A former top trade negotiator in Mexico, Juan Carlos Baker Pineda, said he doesn't think the review of the USMCA will be about fine-tuning or technical changes to the trade pact.

A new, “modernized” Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement took effect July 1 that maintains the preferential market access outlined in the two countries' original deal from 2017 while adding new language to further “enhance trade” and incorporate provisions on labor, the environment and more, Canada said this week. “The modernized CUFTA will enhance trade, increase economic cooperation” and “signals Canada’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, stability and economic recovery following Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country,” Canada said. Mary Ng, Canada’s trade minister, said “when the war is over, Canadian businesses and exporters will be ready to help rebuild the Ukraine of tomorrow.”

The gaps in trade policies between the U.S. and Europe, despite their agreement on the problems, and the difficulty of improving trade relations with major developing countries were grappled with this week by a panel of experts from the U.S. and Europe.

A joint statement from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the president of Kazakhstan said that the Central Asian country wants to cooperate on trade facilitation, including harmonizing and digitizing customs procedures, and that both countries committed to "make concrete progress in the near term to include additional U.S. meat and poultry production facilities, streamline the issuance of digital export certificates, and work to facilitate increased shipments of U.S. agricultural equipment to Kazakhstan."

Trade talks between the U.S. and Argentina this week covered customs facilitation, lithium and copper, and agricultural concerns on both sides.

A summary of U.S. proposed text for a customs facilitation language in the Kenya-U.S. Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership says it is asking Kenya to publish all international trade information online, and to answer questions about trade without charging for the contact. It asks Kenya to maintain uniform procedures on advance rulings, and to provide appeals for customs administration issues. It asks Kenya to adopt a single window system for electronic forms and supporting documents, and to allow for immediate release of goods prior to a final determination of duties through customs bonds, and to accept electronic payment of duties.

The U.S. and Kenya committed to try to conclude the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment partnership by the end of the year, they said in a joint statement.

Hong Kong and Peru last week concluded talks on a free trade deal and hope to soon “finish the few remaining issues” before formally signing an agreement later this year, Hong Kong’s Commerce and Economic Development Bureau said in a May 17 news release. The deal is expected to cover trade in goods and services, including e-commerce and “other related areas,” said Algernon Yau, Hong Kong’s commerce and economic development secretary. The two sides completed the negotiations on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial meetings in Arequipa, Peru.

American, German and British environmental and trade politics experts agreed at an American-German Institute event on "Squaring the Transatlantic Circle" on climate policy that although it seems like Western Europe and the U.S. should be united on goals and interests, their economic competition and even pride stand in the way.

China and Switzerland held talks May 10 on upgrading the free trade agreement between the two countries, China's Ministry of Commerce said, according to an unofficial translation. Following the talks in Beijing, the parties agreed to "jointly implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries" and boost the start of talks to upgrade the FTA, the ministry said.