Europe

Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) on Tuesday said he believed the EU’s insistence that agriculture be left out of trans-Atlantic trade negotiations was not set in stone, but EU Ambassador to the U.S. David O’Sullivan responded by saying agriculture could not be part of the talks if the two sides wanted a quick deal -- which President Trump and EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker have called for.

World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement members on Tuesday approved the United Kingdom's terms for joining the agreement after leaving the European Union.

The European Parliament's International Trade Committee on Tuesday expressed support for the European Comission's recommendation that the EU join an international treaty aimed at creating international protections for geographical indications.

“We agree that the United States should be at the front of the line for an agreement because we believe our country would benefit from an expeditious deal with a sovereign United Kingdom.”

The good regulatory practices chapter of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement could serve as a template for future negotiations with the European Union, according to former U.S. trade negotiators, analysts and stakeholders.

The European Union will not enter into trade negotiations with the United States if the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative includes agricultural market access in the list of negotiating objectives it must submit to Congress before formal talks can begin, according to EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.

More than 20 World Trade Organization members, including the U.S., this week expressed concerns over the European Union's proposed changes to its tariff schedule once the United Kingdom exits the bloc next year.