Despite resumed talk about tariffs on European autos, U.S. Chamber of Commerce officials say they are heartened by the first signs of progress in months for trade talks between the European Union and the United States. Marjorie Chorlins, the Chamber's senior vice president of European affairs, said with a new team at the European Commission, and the positive comments after the meeting in Davos, Switzerland, between President Donald Trump and EC President Ursula von der Leyen, the business community is feeling new hope for an improvement in relations. The officials spoke during a Jan. 24 conference call.
President Donald Trump will hold a signing ceremony for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement on Jan. 29, a White House spokesman said. Canada's Parliament still needs to ratify the deal, and is expected to begin debate Jan. 29.
New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a German wire service that she and President Donald Trump want an agreement that resolves issues “in a few weeks.” But she didn't say how comprehensive such an agreement would be.
The phase one “economic and trade agreement” the U.S. and China signed Jan. 15 will take effect in 30 days and can be terminated by either country with 60 days' written notice, the deal's text said. Phase one is “a big step toward normalizing our trading relationship with China,” the Consumer Technology Association said, but “market uncertainty remains until we see permanent tariff removal.” The National Retail Federation also welcomed phase one but said phase two “can’t come soon enough.”
The tariffs on billions of dollars worth of European goods because the World Trade Organization found the EU illegally subsidized Airbus puts Europe in a position where it will need to take similar action, assuming the WTO rules that state tax credits for Boeing also distorted trade. “This is where I don't want to be,” European Union Commissioner Phil Hogan said during a press roundtable with reporters late Jan. 16.
China will buy nearly $80 billion worth of additional manufactured goods from the U.S. over the next two years as part of the U.S.-China phase one trade deal (see 1912310010), according to a Jan. 14 report from Reuters. As part of the deal, China will also buy more than $50 billion worth of U.S. energy supplies and increase purchases of U.S. services by $35 billion over the same period, the report said. The agreement will also require China to increase its purchases of U.S. agricultural goods by $2 billion over two years at about $16 billion per year. The numbers, which represent a “staggering increase” over recent Chinese imports of U.S. manufactured goods, are expected to be announced Jan. 15 during a White House signing ceremony between President Donald Trump and China's Vice Premier Liu He, Reuters said. A China Foreign Ministry spokesman referred questions to the country's Commerce Ministry. “Please remain patient for a little while,” the spokesman said during a Jan. 14 press conference. “More information will come out in a couple of days.”
The panel deciding which French products should face Section 301 tariffs was intrigued by a point made by the Cheese Importers Association of America -- who could pay more on 21 Harmonized Tariff Schedule headings if all the proposed tariffs are included.
A bipartisan group of 161 House members are asking U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to open negotiations for a free trade deal with Taiwan. The letter, sent Dec. 19, was led by Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, Rep. Albio Sires, D-N.J., Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Fla., and Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va. “Taiwan is a longstanding ally and a like-minded partner in the Indo-Pacific region that upholds and shares our values. Taiwan is our 11th largest trading partner worldwide, the 8th largest export market for U.S. agricultural products, a major purchaser of U.S. LNG exports, and the supplier of a significant amount of the semiconductors used by our manufacturers in their finished goods,” they said. “As the trade and investment relationship with Taiwan already supports an estimated 373,000 U.S. jobs, working toward the negotiation of a high-standard and comprehensive U.S.-Taiwan bilateral trade agreement would further enhance our shared goal of enhancing the global competitiveness of U.S. industries while spurring American job creation.”
With the announcement of a phase one deal, Flexport chief economist Phil Levy said the promise is for stability in tariff levels -- even if the large majority of goods facing Section 301 tariffs will retain the 25 percent hike. But, he noted in a Dec. 16 webinar, many times over the last eight months, “a deal was announced, and it didn't last. That should sort of serve as a precautionary tale.” Levy, like many observers, doesn't believe that a phase two deal, that could lead to rolling back more tariffs, is likely in the next year.
The phase one trade deal (see 1912130035) between the U.S. and China has reduced Chinese “market uncertainty” and the two sides should cancel the remaining tariffs, a spokesman for China’s National Bureau of Statistics said during a Dec. 16 press conference. “It has strengthened market confidence and promoted economic and trade development, both for China and the United States, and for the world,” Fu Linghui said, according to an unofficial translation. “[It is] positive.” He also said the countries are continuing negotiations and should cancel “the levy of tariffs in stages, contributing more power to world economic growth.”