President Donald Trump, asked about a letter from businesses and trade groups sent earlier on March 18 that said he should lift sections 232 and 301 tariffs, said he couldn't imagine why Americans would want that. “China is paying us billions and billions of dollars in tariffs and there’s no reason to do that,” reporters quoted him as saying at a press conference. "It could be that China will ask for a suspension or something. We’ll see what happens. China is having a very rough time.”

The U.S. Trade Representative notified Congress March 17 that it will be negotiating a trade agreement with Kenya. Negotiations cannot begin for at least 90 days. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we look forward to negotiating and concluding a comprehensive, high-standard agreement with Kenya that can serve as a model for additional trade agreements across Africa. Kenya is an important regional leader, a strategic partner of the United States, and a commercial hub that can provide substantial opportunities for U.S. trade and investment,” USTR Robert Lighthizer said in a statement.

The United Kingdom and the European Union postponed trade negotiations this week due to the coronavirus pandemic, the European Commission said March 12. Both sides are “exploring alternative ways to continue discussions,” the commission said, including through video conferences. The U.K. released its approach to negotiations with the EU last month (see 2002270064) and was scheduled to begin negotiations this month (see 2002250030).

Forty-six House Republicans, led by Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., told the U.S. trade representative in a letter March 10 that he must get the United Kingdom to agree to import chicken with chlorine or other antimicrobial washes.

The U.S. and the United Kingdom will begin trade negotiations this month, the U.K.’s Department for International Trade said March 10. U.K. Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands visited the U.S. this week to meet with industry and government representatives, when he planned to discuss trade “opportunities” with administration officials. In a statement, Hands said the deal will “scrap unnecessary red tape” and “bring more opportunities for businesses.”

After a dinner in Florida attended by President Donald Trump and Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro, the two issued a joint statement March 7 on how they would like to reach “a bilateral trade package this year.” Because Brazil is in Mercosur, a South American customs union, tariffs are unlikely to be part of such a deal. They also discussed expediting Brazil's participation in the Trusted Trader program, “to streamline commerce between both countries by ensuring the security and safety of imported goods, with a goal of program entry in 2021.”

Increases in Indian tariffs and a push by India to increase domestic manufacturing (see 2001270016) are hurting the toy industry, The Toy Association said March 3. The trade group said India recently issued its second duty increase on toys in two years, raising tariffs from 22% to 66% in February. The association said it is working with trade association partners in India, the European Union and elsewhere, and coordinating with the Trump administration to advocate against the tariff increases. But the effort is proving difficult due to India’s “Made in India” push driven by “a strained relationship between China and India and budgetary concerns,” the association said.

The annual trade policy agenda report, put out by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, celebrated victories in export market access in 2019, even as it reported that goods exports fell by $21 billion compared with 2018. Manufacturing exports, which accounted for 83% of total goods exports, were down by $34.7 billion in 2019. Agricultural exports, which accounted for 9% of total goods exports, were down by $3 billion in 2019.

During a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, the United Kingdom’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the U.K. wants a “highly ambitious” trade deal with the U.S., adding that the deal is one of her “top priorities.” The U.K. said it will release negotiating objectives this week, according to a Feb. 27 notice, and the two trade officials “reiterated their commitment” to begin negotiating the deal. “We want an agreement that benefits both small businesses and entrepreneurs and every industry, from agriculture and manufacturing to professional and business services,” Truss said. “The U.K. stands ready to negotiate a highly ambitious free trade agreement.”

The European Union's Committee on International Trade Chairman Bernd Lange, in a roundtable with trade reporters Feb. 27, said that he asked officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative if there's any truth to rumors that the U.S. will either pull out of the government procurement agreement at the World Trade Organization, or that it will seek to raise its bound tariffs, a process that would begin at the WTO. “I got confirmation from all stakeholders this will not happen,” said Lange, who was in Washington to talk with officials from USTR, Congress, unions and think tanks. But, he added, “sometimes decisions in the United States are taken quite quick,” so he can't be sure that answer will be true next week.