USTR

House Ways & Means Committee Chairman Richard Neal (D-MA) this week continued to press the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to take enforcement actions he said would "support Mexico’s labor reform" and address "persistent" violations, but sources say the coronavirus pandemic has made it challenging to submit and process challenges.

“We can’t have trade agreements and obligations being nullified by these seven people and a staff that really controls them.”

President-elect Joe Biden plans to nominate Katherine Tai, chief Democratic trade counsel for the House Ways & Means Committee, for U.S. Trade Representative, according to multiple reports.

Democratic House members on Wednesday blasted the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative for the “manner, speed and timing” of its limited trade arrangement with Ecuador, signed earlier this week.

“While Article 24.2 states that an environmental policy may not be a ‘disguised restriction on trade or investment,’ there is no indication that is applicable in this situation.”

The association leaders sent a letter to U.S., Mexican and Canadian officials.

The commission will accept written submissions to inform the probe until Jan. 15

“A limited, early removal of the most counterproductive ... could provide relief for U.S. manufacturing, while leaving the new Administration space to negotiate further tariff changes based on Chinese market access commitments.”

A slew of Democratic demands tied to the renewal of the Generalized System of Preferences program -- set to expire this month -- are “not very appropriate,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said on Tuesday, suggesting they could jeopardize the chances of an extension.