China

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is considering opening an investigation into Chinese labor practices, eyeing the use of the Section 301 statute already employed to justify massive tariffs on Chinese goods, sources tell Inside U.S. Trade.

The semiconductor and microelectronics industry group says tariffs, trade tensions and new export controls are “forcing many companies to rethink their investment strategies.”

Advisers to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative are asking the administration to clarify the intent behind the inclusion of a non-market economy clause included in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, with some calling for the termination of such a provision before a deal is finalized.

President Trump on Friday said progress had been made in trade talks with China and suggested a deal could be struck with Beijing.

Sen. Warren alleges the department is favoring non-U.S. companies.

International Trade Commission members on Tuesday asked the aluminum industry why it did not ask for for an investigation into common alloy aluminum sheet imports before the Commerce Department self-initiated anti-dumping and countervailing duty probes earlier this year.

Citing what it calls a raft of “protectionist and unfair trade practices,” the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission warns in a new report that the Chinese government's involvement in and manipulation of emerging “Internet of Things” technologies pose a substantial risk for U.S. companies.

“We need to form a sort of set of core proposals that seem to be broad enough to attract discussion and generate more critical mass in order for us to continue.”