China

Tucked into the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement is a provision designed to make it more difficult for Canada and Mexico, and potentially other countries, to ink free trade deals with China -- the latest move by the Trump administration to constrain Beijing’s non-market practices.

Taiwan this week stepped up its purchases of U.S. soybeans, which have been hit by Chinese retaliatory tariffs, as the head of a major business group pressed for a bilateral trade agreement between the U.S. and Taipei, contending that it was an opportune time.

“They don’t want me or us to win because I am the first president to ever challenge China on trade,” the president said.

USTR Robert Lighthizer met in New York City with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko and EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

China has issued a 71-page white paper condemning U.S. characterizations of its trade policies while accusing the U.S. of being hypocritical because Washington imposes its own set of policies that discriminate against Chinese goods.

Joshua Bolten, president and CEO of the Business Roundtable, on Monday refuted President Trump's assertion that his tariff-rich approach to trade was improving the economy and said nearly all of the industry group's members are opposed to the administration's use of trade restrictions.

U.S. business groups are calling for an exclusions process for the latest round of U.S. tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods, but sources say exclusions are not expected at least for the initial 10 percent duties that go into effect next week.

The current approach is “really time-consuming and really putting people’s patience to the test,” said Jiang Xiaojuan.