Canada

The European Union, Canada, Japan and 10 other countries on Monday pledged to launch an initiative on medical supplies aimed at identifying steps World Trade Organization members can take to facilitate trade and better position countries amid the public health crisis.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is prepared to take action to enforce the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said on Tuesday, citing a conversation with USTR Robert Lighthizer last week.

The Trump administration has not successfully enforced commitments made by Mexico and Canada in implementing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-OR) charged on Friday, citing labor and agricultural concerns, among others.

The railway system would link Sinaloa, Mexico, to Winnipeg, Canada, running through Dallas and Chicago.

The U.S. has effectively halted its World Trade Organization dispute with Canada over Washington’s countervailing duties on softwood lumber, appealing the panel report, which faulted the U.S. duties, into the void of a nonfunctioning Appellate Body.

“We expect the Canadian government to act forcefully if any such violations occur,” said USW’s Ken Neumann.

Following consultations with the Canadian government, the U.S. will refrain from imposing a 10 percent tariff on non-alloyed, unwrought aluminum from Canada, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said on Tuesday.  

President Trump’s re-imposition of tariffs on Canadian aluminum could have serious implications for the implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) said this week.