADE PACT



On the eve of a key Bank of Japan meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe
defended his country’s economic initiatives and aggressive monetary policy
before a group of investors and executives in New York.









GERMANY’S GABRIEL GETS GREEN LIGHT TO SUPPORT EU-CANADA TRADE DEAL



Germany appeared set on Monday to back an ambitious trade accord between the
European Union and Canada after the leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), junior
partner in the ruling coalition, overcame left-wing resistance to the deal
within his party.









PROTESTS IN GERMANY AGAINST TRANSATLANTIC TTIP AND CETA TRADE DEALS



The EU and the US began negotiating the trade deal in 2013, aiming to create the
world’s biggest free trade market with 850 million consumers.
A new round of talks is due to start in October, and President Obama says he
wants the deal to be concluded before he leaves office in January.









VIETNAM DELAYS TPP RATIFICATION IN CRUCIAL BLOW TO OBAMA’S AMBITIONS



Vietnam’s government has opted to delay the ratification of the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP), in an unexpected blow to U.S. President Barack Obama’s final
uphill push for the trade deal’s approval. A government official told Reuters on
Friday that Hanoi would not include ratifying the TPP on the agenda for its next
parliament session, which begins on October 20. That means that the earliest the
Vietnamese National Assembly could approve the trade pact is now early 2017.









MALCOLM TURNBULL URGES US CONGRESS TO RATIFY TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP



The Australian prime minister’s comments to travelling reporters in New York
come as President Barack Obama is making what is being characterised in the US
as last-ditch efforts to persuade Congress to support the controversial deal.
The presidential hopefuls Donald Drumpf and Hillary Clinton oppose it.









OBAMA MAKES LAST-DITCH PUSH FOR VOTE ON TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP TRADE DEAL



A business-led advisory committee known as the President’s Export Council is
expected Wednesday to call on Congress to pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership
agreement in the “lame duck” session at the end of the year.









CHINA CUTTING DUTIES ON IT PRODUCTS FOR WTO MOST FAVORED NATIONS



China will cut import tariffs for over 200 information technology products for
the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) most favored nations from September 15, the
Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday.









A PLEA FOR SCIENCE-BASED STANDARDS IN TTIP



The EU’s preference for the “precautionary principle” over science-based
decision-making is a barrier to transatlantic trade in the meat industry. TTIP
and regulatory convergence would benefit both EU and US farmers, argues Barry
Carpenter.









TPP STILL HAS A CHANCE DESPITE VENOM FROM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, JACK LEW SAYS



The Trans-Pacific Partnership has obvious benefits despite the beating it has
taken on the campaign trail, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said Tuesday. “The TPP
on its face should be a clear plus. And we’re going to continue making that
case,” Lew said at the 2016 Delivering Alpha conference.









BAYER AND MONSANTO TO MERGE IN MEGA-DEAL THAT COULD RESHAPE WORLD’S FOOD SUPPLY



Bayer first made a $62 billion offer for Monsanto in May and has increased its
bid over months of negotiations. The all-cash deal is valued at about $128 a
share, making it the weightiest all-cash buyout in history, beating the $60
billion deal between brewers Anheuser-Busch and InBev in 2008.









U.S. CHALLENGES CHINA GRAIN SUBSIDIES AT WTO



The Obama administration filed a challenge against China Tuesday at the World
Trade Organization, accusing Beijing of breaking trade rules on its price
supports for domestic production of rice, wheat and corn.
The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said China’s “market price support” for
the grains is nearly $100 billion above the WTO limits, and amounts to an
artificial incentive for Chinese farmers to increase output. It’s the 14th
complaint brought against China by the Obama administration at the WTO.









US IN FINAL DRIVE TO SECURE EUROPE TRADE DEAL



The Obama administration is launching a final push to salvage negotiations on a
trans-Atlantic free trade zone before it leaves office — despite growing
political opposition in Europe.









U.S. TRADE PANEL AFFIRMS HOT-ROLLED STEEL DUTIES ON SEVEN COUNTRIES



The U.S. International Trade Commission handed another victory to American
steelmakers on Monday, affirming most of the recent anti-dumping and
anti-subsidy duties on hot-rolled flat steel imports from Australia, Brazil,
Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and Turkey.









GROWING ROLE OF SMES IN ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY




The contribution of SMEs to economic growth, employment and development in the
region plays an important part in achieving equitable economic development and
regional economic integration.







BRAZIL SET TO LAUNCH TRADE CASE AGAINST THE U.S. OVER STEEL



Brazil will most likely launch a new trade dispute against the United States at
the World Trade Organization over its decision to raise duties on some Brazilian
steel imports, Trade Minister Marcos Pereira told Reuters.









CARGO FROM BANKRUPT HANJIN SHIP MOVING IN U.S., NEW FUNDS PLEDGED



A portion of the $14 billion in cargo trapped at sea by the bankruptcy of Hajin
Shipping Co Ltd (117930.KS) began moving out of a California port on Monday as
shareholders and executives of the South Korean firm pledged funds to help
resolve the turmoil created by its collapse.









THE US WILL HAVE ZERO CREDIBILITY IN ASIA IF TPP FAILS, EX-CIA OFFICIAL WARNS



The U.S. political impasse on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal is
a “brewing disaster” that could be a significant setback for U.S. engagement in
Asia, a China scholar said Friday.




UPCOMING TRADE EVENTS


JULY 18, 2018: “ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER”






PAST EVENTS


4/18/2018 TRADE COUNSELS AND THE ROLE OF CONGRESS IN FORMULATING U.S. TRADE
POLICY





On Wednesday, April 18th, WITA welcomed an expert panel to discuss the role of
Congress in regulating commerce with foreign nations.






4/13/2018 CAN THE WTO BE SAVED FROM ITSELF?





On Friday, April 13th, WITA hosted an expert discussion of U.S. concerns with
the dispute settlement process at the WTO, and what can be done to update the
system to address those concerns.




3/15/2018 BREXIT: STATUS AND OUTLOOK AT ONE YEAR





On Tuesday, March 15th, WITA welcomed an expert panel to discuss the political
and social issues at the heart of the Brexit negotiations as well as the
business interests in an amicable divorce.




3/13/2018 THE GREAT WALL: TRADE ENFORCEMENT IN THE AGE OF TRUMP





On Tuesday, March 13th, WITA welcomed an expert panel to discuss the recently
announced tariffs on aluminum and steel and what these measures may mean for
U.S. workers, firms, and consumers.




2/23/18 GOVERNORS & PREMIERS ON NAFTA: A VIEW FROM STATES AND PROVINCES





On Friday, February 23rd, WITA is honored to welcome the Governor of Colorado,
the Premiers of Quebec and Ontario, and the Governor of Querétaro, Mexico to
discuss what the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement means
to U.S and Mexican states and Canadian provinces.




2/15/2018 IMPLICATIONS OF TAX REFORM ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT





On Thursday, February 15th, WITA hosted a panel discussion by tax and economic
experts on the implications of the 2018 tax reform on the future of the
international trade and investment in the US.




2/5/18 CONVERSATION WITH AMBASSADOR JOE HOCKEY ON TRADE IN THE ASIA-PACIFIC
REGION AND WITA’S ANNUAL MEMBERS’ MEETING & RECEPTION





On Monday, February 5th, Australia’s Ambassador to the United States the Hon.
Joe Hockey and the Financial Times’ World Trade Editor, Shawn Donnan discussed
the future of trade in the Asia-Pacific.




1/24/18 WHAT’S HAPPENING TO TRADE AROUND THE WORLD?





On Wednesday, January 24th, WITA welcomed Ambassadors from Singapore,
Mozambique, the European Delegation to the United States, Chile, and the
Republic of Ghana, for a discussion on what is happening around the world of
trade outside the United States.




12/12/17 DISCUSSION OF AGRICULTURE, TRADE AND AMERICAN LEADERSHIP WITH AMB. MAX
BAUCUS, CHAIRMAN PAT ROBERTS, AND GRANT ALDONAS



On Tuesday, December 12th, WITA welcomed Amb. Max Baucus, Chairman Pat Roberts
and Grant Aldonas on a discussion of agriculture, trade, and american
leadership.




12/7/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: ENERGY AND THE NAFTA



On Thursday, December 7th, WITA analyzed NAFTA’s energy chapter and what energy
means for American, Canadian, and Mexican industries.




11/15/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: THE ART AND IMPACT OF WITHDRAWAL FROM THE NAFTA



On Wednesday, November 15th, WITA examined what may happen if the President
announces that he plans to withdraw America from its most significant free trade
agreement.




11/09/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: MANUFACTURING IN NORTH AMERICA



On Thursday, November 9th WITA examined what NAFTA means for U.S. and North
American manufacturing, and what the future will hold in a modernized NAFTA.




10/26/17 WITA “GATT@70” TRADE COMMUNITY RECEPTION



On October 26, 2017, WITA held a reception to celebrate the 70th anniversary of
the signing of the GATT. The event payed homage to the belief of the 23 nations
that signed the original GATT in October 1947




10/19/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: NORTH AMERICAN SUPPLY CHAINS



On Thursday, October 19th, WITA welcomed President and CEO of Union
Pacific, Lance Fritz to the Ronald Reagan Center for a discussion on North
American Supply Chains.




10/5/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: TRADE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT (CHAPTERS 19 & 20)



On October 5th, 2017, WITA continued its NAFTA series with an event focused on
Trade Dispute Settlement (Chapters 19 & 20). The event featured: Elaine Feldman,
Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, former Assistant Deputy Minister for North
America, and Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the World Trade
Organization. David Yocis, Picard, Kentz & Rowe, represents the US Lumber




10/4/17 THE AGRICULTURE TRADE AGENDA: A DISCUSSION WITH THE UNITED STATES
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE, SONNY PERDUE



On Wednesday, October 4, 2017 WITA hosted the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture,
Sonny Perdue, to discuss America’s agricultural trade agenda.




9/13/17 WITA NAFTA SERIES: WHAT’S IN STORE FOR FOOD & AGRICULTURE?



On Wednesday, August 13th, WITA held its second NAFTA Series Event on the future
of North American Food and Agriculture. The Event focused on what’s in store for
food and agriculture with the ongoing negotiations of NAFTA .




7/20/2017 WITA NAFTA SERIES- KICKOFF EVENT



On Thursday, July 20th,  WITA launched it’s signature NAFTA Series to examine
some of the more vexing issues that will face the three governments as they work
to update the 25 year-old trade agreement. Panelists discussed critical issues
for the negotiations including dispute settlement procedures, the interests of
organized labor, and what the American business and agriculture communities hope
to see in an updated agreement.




2017 ANNUAL DINNER RECAP



On Wednesday, July 12, 2017 the Washington International Trade Association
(WITA) and Washington International Trade Foundation (WITF) hosted their 23nd
Annual Awards Dinner (#TradeProm) at the Ronald Reagan Building and
International Trade Center. Honorees included Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ),
Congressman Rick Larsen (D-WA), and Meredith Broadbent, former Chairwoman of the
United States International Trade Commission (USITC).




WITA’S NEXTGENTRADE™: THE FUTURE OF US-BRAZIL TRADE RELATIONS



On Thursday, June 22nd, WITA held a NextGenTrade™ Event on the Future of
US-Brazil Trade Relations. The Event focused on the future of US-Brazil trade
relations and examined the US-Brazil trade relationship and opportunities for
the future.




WITA’S NEXTGENTRADE™: IS BLOCKCHAIN THE FUTURE FOR TRADE?



On June 15th, 2017 the Washington International Trade Association held an event:
Is Blockchain the Future for Trade?. At this event WITA’s speakers explored the
future of trade through the lens of the business and work in the 21st Century.




INTENSIVE TRADE SEMINAR: SPRING SESSION



On Wednesday, May 3rd, WITA held the second event in its NextGenTrade™ signature
series on the Future of Trade and Global Value Chains. Discussants examined how
trade policy should be adapted to anticipate the future of global value chains
and supply chains.




GLOBAL VALUE CHAINS AND THE TRADE POLICY OF THE FUTURE



On Wednesday, May 3rd, WITA held the second event in its NextGenTrade™ signature
series on the Future of Trade and Global Value Chains. Discussants examined how
trade policy should be adapted to anticipate the future of global value chains
and supply chains.




THE FUTURE OF TRADE, BUSINESS, WORK AND POLITICS IN A 5G WORLD



On Friday, April 28th WITA hosted the first event on its NextGenTrade’s ™
signature series on Global Value Chains looking at five mega trends that are
shaping the future of trade, business, work and politics.




DO TRADE DEFICITS MATTER?



On March 31st, the same day that President Trump is issuing his Executive Orders
on trade enforcement and trade deficits, WITA hosted an event that looked at the
significance of trade deficits to our overall economy. A panel of experts
debated whether bilateral trade deficits are a measure of an effective trade
policy and if they should they drive a renegotiation of existing trade
agreements.




THE TRADE LAW TOOLBOX



On March 23rd, WITA hosted an event that examined the various enforcement
provisions in U.S. trade laws that could be used by the new administration. A
panel of experts discussed how this agenda may unfold over the next four years
and analyzed the impact it might have on U.S. jobs, American consumers, and the
global trading system.




THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF US-CHINA TRADE



The US and China have been trading with each other for over 200 years. On
Thursday, February 17, WITA examined the past, present, and future direction of
US-China trade relations.




NAFTA 2.0?



On Thursday, February 9, before a standing-room only crowd, WITA examined what
revisiting the 23-year old agreement might look like. Experts discussed the
legal and political implications of renegotiating NAFTA, and and did a deep dive
into several critical industries and what changes to the Agreement might mean
for their sectors.




BORDER ADJUSTMENT TAXES, TAX REFORM AND TRADE



WITA held a signature event looking at the Brady-Ryan tax reform blueprint, and
their proposal to tax imports from around the world. The event
featured two expert panels, one examined the Brady-Ryan plan in the context of
existing US
and global tax regimes, and the second heard from industry supporters and
opponents of the
proposal.




WHAT’S NEXT FOR TRADE IN A TIME OF CHANGE



On Thursday, December 15, WITA took a tour of the global trade and investment
landscape at an event moderated by Steve Lamar, Executive Vice President of
American Apparel & Footwear Association and WITA Board President.




ARMCHAIR & PANEL DISCUSSION ON TPP’S CONSUMER IMPACT






THE NEW RULES & DISCIPLINES OF A 21ST CENTURY AGREEMENT






TPP SERIES: IMPACT ON MANUFACTURING






TPP SERIERS: WHAT’S AT STAKE FOR AGRICULTURE?






TPP SERIES: WHAT WILL TPP MEAN FOR THE STATES?






TPP SERIES: SERVICES






TPP SERIES: INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS






THE FUTURE IS NOW: DIGITAL TRADE IN THE TPP




ABOUT THE BLOGGERS



"The opinions expressed on this site do not reflect the opinions of the
Washington International Trade Association Board of Directors or any employee
thereof, unless expressly identified."








SUBMIT HERE

Click below for submissions guidelines and submit your blog post to ATP today!
Click here!


POLITICO – MORNING TRADE

 * EU to give Biden lifeline with tariff truce December 18, 2023 By Ari Hawkins
 * West: China’s sway over Hong Kong threatens WTO December 11, 2023 By Ari
   Hawkins
 * Raimondo chides Congress on China tech threat December 4, 2023 By Ari Hawkins
 * After dairy ruling, warnings of a weaker USMCA November 27, 2023 By Ari
   Hawkins
 * APEC unites on WTO reform, as war frays ties November 20, 2023 By Ari Hawkins


FEATURED BOOKS

Purchase the Book


BLOG TOPICS

 * Agriculture
 * America's Trade Agreements
 * Asia-Pacific
 * Bilateral Issues
 * Border Adjustment Tax
 * Brexit
 * CETA
 * China
 * Courts
 * Development
 * Energy
 * Environment
 * Europe
 * FDI
 * Foreign Policy
 * Global Supply Chains
 * Globalization
 * Guest Blogs
 * ICT
 * Interviews
 * ISDS
 * Justice
 * Labor
 * NAFTA
 * NextGenTrade
 * PTAs
 * TFA
 * TPA
 * TPP/TTIP
 * Trade Data
 * Trade Policy
 * Trade Remedies
 * U.S. Policies
 * WTO

 * 

 * About
 * Topics
 * Interviews
 * Archive
 * Contact Us

© Copyright 2023. America's Trade Policy

Washington International Trade Association. All rights reserved.

Developed by Vico Rock Media

America's Trade Policy

The Washington International Trade Association

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

 * 1300 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
 * Suite 400
 * Washington, DC 20004

T 202-691-4000