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Trade Update June 16, 2020 By Michael Anderson If you don't get regular trade updates, sign up here for CRA's weekly Trade Update Highlights USMCA: USMCA implementation preparations continue with less than two weeks until entry into force. Senator Grassley indicated certain agriculture issues, such as biotech approvals in Mexico, may warrant further action under USMCA’s dispute protocols. U.S. - China Trade: China announced increased soybean purchases and the U.S.-China bilateral trade flows in April increased 48% yet remain significantly below the peak in 2018. According to the NEW “Phase One Agriculture Purchase Tracker” (courtesy of the American Farm Bureau). China’s agriculture purchases are 60% below the pace to meet commitment under the phase one deal. U.S. - U.K.: Round two trade talks convene this week with strong ambitions on both sides. A top U.K. official, Antony Phillipson, said that the U.K. and U.S. are pushing to reach a trade deal before the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. WTO: Mexico, Egypt, and Nigeria have nominated candidates for the top leadership position at the WTO (see WTO DG Tracker). Separately, the U.S. expressed opposition to WTO funding to support the 20-member interim appellate body arrangement known as the led Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA). The EU-led MPIA was created by some WTO members to fill the void of the defunct Appellate Body. USMCA The flurry of preparations continues with only two weeks until USMCA enters into force. Last week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi named Cathy Feingold of the AFL-CIO and Fred Ross Jr., a longtime labor and community organizer, to the newly created independent Mexico labor expert board, which will monitor and evaluate whether Mexico is implementing its promised labor reforms in a timely manner. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) launched an updated website with new resources for companies in anticipation of USMCA’s entry into force on July 1. The resources include a “Day One” section with resources outlining revisions to tariff lines, certificates of origin, de minimis values, and a revised FTA tariff tool. As reported earlier, the long-awaited uniform regulations for the USMCA’s rules of origin were published, and auto companies are working furiously to implement the rules before July 1, though some may pursue requests for longer transition periods. Automakers under USMCA can apply for extended transition plans. Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told reporters that the lingering agricultural concerns between the U.S. and Mexico—most recently blocking glyphosate and suspending agricultural biotechnology permits—are “definitely” worth state-to-state dispute actions under the USMCA. In recent months, Mexico has blocked imports of glyphosate and suspended import permits for agriculture biotechnology products. Chairman Grassley’s comments suggest he believes resolution of these issues may require engaging in dispute mechanisms under the USMCA. China Trade Phase One Agreement April trade data revealed U.S.-China bilateral trade bounced backed to $39.7 billion, up nearly 43% surpassing Mexico and Canada. However, U.S.-China trade remains well below the record $61.4 billion set in October 2018, and the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic has severely compounded China’s ability to meet purchase commitments under the phase one trade deal. While only three months have passed since the phase one deal went into effect, USTR and outside observers have acknowledged that China’s agriculture, manufactured goods, and energy purchases are not on pace to meet the target of $200 billion imports in 2020. Estimates vary from 30-60% regarding the gap in China’s purchases of U.S. products to reach overall trade levels under the deal. Regarding agriculture purchase commitments, despite China’s recent increased purchases of U.S. commodities such as corn, barley, and soybeans, purchase levels are significantly under the pace needed to meet the of $40-$50 billion annual target. According to analysis provided by the Farm Bureau, China’s year-to-date U.S. agricultural product purchases are 60% off the pace to meet the overall purchase level in the phase one deal. China’s 2020 agriculture purchases through April total $4.3 billion and are significantly below the $9.9 billion year-to- date level that is needed to meet the Phase one commitments based on the target value, the historical pace, and the baseline year set out in the agreement. While Chinese purchases in the poultry and livestock & meats sector are above the 2017 purchase levels, purchases in other agriculture sectors (e.g. grains, oilseeds, dairy, and cotton) significantly lag 2017 purchase levels – the baseline year for the phase one agreement. (For further details on tracking selected agriculture sectors and U.S. exports to China under the phase one deal see last page). As recently as last month, President Trump downplayed the importance of the phase one trade deal, while administration officials affirmed the deal would not be scrapped. “The trade deal, I don’t know. Somehow, I lost a little flavor for it,” Trump said. Regarding the deal Trump further said, “I don’t want to talk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our product. But the trade deal, the ink was barely dry when this (COVID19) came in from China, so it’s not like we’re thrilled.” Separately that same day, Larry Kudlow, White House National Economic Council Director confirmed the phase one deal is alive and well. The agreement is “absolutely not” falling apart, Kudlow said. He conceded that China’s agriculture purchases are not on pace to meet purchase level spelled out in the deal. The China phase one agreement may feature prominently in Congressional trade hearings this week. Amb. Lighthizer is scheduled to appear in both chambers this Wednesday, 17th to testify on the President’s 2020 Trade Policy Agenda. Amb. Lighthizer will testify before the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee. Lawmakers on the Committees are expected to solicit details on U.S.- China trade (phase one); bilateral negotiations with the U.K., Kenya, EU, Brazil, India, and Japan; and the recently launched Section 301 investigation (digital services taxes) and Section 232 investigations (mobile cranes, vanadium, transformer parts). Further hearing details and webcast info are as follows: Ways and Means Committee at 10:00am, June 17th – view live webcast, and Senate Finance Committee at 3:00pm, June 17th – view live webcast. Hong Kong's Status No significant updates since President Trump announced several sweeping actions in response to growing frustrations and concerns with China’s economic and foreign policy actions. In the press conference, President Trump cited significant concerns on trade (including intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices, and violations of its WTO obligations) and China’s handling of COVID-19 and China’s “total control” over the World Health Organization. Trump stressed “China’s pattern of misconduct,” and noted recent actions violating policies regarding Hong Kong and that Hong Kong was “no longer autonomous” from China, paving the way for revocation of its special trade status with the U.S. There was no mention of changes to China tariffs or the “phase one” trade deal with China. Further details and actions (i.e. executive orders) are expected over the next few days and weeks. A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notified Congress that Hong Kong “is no longer autonomous from China” leading to a potential change in treatment under U.S. trade laws. In a statement Pompeo stated, “… I certified to Congress today that Hong Kong does not continue to warrant treatment under United States laws in the same manner as U.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997.” “No reasonable person can assert today that Hong Kong maintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given facts on the ground.” Under the United States-Hong Kong Policy Action of 1992, the President can revoke Hong Kong’s special status through executive order. Under such an action Hong Kong would face the same U.S. import tariffs, export controls, and trade sanctions, including section 301 tariffs, presently imposed on China. The U.S. ran a $26 billion goods surplus with Hong Kong in 2019, according to Census data. U.S.-U.K. Trade Agreement Round two negotiations on a U.S.- U.K. trade talks convened virtually this week. Officials confirmed both sides continued low-level communications since the conclusion of round one talks last month. Officials report that particular emphasis will include areas like digital trade, data flows and intellectual property protections. Both sides are keen to move briskly to secure a comprehensive agreement. Antony Phillipson, the British consul general in New York and Her Majesty’s trade commissioner for North America said that the U.K. and U.S. are pushing to reach a trade deal before the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. Mr. Phillipson expressed the ambitious target was a “shared goal” of the U.S. and U.K. However, Amb. Lighthizer recently seemed to downplay expectations for a quick deal at a recent event hosted by the Economic Club of New York, saying “these things take time, both because they’re complicated but also because each of us has to wrap ourselves around the fact that there’s going to be a compromise.” Mr. Phillipson emphasized the existing deep bilateral trade and economic connections are beneficial in moving swiftly on the current trade talks. He noted that 1.3 million people in U.S. are employed by U.K. firms, and 1.7 million people in U.S. work for U.S. companies for example. Antony Phillipson, U.K. Trade Commissioner Earlier a bipartisan group of House lawmakers sent a letter to Amb. Lighthizer urging U.S. negotiators to “secure strong and comprehensive agriculture commitments” in U.S.-U.K trade talks and laid out specific priorities including Science-based standards and rules for food safety practices modeled after USMCA and maintain U.S. WTO rights and tariff rate quotas (TRQs), among other priorities. Separately, the U.K. released its post-Brexit tariff schedule, effective January 2021, which allows 60 percent of imports to enter the U.K. tariff-free while retaining tariffs on sensitive industries like agriculture and autos, according to the Department of International Trade (DIT). The new tariff schedule (i.e. U.K. Global Tariff) will maintain EU tariffs on certain agricultural products (e.g. beef, lamb, and poultry), as well as a 10 percent tariff on autos, according to DIT’s press release. The U.K. will remove tariffs on nearly $37 billion worth of production inputs for businesses and a number of consumer goods, including dishwashers, sanitary products, paint, and cooking products. The DIT also indicated “nuisance tariffs,” or those under 2 percent would be eliminated. COVID-19 Developments The World Bank forecast indicators suggest that global trade will continue declining, reaching levels below the global financial crisis level, in part due to the disruptions of the coronavirus pandemic has caused to global value chains. Section 232 Tariff Actions In the past several weeks the Commerce Department (Commerce) initiated several new 232 investigations, the latest on imports of vanadium, which Commerce indicates is critical to a host of industrial sectors including defense, aerospace, and energy. The vanadium 232 investigation is the 8th investigation during the Trump Administration, following other recently launched probes into transformer parts and mobile cranes. The first section 232 investigations resulted in President Trump imposing tariffs of 25% and 10% on imports of steel and aluminum, respectively, based on Commerce’s Section 232 investigation that found such imports were a threat to national security. Prior to the Vanadium Section 232 investigation was announced, Senator Grassley acknowledged that Section 232 legislative reforms to curtail the tariff tool by the White House has stalled in the Congress. For more than a year, Sen. Grassley has worked to broker a viable legislative pathway to competing section 232 reform bills by Sen. Toomey and Sen. Portman, among others. Lamenting lack of progress and multiple extensions of self-imposed deadlines on the challenging endeavor, Sen. Grassley said, “Two things I’ve found out in the year that I’ve been trying to do something on this. Number one, it’s difficult to get bipartisan agreement on what to do and, secondly, there’s some Republicans who don’t want to advance [the bill] because they might be seen as doing it in an anti-Trump fashion.” Trade Remedies Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) unanimously voted to deny an industry request for anti-subsidy duties on hundreds of millions of dollars worth of wine bottles and other glass containers imported from China. The USITC determined that the U.S. industry is not “materially injured or threatened with material injury” by imports of glass containers from China. Last month, the U.S. Commerce Department issued its affirmative final determination that found countervailable subsidization of imports of Chinese glass containers. With the USITC’s negative finding means no countervailing tariffs will be imposed on Chinese wine bottles and other class containers. U.S. - Japan Trade Agreement Potential U.S.-Japan phase two trade talks remain beholden to COVID-19. Several observers have noted that each government is rightly focusing on coronavirus management, and the odds of talks getting off to a fast start appear increasingly unlikely as time passes and the U.S. presidential election approaches. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, commencement of negotiations on a phase two or a comprehensive trade deal were expected no earlier than May according to several sources. U.S. - E.U. Trade Agreement EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan recently acknowledged that U.S.-EU trade talks are mired in multiple ongoing transatlantic trade issues, hampered by COVID-19, and that the U.S. presidential election is featuring more prominently. Speaking to EU ministers, Hogan said, “Of course, an important part of the EU-U.S. agenda pre-dates Covid and includes work on a potential trade-facilitating package, efforts to resolve existing trade disputes and closer EU-U.S. cooperation on global challenges and issues of growing importance at the nexus between trade, technology and security.” Hogan further noted, “However, we must acknowledge that the U.S. is now in a pre-election phase” and “the focus of political attention in Washington is therefore much more on the immediate challenges in U.S. domestic politics, such as the need to deal with the Covid outbreak.” Hogan argued that a potential small trade deal is “challenging because the U.S. continues to see the overall goal as achieving a reduction in the size of its bilateral trade deficit with the EU.” Phil Hogan, EU Trade Commissioner At a meeting of EU agriculture ministers, France asked the European Commission to provide a compensation fund for winegrowers and create storage aid measures for veal, pig, and goat meat. Didier Guillaume, France’s Agriculture Minister said, “Winegrowers are the victims of trade conflicts and cannot deal with the consequences.” European winegrowers are still suffering the impact of the 25% tariffs imposed by the U.S. last October as a result of the dispute over European subsidies for Airbus. Guillaume further added, “France expects the Commission to propose a new package of storage aid measures for veal, pig meat, and frozen goat meat.” EU and U.S. officials are eagerly awaiting announcement of the award amount in the EU civil aircraft counter suit regarding Boeing, expected in July. EU officials again called for a settlement to the dueling civil aircraft cases, yet noted the U.S. appears locked into the present situation having applied tariffs on over $7.5 billion on EU merchandise in accordance with the WTO ruling on illegal launch aid for Airbus. EU trade official Sabine Weyand said, “I’m afraid that we will have to wait for our award and the imposition of sanctions by the EU on the U.S. side in order to rebalance the level playing field in terms of the negotiation.” She continued, “So, I think we will probably have a few more difficult months ahead of us before we manage to get everyone to the negotiating table. But that would be our objective.” Meanwhile the U.S. maintains "that it has fully complied in the dispute brought by the European Union” against illegal subsidies for Boeing aircraft production, according to a press release by USTR. Amb. Lighthizer in the statement noted, “With Washington State’s repeal of this relatively minor tax reduction, the United States has fully implemented the WTO’s recommendation, ending this dispute.” “This step ensures that there is no valid basis for the EU to retaliate.” The U.S. tariffs of $7.5 billion on EU products permitted under the WTO ruling on illegal launch aid for Airbus’ civil aircraft program are approaching another “carousel” opportunity at the end of June according to reports. During the last carousel period, the U.S. raised the tariff on EU aircrafts to 15% from 10% and declined to raise or change out products on the current products list of tariffs. EU officials continue to emphasize the importance of reaching a larger understanding to end the 15-year aircraft dispute. U.S.-Kenya Trade Developments Speaking at an event hosted by the Economic Club of New York, Amb. Lighthizer reiterated the importance of securing a trade deal with Kenya as the keystone to a larger trade policy approach in the African continent. A deal with Kenya would set the stage for the U.S. to secure more deals with African countries, Lighthizer said, adding that “now is the perfect time” for the U.S. to get the rules right on trade in Africa. He continued emphasizing the quality and breadth of an agreement is also crucial. “I think it’s really, really important that we have one African country that we really have a good agreement with,” he said. “Europe has a bunch of agreements, but they’re really not very complete and they’re not very high standards. China has some activity there. So, it’s important the United States has what we consider to be a really, really good agreement.” Amb. Lighthizer noted that official negotiations could start as early as next month. As reported earlier the USTIC, at the request of USTR, has launched an investigation into the probable economic effects of eliminating tariffs on some imports from Kenya. The report is required under Section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974 and will examine the “probable economic effect of providing duty- free treatment for imports of currently dutiable products from Kenya on industries in the United States producing like or directly competitive products and on consumers.” The USITC will hold a virtual hearing in connection with the investigation on July 7th and expects to submit its confidential report to USTR by Sept. 16th. U.S. - India Trade Developments As reported earlier, the U.S. and India are close to securing a limited trade pact, U.S.-India Business Council Vice President Amy Hariani told Inside U.S. Trade last week. Hariani suggested that “leader-level” action—a meeting between Amb. Lighthizer and his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal—could be the final step toward securing the deal. “I really think that leader-level engagement would be a good next step to move that along quickly,” Hariani said, adding that the Council is “encouraging the two sides to meet [virtually]” to reach the limited trade deal. As reported earlier, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi announced in February they had "agreed to initiate negotiations for a bigger deal," as earlier ambitions for a quick limited deal evaporated. Trump stated the two sides "have made tremendous progress on a comprehensive trade agreement." Trump said that a deal could be achieved toward the end of the year but offered that if there is no trade agreement "we will do something else that will be very satisfactory." A primary motivation for India in the trade deal is restoration of India’s GSP benefits, valued at approximately $6.4 billion. The U.S. earlier revoked India’s GSP benefits and is calling for reciprocal market access in India for agriculture products, industrial goods, and services in order to restore GSP. Seasonal Produce Mexico’s former chief USMCA negotiator, Kenneth Smith Ramos noted that Southern growers continue to push USTR to curtail imports of seasonal produce from Mexico. Mr. Ramos noted that growers mainly in Florida and Georgia unsuccessfully advocated for special provisions in the USMCA to curtail Mexico’s seasonal produce imports, including through use of anti-dumping or countervailing duties. He noted that these grower groups continue to seek actions that would mitigate alleged unfair imports from Mexico. Mexican officials have also expressed concern over potential increased U.S. border inspections on seasonal produce. Last year under a revised tomato suspension agreement, Mexico agreed to more frequent inspections of tomatoes. As reported earlier, USTR postponed of two public hearings on seasonal produce due to complexities under local and government restrictions regarding COVID-19. The hearings were part of multi-step plan outlined in a January 9, 2019 letter from Amb. Lighthizer to the Florida congressional delegation to review and determine options regarding “trade- distorting policies that may be contributing to unfair pricing in the U.S. market for seasonal and perishable products and to assess the impact of those policies on U.S. producers.” The letter notes that within 60 days after “entry-into- force” of the USMCA, the USTR will “implement effective and timely remedies necessary to address any trade distorting policies” affecting U.S. growers. Additionally, within 90 days, the Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Agriculture and USTR will have hearings in Florida and Georgia to hear testimony from growers. According to USTR, “At the hearings, officials from the federal agencies will hear from interested persons on how the Trump Administration can support these producers and redress any unfair harm.” Prior to suspension of the hearings, Mexican government officials warned the country may be forced to react should the U.S. impose restrictions on seasonal produce trade. Mexican Undersecretary for North America Jesús Seade said Mexico would use USMCA’s dispute settlement mechanism as well as direct measures “to start.” He emphasized that Mexico would “probably take action of a similar commercial magnitude on appropriate sectors, it could be agricultural sectors.” Seade affirmed that “if anything is inconsistent with our commitments, we will have to respond.” General Trade/WTO Reform The search for a new WTO leader formally kicked-off last week with the “nomination phase” opening on June 8th and closing on July 8th according to a previous WTO announcement. The pool of candidates is likely to be large. Last week, Nigeria and Egypt became the second and third WTO members to nominate candidates for the director- general position, nominating Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, former minister of finance, economy, and world affairs for Nigeria, and Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh, a lawyer and former trade negotiator for Egypt. Mexico kicked-off the nomination round after nominating Jesús Seade, Mexico’s current Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for North America. Benin announced the withdrawal of candidate Eloi Laourou and has decided to support for the nomination of Nigeria’s Okonjo- Iweala. The current candidates and their professional backgrounds are provided below. During a virtual meeting between EU trade ministers, EU trade Commissions Phil Hogan discussed his potential candidacy for the WTO director-general position. According to Hogan, most members of the EU want the bloc to come together to throw its support behind a single candidate to head the WTO. Following the meeting during a press conference, Hogan said he and U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer had a conversation about who should be the next WTO DG “some time ago,” adding that “Amb. Lighthizer is very much of the view that a developed country should assume the responsibility of the director general of the WTO.” Along with Hogan, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister Arancha Gonzalez-Laya is reportedly interested in filling the WTO DG position. Jeff Emerson, a spokesperson for USTR, said that Amb. Lighthizer has not thrown his support behind any candidate to become the next director-general of the WTO. “Ambassador Lighthizer does not support any candidate at this time, nor does he feel that a candidate must necessarily be from a developed country,” Emerson said. This comment contradicts the statement made by EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan who stated that he and Amb. Lighthizer had discussed his candidacy, and that Amb. Lighthizer had expressed his view that the next director-general should be from a developed country. Nigeria announced its intention to nominate Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala as the nation’s candidate to be the next Director- General for the WTO. Okonjo-Iweala is a former World Bank executive and served as a minister of finance, economy, and foreign affairs in Nigeria. The African Union had voiced the ambition to settle on a single African candidate to put forward, but it remains unclear if Okonjo-Iweala will be the only candidate from the continent. Nationality has been a key factor in past DG nomination process, as have a country’s development status and geographic location. WTO DG Candidate Tracker Candidate Country Experience Jesús Seade Mexico Undersecretary of Foreign Relations for North America, Chief negotiator for the Uruguay Round, Chief Economist at World Bank | Biography Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala Nigeria World Bank executive, Minister of finance, economy, and foreign affairs for Nigeria | Biography Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh Egypt Egyptian Trade negotiator, trade lawyer at King & Spalding (Geneva), Director WTO Trade in Services Division | Biography In a letter to Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, U.S. WTO Amb. Dennis Shea said that the U.S. opposes using WTO budget funds to support the 20-member interim appellate arrangement. In late April, the European Union-led Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) was adopted by some WTO members as a workaround for the non- functioning Appellate Body, which ceased operation after it lost quorum last December. Amb. Shea said, “The United States also objects to the use of WTO budget funds for a process that is clearly far more than a simple Article 25 arbitration.” For the U.S., according to Shea, the MPIA would “perpetuate the failings” of the Appellate Body. Shea added that MPIA members that want support staff for their endeavor should pay for it themselves, rather than funding by others. Last week, Amb. Lighthizer announced that Dr. Julie Callahan would officially serve as the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy. Dr. Callahan had been serving in this role in an acting capacity since the post was vacated after the retirement of Sharon Bomer Lauritsen in April. Amb. Lighthizer said that Dr. Callahan’s “leadership is essential” for this “key position,” as the Trump Administration “continues to fight for better access to foreign markets for our farmers and ranchers.” Prior to joining USTR, Dr. Callahan held senior positions in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Foreign Agriculture Service, and the American Chemical Society. Canada held a virtual meeting on WTO reform after a March meeting was canceled due to COVID-19. Canada’s Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade Mary Ng hosted the meeting, a gathering of ministers from the 13 members of the Ottawa Group. The group discussed how the WTO and the rules-based trading system can address the impacts of Covid-19. The Ottawa Group will continue to engage small businesses as it develops concrete plans to address the global economy recovery and the ongoing WTO reform efforts. In a news release last week, the USITC has launched an investigation into the impact of trade agreements implemented since 1984 on the U.S. economy. As required by the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, the USITC has until June 29, 2021 to submit its report to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means and the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. China Phase One Tracker – Select Agriculture Products Sign up for the Corn Refiners Association's weekly Trade Update SUBSCRIBE Corn Refiners Association | 1701 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20006 Unsubscribe

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Trade Update

June 16, 2020

By Michael Anderson

If you don't get regular trade updates, sign up here for CRA's weekly TradeUpdate

Highlights

USMCA: USMCA implementation preparations continue withless than two weeks until entry into force. Senator Grassleyindicated certain agriculture issues, such as biotech approvalsin Mexico, may warrant further action under USMCA’s disputeprotocols.

U.S. - China Trade: China announced increased soybeanpurchases and the U.S.-China bilateral trade flows in Aprilincreased 48% yet remain significantly below the peak in 2018.According to the NEW “Phase One Agriculture PurchaseTracker” (courtesy of the American Farm Bureau). China’sagriculture purchases are 60% below the pace to meetcommitment under the phase one deal.

U.S. - U.K.: Round two trade talks convene this week withstrong ambitions on both sides. A top U.K. official, AntonyPhillipson, said that the U.K. and U.S. are pushing to reach atrade deal before the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.

WTO: Mexico, Egypt, and Nigeria have nominated candidatesfor the top leadership position at the WTO (see WTO DGTracker). Separately, the U.S. expressed opposition to WTOfunding to support the 20-member interim appellate bodyarrangement known as the led Multi-Party Interim AppealArbitration Arrangement (MPIA). The EU-led MPIA was createdby some WTO members to fill the void of the defunct AppellateBody.

USMCA

The flurry of preparations continues with only two weeks untilUSMCA enters into force. Last week, House Speaker NancyPelosi named Cathy Feingold of the AFL-CIO and Fred RossJr., a longtime labor and community organizer, to the newlycreated independent Mexico labor expert board, which willmonitor and evaluate whether Mexico is implementing itspromised labor reforms in a timely manner.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s International TradeAdministration (ITA) launched an updated website with newresources for companies in anticipation of USMCA’s entry intoforce on July 1. The resources include a “Day One” sectionwith resources outlining revisions to tariff lines, certificates oforigin, de minimis values, and a revised FTA tariff tool.

As reported earlier, the long-awaited uniform regulations forthe USMCA’s rules of origin were published, and autocompanies are working furiously to implement the rulesbefore July 1, though some may pursue requests for longertransition periods. Automakers under USMCA can apply forextended transition plans.

Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) toldreporters that the lingering agricultural concerns between theU.S. and Mexico—most recently blocking glyphosate andsuspending agricultural biotechnology permits—are“definitely” worth state-to-state dispute actions under theUSMCA. In recent months, Mexico has blocked imports ofglyphosate and suspended import permits for agriculturebiotechnology products. Chairman Grassley’s commentssuggest he believes resolution of these issues may requireengaging in dispute mechanisms under the USMCA.

China Trade

Phase One Agreement

April trade data revealed U.S.-China bilateral trade bouncedbacked to $39.7 billion, up nearly 43% surpassing Mexico andCanada. However, U.S.-China trade remains well below therecord $61.4 billion set in October 2018, and the economicdownturn from the coronavirus pandemic has severelycompounded China’s ability to meet purchase commitmentsunder the phase one trade deal. While only three monthshave passed since the phase one deal went into effect, USTRand outside observers have acknowledged that China’sagriculture, manufactured goods, and energy purchases arenot on pace to meet the target of $200 billion imports in 2020. Estimates vary from 30-60% regarding the gap in China’spurchases of U.S. products to reach overall trade levels underthe deal. Regarding agriculture purchase commitments,despite China’s recent increased purchases of U.S.commodities such as corn, barley, and soybeans, purchaselevels are significantly under the pace needed to meet the of$40-$50 billion annual target.

According to analysis provided by the Farm Bureau, China’syear-to-date U.S. agricultural product purchases are 60% offthe pace to meet the overall purchase level in the phase onedeal. China’s 2020 agriculture purchases through April total$4.3 billion and are significantly below the $9.9 billion year-to-date level that is needed to meet the Phase one commitmentsbased on the target value, the historical pace, and thebaseline year set out in the agreement. While Chinesepurchases in the poultry and livestock & meats sector areabove the 2017 purchase levels, purchases in otheragriculture sectors (e.g. grains, oilseeds, dairy, and cotton)significantly lag 2017 purchase levels – the baseline year forthe phase one agreement. (For further details on trackingselected agriculture sectors and U.S. exports to China underthe phase one deal see last page).

As recently as last month, President Trump downplayed theimportance of the phase one trade deal, while administrationofficials affirmed the deal would not be scrapped. “The tradedeal, I don’t know. Somehow, I lost a little flavor for it,” Trumpsaid. Regarding the deal Trump further said, “I don’t want totalk about it. I can say China is buying a lot of our product. Butthe trade deal, the ink was barely dry when this (COVID19)came in from China, so it’s not like we’re thrilled.” Separatelythat same day, Larry Kudlow, White House National EconomicCouncil Director confirmed the phase one deal is alive andwell. The agreement is “absolutely not” falling apart, Kudlowsaid. He conceded that China’s agriculture purchases are noton pace to meet purchase level spelled out in the deal.

The China phase one agreement may feature prominently inCongressional trade hearings this week. Amb. Lighthizer isscheduled to appear in both chambers this Wednesday, 17th to testify on the President’s 2020 Trade Policy Agenda. Amb.Lighthizer will testify before the House Ways and MeansCommittee and the Senate Finance Committee. Lawmakerson the Committees are expected to solicit details on U.S.-China trade (phase one); bilateral negotiations with the U.K.,Kenya, EU, Brazil, India, and Japan; and the recentlylaunched Section 301 investigation (digital services taxes)and Section 232 investigations (mobile cranes, vanadium,transformer parts). Further hearing details and webcast infoare as follows: Ways and Means Committee at 10:00am, June17th – view live webcast, and Senate Finance Committee at3:00pm, June 17th – view live webcast.

Hong Kong's Status

No significant updates since President Trump announcedseveral sweeping actions in response to growing frustrationsand concerns with China’s economic and foreign policyactions. In the press conference, President Trump citedsignificant concerns on trade (including intellectual propertytheft, unfair trade practices, and violations of its WTOobligations) and China’s handling of COVID-19 and China’s“total control” over the World Health Organization. Trumpstressed “China’s pattern of misconduct,” and noted recentactions violating policies regarding Hong Kong and that HongKong was “no longer autonomous” from China, paving theway for revocation of its special trade status with the U.S. There was no mention of changes to China tariffs or the“phase one” trade deal with China. Further details and actions(i.e. executive orders) are expected over the next few daysand weeks.

A few weeks ago, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo notifiedCongress that Hong Kong “is no longer autonomous fromChina” leading to a potential change in treatment under U.S.trade laws. In a statement Pompeo stated, “… I certified toCongress today that Hong Kong does not continue to warranttreatment under United States laws in the same manner asU.S. laws were applied to Hong Kong before July 1997.” “Noreasonable person can assert today that Hong Kongmaintains a high degree of autonomy from China, given factson the ground.” Under the United States-Hong Kong PolicyAction of 1992, the President can revoke Hong Kong’s specialstatus through executive order. Under such an action HongKong would face the same U.S. import tariffs, export controls,and trade sanctions, including section 301 tariffs, presentlyimposed on China. The U.S. ran a $26 billion goods surpluswith Hong Kong in 2019, according to Census data.

U.S.-U.K. Trade Agreement

Round two negotiations on a U.S.- U.K. trade talks convenedvirtually this week. Officials confirmed both sides continuedlow-level communications since the conclusion of round onetalks last month. Officials report that particular emphasis willinclude areas like digital trade, data flows and intellectualproperty protections. Both sides are keen to move briskly tosecure a comprehensive agreement.

Antony Phillipson, the British consul general in New York andHer Majesty’s trade commissioner for North America said thatthe U.K. and U.S. are pushing to reach a trade deal beforethe Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election. Mr. Phillipson expressedthe ambitious target was a “shared goal” of the U.S. and U.K.However, Amb. Lighthizer recently seemed to downplayexpectations for a quick deal at a recent event hosted by theEconomic Club of New York, saying “these things take time,both because they’re complicated but also because each ofus has to wrap ourselves around the fact that there’s going tobe a compromise.” Mr. Phillipson emphasized the existingdeep bilateral trade and economic connections are beneficialin moving swiftly on the current trade talks. He noted that 1.3million people in U.S. are employed by U.K. firms, and 1.7million people in U.S. work for U.S. companies for example.

Antony Phillipson, U.K. Trade Commissioner

Earlier a bipartisan group of House lawmakers sent a letter toAmb. Lighthizer urging U.S. negotiators to “secure strong andcomprehensive agriculture commitments” in U.S.-U.K tradetalks and laid out specific priorities including Science-basedstandards and rules for food safety practices modeled afterUSMCA and maintain U.S. WTO rights and tariff rate quotas(TRQs), among other priorities.

Separately, the U.K. released its post-Brexit tariff schedule,effective January 2021, which allows 60 percent of imports toenter the U.K. tariff-free while retaining tariffs on sensitiveindustries like agriculture and autos, according to theDepartment of International Trade (DIT). The new tariffschedule (i.e. U.K. Global Tariff) will maintain EU tariffs oncertain agricultural products (e.g. beef, lamb, and poultry), aswell as a 10 percent tariff on autos, according to DIT’s pressrelease. The U.K. will remove tariffs on nearly $37 billionworth of production inputs for businesses and a number ofconsumer goods, including dishwashers, sanitary products,paint, and cooking products. The DIT also indicated “nuisancetariffs,” or those under 2 percent would be eliminated.

COVID-19 Developments

The World Bank forecast indicators suggest that global tradewill continue declining, reaching levels below the globalfinancial crisis level, in part due to the disruptions of thecoronavirus pandemic has caused to global value chains.

Section 232 Tariff Actions

In the past several weeks the Commerce Department(Commerce) initiated several new 232 investigations, thelatest on imports of vanadium, which Commerce indicates iscritical to a host of industrial sectors including defense,aerospace, and energy. The vanadium 232 investigation is the8th investigation during the Trump Administration, followingother recently launched probes into transformer parts andmobile cranes. The first section 232 investigations resulted inPresident Trump imposing tariffs of 25% and 10% on importsof steel and aluminum, respectively, based on Commerce’sSection 232 investigation that found such imports were athreat to national security.

Prior to the Vanadium Section 232 investigation wasannounced, Senator Grassley acknowledged that Section 232legislative reforms to curtail the tariff tool by the White Househas stalled in the Congress. For more than a year, Sen.Grassley has worked to broker a viable legislative pathway tocompeting section 232 reform bills by Sen. Toomey and Sen.Portman, among others. Lamenting lack of progress andmultiple extensions of self-imposed deadlines on thechallenging endeavor, Sen. Grassley said, “Two things I’vefound out in the year that I’ve been trying to do something onthis. Number one, it’s difficult to get bipartisan agreement onwhat to do and, secondly, there’s some Republicans whodon’t want to advance [the bill] because they might be seenas doing it in an anti-Trump fashion.”

Trade Remedies

Last week, the U.S. International Trade Commission(USITC) unanimously voted to deny an industry request foranti-subsidy duties on hundreds of millions of dollars worthof wine bottles and other glass containers imported fromChina. The USITC determined that the U.S. industry is not“materially injured or threatened with material injury” byimports of glass containers from China. Last month, the U.S.Commerce Department issued its affirmative finaldetermination that found countervailable subsidization ofimports of Chinese glass containers. With the USITC’snegative finding means no countervailing tariffs will beimposed on Chinese wine bottles and other classcontainers.

U.S. - Japan Trade Agreement

Potential U.S.-Japan phase two trade talks remain beholdento COVID-19. Several observers have noted that eachgovernment is rightly focusing on coronavirus management,and the odds of talks getting off to a fast start appearincreasingly unlikely as time passes and the U.S.presidential election approaches. Prior to the outbreak ofCOVID-19, commencement of negotiations on a phase twoor a comprehensive trade deal were expected no earlierthan May according to several sources.

U.S. - E.U. Trade Agreement

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan recently acknowledgedthat U.S.-EU trade talks are mired in multiple ongoingtransatlantic trade issues, hampered by COVID-19, and thatthe U.S. presidential election is featuring more prominently.Speaking to EU ministers, Hogan said, “Of course, animportant part of the EU-U.S. agenda pre-dates Covid andincludes work on a potential trade-facilitating package,efforts to resolve existing trade disputes and closer EU-U.S.cooperation on global challenges and issues of growingimportance at the nexus between trade, technology andsecurity.” Hogan further noted, “However, we mustacknowledge that the U.S. is now in a pre-election phase”and “the focus of political attention in Washington istherefore much more on the immediate challenges in U.S.domestic politics, such as the need to deal with the Covidoutbreak.” Hogan argued that a potential small trade deal is“challenging because the U.S. continues to see the overallgoal as achieving a reduction in the size of its bilateral tradedeficit with the EU.”

Phil Hogan, EU Trade Commissioner

At a meeting of EU agriculture ministers, France asked theEuropean Commission to provide a compensation fund forwinegrowers and create storage aid measures for veal, pig,and goat meat. Didier Guillaume, France’s AgricultureMinister said, “Winegrowers are the victims of trade conflictsand cannot deal with the consequences.” Europeanwinegrowers are still suffering the impact of the 25% tariffsimposed by the U.S. last October as a result of the disputeover European subsidies for Airbus. Guillaume further added,“France expects the Commission to propose a new packageof storage aid measures for veal, pig meat, and frozen goatmeat.”

EU and U.S. officials are eagerly awaiting announcement ofthe award amount in the EU civil aircraft counter suitregarding Boeing, expected in July. EU officials again calledfor a settlement to the dueling civil aircraft cases, yet notedthe U.S. appears locked into the present situation havingapplied tariffs on over $7.5 billion on EU merchandise inaccordance with the WTO ruling on illegal launch aid forAirbus. EU trade official Sabine Weyand said, “I’m afraid thatwe will have to wait for our award and the imposition ofsanctions by the EU on the U.S. side in order to rebalance thelevel playing field in terms of the negotiation.” She continued,“So, I think we will probably have a few more difficult monthsahead of us before we manage to get everyone to thenegotiating table. But that would be our objective.”

Meanwhile the U.S. maintains "that it has fully complied in thedispute brought by the European Union” against illegalsubsidies for Boeing aircraft production, according to a pressrelease by USTR. Amb. Lighthizer in the statement noted,“With Washington State’s repeal of this relatively minor taxreduction, the United States has fully implemented the WTO’srecommendation, ending this dispute.” “This step ensuresthat there is no valid basis for the EU to retaliate.”

The U.S. tariffs of $7.5 billion on EU products permitted underthe WTO ruling on illegal launch aid for Airbus’ civil aircraftprogram are approaching another “carousel” opportunity atthe end of June according to reports. During the last carouselperiod, the U.S. raised the tariff on EU aircrafts to 15% from10% and declined to raise or change out products on thecurrent products list of tariffs. EU officials continue toemphasize the importance of reaching a larger understandingto end the 15-year aircraft dispute.

U.S.-Kenya Trade Developments

Speaking at an event hosted by the Economic Club of NewYork, Amb. Lighthizer reiterated the importance of securing atrade deal with Kenya as the keystone to a larger trade policyapproach in the African continent. A deal with Kenya wouldset the stage for the U.S. to secure more deals with Africancountries, Lighthizer said, adding that “now is the perfecttime” for the U.S. to get the rules right on trade in Africa. Hecontinued emphasizing the quality and breadth of anagreement is also crucial. “I think it’s really, really importantthat we have one African country that we really have a goodagreement with,” he said. “Europe has a bunch ofagreements, but they’re really not very complete and they’renot very high standards. China has some activity there. So,it’s important the United States has what we consider to be areally, really good agreement.” Amb. Lighthizer noted thatofficial negotiations could start as early as next month.

As reported earlier the USTIC, at the request of USTR, haslaunched an investigation into the probable economic effectsof eliminating tariffs on some imports from Kenya. The reportis required under Section 131 of the Trade Act of 1974 andwill examine the “probable economic effect of providing duty-free treatment for imports of currently dutiable products fromKenya on industries in the United States producing like ordirectly competitive products and on consumers.” The USITCwill hold a virtual hearing in connection with the investigationon July 7th and expects to submit its confidential report toUSTR by Sept. 16th.

U.S. - India Trade Developments

As reported earlier, the U.S. and India are close to securinga limited trade pact, U.S.-India Business Council VicePresident Amy Hariani told Inside U.S. Trade last week.Hariani suggested that “leader-level” action—a meetingbetween Amb. Lighthizer and his Indian counterpart, PiyushGoyal—could be the final step toward securing the deal. “Ireally think that leader-level engagement would be a goodnext step to move that along quickly,” Hariani said, addingthat the Council is “encouraging the two sides to meet[virtually]” to reach the limited trade deal.

As reported earlier, President Trump and Prime MinisterModi announced in February they had "agreed to initiatenegotiations for a bigger deal," as earlier ambitions for aquick limited deal evaporated. Trump stated the two sides"have made tremendous progress on a comprehensive tradeagreement." Trump said that a deal could be achievedtoward the end of the year but offered that if there is notrade agreement "we will do something else that will be verysatisfactory."

A primary motivation for India in the trade deal is restorationof India’s GSP benefits, valued at approximately $6.4 billion.The U.S. earlier revoked India’s GSP benefits and is callingfor reciprocal market access in India for agriculture products,industrial goods, and services in order to restore GSP.

Seasonal Produce

Mexico’s former chief USMCA negotiator, Kenneth SmithRamos noted that Southern growers continue to push USTRto curtail imports of seasonal produce from Mexico. Mr.Ramos noted that growers mainly in Florida and Georgiaunsuccessfully advocated for special provisions in theUSMCA to curtail Mexico’s seasonal produce imports,including through use of anti-dumping or countervailingduties. He noted that these grower groups continue to seekactions that would mitigate alleged unfair imports fromMexico. Mexican officials have also expressed concern overpotential increased U.S. border inspections on seasonalproduce. Last year under a revised tomato suspensionagreement, Mexico agreed to more frequent inspections oftomatoes.

As reported earlier, USTR postponed of two public hearingson seasonal produce due to complexities under local andgovernment restrictions regarding COVID-19. The hearingswere part of multi-step plan outlined in a January 9, 2019letter from Amb. Lighthizer to the Florida congressionaldelegation to review and determine options regarding “trade-distorting policies that may be contributing to unfair pricing inthe U.S. market for seasonal and perishable products and toassess the impact of those policies on U.S. producers.” Theletter notes that within 60 days after “entry-into- force” of theUSMCA, the USTR will “implement effective and timelyremedies necessary to address any trade distorting policies”affecting U.S. growers. Additionally, within 90 days, theDepartment of Commerce, U.S. Department of Agricultureand USTR will have hearings in Florida and Georgia to heartestimony from growers. According to USTR, “At the hearings,officials from the federal agencies will hear from interestedpersons on how the Trump Administration can support theseproducers and redress any unfair harm.”

Prior to suspension of the hearings, Mexican governmentofficials warned the country may be forced to react should theU.S. impose restrictions on seasonal produce trade. MexicanUndersecretary for North America Jesús Seade said Mexicowould use USMCA’s dispute settlement mechanism as well asdirect measures “to start.” He emphasized that Mexico would“probably take action of a similar commercial magnitude onappropriate sectors, it could be agricultural sectors.” Seadeaffirmed that “if anything is inconsistent with ourcommitments, we will have to respond.”

General Trade/WTO Reform

The search for a new WTO leader formally kicked-off lastweek with the “nomination phase” opening on June 8th andclosing on July 8th according to a previous WTOannouncement. The pool of candidates is likely to be large.

Last week, Nigeria and Egypt became the second and thirdWTO members to nominate candidates for the director-general position, nominating Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, formerminister of finance, economy, and world affairs for Nigeria,and Abdel-Hamid Mamdouh, a lawyer and former tradenegotiator for Egypt. Mexico kicked-off the nomination roundafter nominating Jesús Seade, Mexico’s currentUndersecretary of Foreign Relations for North America. Beninannounced the withdrawal of candidate Eloi Laourou and hasdecided to support for the nomination of Nigeria’s Okonjo-Iweala. The current candidates and their professionalbackgrounds are provided below.

During a virtual meeting between EU trade ministers, EUtrade Commissions Phil Hogan discussed his potentialcandidacy for the WTO director-general position. According toHogan, most members of the EU want the bloc to cometogether to throw its support behind a single candidate tohead the WTO. Following the meeting during a pressconference, Hogan said he and U.S. Trade Rep. RobertLighthizer had a conversation about who should be the nextWTO DG “some time ago,” adding that “Amb. Lighthizer isvery much of the view that a developed country shouldassume the responsibility of the director general of the WTO.”Along with Hogan, Spanish Foreign Affairs Minister AranchaGonzalez-Laya is reportedly interested in filling the WTO DGposition.

Jeff Emerson, a spokesperson for USTR, said that Amb.Lighthizer has not thrown his support behind any candidate tobecome the next director-general of the WTO. “AmbassadorLighthizer does not support any candidate at this time, nordoes he feel that a candidate must necessarily be from adeveloped country,” Emerson said. This comment contradictsthe statement made by EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hoganwho stated that he and Amb. Lighthizer had discussed hiscandidacy, and that Amb. Lighthizer had expressed his viewthat the next director-general should be from a developedcountry.

Nigeria announced its intention to nominate Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the nation’s candidate to be the next Director-General for the WTO. Okonjo-Iweala is a former World Bankexecutive and served as a minister of finance, economy, andforeign affairs in Nigeria. The African Union had voiced theambition to settle on a single African candidate to put forward,but it remains unclear if Okonjo-Iweala will be the onlycandidate from the continent. Nationality has been a keyfactor in past DG nomination process, as have a country’sdevelopment status and geographic location.

WTO DG Candidate Tracker

Candidate Country Experience

Jesús Seade Mexico

Undersecretary of Foreign Relationsfor North America, Chief negotiatorfor the Uruguay Round, ChiefEconomist at World Bank |Biography

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Nigeria

World Bank executive, Minister offinance, economy, and foreign affairsfor Nigeria | Biography

Abdel-HamidMamdouh

Egypt

Egyptian Trade negotiator, tradelawyer at King & Spalding (Geneva),Director WTO Trade in ServicesDivision | Biography

In a letter to Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, U.S. WTOAmb. Dennis Shea said that the U.S. opposes using WTObudget funds to support the 20-member interim appellatearrangement. In late April, the European Union-led Multi-PartyInterim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) was adoptedby some WTO members as a workaround for the non-functioning Appellate Body, which ceased operation after itlost quorum last December. Amb. Shea said, “The UnitedStates also objects to the use of WTO budget funds for aprocess that is clearly far more than a simple Article 25arbitration.” For the U.S., according to Shea, the MPIA would“perpetuate the failings” of the Appellate Body. Shea addedthat MPIA members that want support staff for their endeavorshould pay for it themselves, rather than funding by others.

Last week, Amb. Lighthizer announced that Dr. Julie Callahanwould officially serve as the Assistant U.S. TradeRepresentative for Agricultural Affairs and Commodity Policy.Dr. Callahan had been serving in this role in an actingcapacity since the post was vacated after the retirement ofSharon Bomer Lauritsen in April. Amb. Lighthizer said that Dr.Callahan’s “leadership is essential” for this “key position,” asthe Trump Administration “continues to fight for better accessto foreign markets for our farmers and ranchers.” Prior tojoining USTR, Dr. Callahan held senior positions in the U.S.Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Dept. of AgricultureForeign Agriculture Service, and the American ChemicalSociety.

Canada held a virtual meeting on WTO reform after a Marchmeeting was canceled due to COVID-19. Canada’s Minister ofSmall Business, Export Promotion and International TradeMary Ng hosted the meeting, a gathering of ministers from the13 members of the Ottawa Group. The group discussed howthe WTO and the rules-based trading system can address theimpacts of Covid-19. The Ottawa Group will continue toengage small businesses as it develops concrete plans toaddress the global economy recovery and the ongoing WTOreform efforts.

In a news release last week, the USITC has launched aninvestigation into the impact of trade agreementsimplemented since 1984 on the U.S. economy. As required bythe Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities andAccountability Act of 2015, the USITC has until June 29, 2021to submit its report to the U.S. House of RepresentativesCommittee on Ways and Means and the U.S. SenateCommittee on Finance.

China Phase One Tracker – SelectAgriculture Products

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