U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on July 26 directed CBP to block timber imports from Peruvian timber exporter Inversiones WCA E.I.R.L. (WCA) after illegally harvested timber was found in its supply chain, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said. Last year, the U.S. Interagency Committee on Trade in Timber Products from Peru (Timber Committee), formed under the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Forest Sector Governance Annex, requested that Peru verify that three specific timber shipments from that company complied with all applicable Peruvian laws and regulations. Peru’s verification process "found that one shipment from WCA was not harvested and traded in compliance with Peru’s laws, regulations, and other measures," USTR said. "Since the completion of the report in July 2018, Peru has failed to take enforcement action against WCA." Specifically, the Timber Committee directed that CBP deny entry to WCA shipments for three years or until the committee determines the company has complied with all relevant laws, regulations and other applicable measures, USTR said.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will hold trade talks in Shanghai that begin July 30. The White House said that the "discussions will cover a range of issues, including intellectual property, forced technology transfer, non-tariff barriers, agriculture, services, the trade deficit, and enforcement."
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's Trade Policy Staff Committee is asking stakeholders to share their views on the performance of each beneficiary country in the Caribbean Basin Initiative as the committee works on its annual report to Congress on the program. Written comments are due by Aug. 30, and can be submitted at www.regulations.gov, using docket number USTR 2019-0007.
Officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and trade officials from Thailand met July 23 to talk about the U.S. review of whether to keep Thailand in the Generalized System of Preferences program. The U.S. is troubled by lack of market access for U.S. pork producers, Thai workers' rights, and the trade deficit in goods. Out of $44.5 billion in two-way goods trade, the U.S. has a $19.3 billion deficit. "The United States raised issues related to agriculture, customs, intellectual property protection and enforcement, and labor," USTR said.
CHICAGO -- The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative will provide information on what will happen to approved Section 301 exclusion requests beyond a year, said Arthur Tsao, associate general counsel at USTR, while speaking July 23 at the CBP Trade Symposium. "If the current trade actions continue to be in effect past those periods, USTR will issue additional guidance before the expiration of the one-year period," he said. The agency said something similar previously in a set of frequently asked questions (see 1906190035). Asked about the possibility of CBP extending the protest period for liquidated entries that involve products still being considered for exclusion requests (see 1905220063), CBP Chief-Entry Process and Duty Refunds Branch in the Office of Trade's Regulations and Rulings Division Gail Kan said the agency is unable to make a change because the timing requirements are statutory.
For firms or trade groups that wish to testify on the Section 301 investigation into France's Digital Services Tax, they should file a request to appear by noon on Aug. 12 for the Aug. 19 public hearing. Filings of comments or testimony should be made at regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2019-0009.
In a notice scheduled to be published July 15 in the Federal Register, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has allocated the quotas in metric tons of imported cane sugar that can come in below the tariff rate of 15.36 cents per pound for raw sugar and 16.21 cents per pound for refined sugar.
In order to get back in America's good graces, India needs to do more than open its market to American dairy and pay medical device companies fairly, according to Jeffrey Gerrish, deputy U.S. trade representative. Those were the trade irritants that led to India's suspension from the Generalized System of Preferences, but at a U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum leadership summit event July 11, Gerrish said the two countries need to "move beyond" the issues behind the GSP review to a more comprehensive reckoning.
Two Wiley Rein lawyers blogged July 11 that the Section 301 investigation into French taxation of digital services is not a twin to the 301 investigation of China's abuses of the trading system. "This is not the start of a trade war with France," Stephen Claeys and Timothy Brightbill wrote. There will not necessarily be tariffs on French goods as a result of this investigation, they said. The U.S. trade representative could enter into negotiations with France, restrict service sector access for French firms, or take other actions short of tariffs.
Consultations over South Korea's monopoly law sought back in March (see 1903150025) occurred July 9, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced. Michael Beeman, assistant U.S. trade representative for Japan, Korea and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Affairs, led the consultation in South Korea. The U.S. says South Korea is not living up to its commitments in the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS). The agreement says that a party before the Korea Free Trade Commission or the International Trade Commission should be able to review and rebut the evidence against it.