China

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative nominee Michael Nemelka told members of the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday that USTR, along with other government agencies, should prioritize diversifying the sourcing of rare earth minerals, which are primarily imported from China.

The U.S. could take enforcement actions under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement as soon as this fall, according to Michael Nemelka, the president’s nominee for deputy U.S. Trade Representative for investment, services, labor, environment, Africa, China and the Western Hemisphere.

Despite assertions by President Trump that the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement will bring jobs back to the U.S., the new trade deal is among several factors making Mexico increasingly attractive to multinational corporations seeking to locate production in North America, trade consultants tell Inside U.S. Trade.

Mobile crane imports primarily come from U.S. allies that do not pose national security threats, providing domestic consumers access to top-of-the-line infrastructure equipment, U.S. crane companies and foreign governments have told the Trump administration.

Efforts to reform the embattled World Trade Organization will not resolve the economic tensions between the U.S. and China, Beijing’s envoy in Geneva said on Wednesday, adding that attempts to improve U.S.-Sino relations via WTO changes would “overwhelm” the system.

Space technology industry executives last week told Export-Import Bank officials the agency should review its treatment of risk in their sector to allow for more flexibility when deciding whether to provide financing.

The USTR adviser is the president's pick to succeed C.J. Mahoney, who has in turn been tapped for a State Department role.

"He praised the Chinese government even as the virus was coming to our shores because he was so afraid that they’d walk away from his trade deal.”

“I think moving backward from the phase-one trade deal would be a bad thing.”