The U.S. and El Salvador signed a reciprocal trade deal Jan. 29 that spares Central America Free Trade Agreement-compliant goods in textiles, apparel, luggage and bags from reciprocal tariffs, and implements the usual carve-outs from reciprocal tariffs, such as agricultural goods, pharmaceutical inputs, aircraft parts and the like.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said that in a meeting with Mexican Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard, both countries' teams "recognized substantial progress in recent months and agreed to continue intensive engagement to address non-tariff barriers. In addition, they agreed to begin formal discussions on possible structural and strategic reforms in the context of the first USMCA Joint Review, including stronger rules of origin for key industrial goods, enhanced collaboration on critical minerals, and increased external trade policy alignment to defend workers and producers in the United States and Mexico and to combat the relentless dumping of manufactured goods in our region."
Tsering Dhongthog, a former senior adviser for international trade to the National Economic Council, is starting a new role at the State Department as deputy assistant secretary for trade policy and negotiations for its Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs, Dhongthog announced on LinkedIn this week. She had served at the National Economic Council since August, according to her LinkedIn profile, and previously worked at the State Department's Office of China Coordination and for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in the Office of China, Mongolia and Taiwan Affairs.
While the Venezuela military action doesn't affect trade substantially, a panel of experts said the fallout with regard to President Donald Trump's comments about Greenland afterward could "blow up the U.S.-EU deal."
Nathaniel Moulton left his position last week as an information and communications technology specialist within the Commerce Department's International Trade Administration, he announced on LinkedIn. Moulton first joined Commerce in 2024 in the Office of Information and Communication Technologies, where he said he worked to "grow the U.S. quantum computing ecosystem and strengthen U.S. supply chain resilience." He also had a stint in 2021-2022 in policy coordination with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
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China will take “corresponding measures” if the U.S. “continues down the wrong path” by imposing Section 301 tariffs on semiconductors, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said during a regular press conference Dec. 24 in Beijing.
Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and John Kennedy, R-La., have urged the Trump administration to pressure the EU to repeal a new methane mandate that they say could hurt U.S. oil and gas exports.
The Senate on Dec. 18 confirmed the nomination of Julie Callahan to serve as chief agricultural negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and approved Jeffrey Goettman to be deputy USTR for Africa, the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Environment, Labor and Industrial Competitiveness.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Trump administration will recommend renewal of USMCA only if 20 issues can be resolved, and maybe more, as he told Congress this isn't an exhaustive list.