Washington | Reuters — The U.S. government on Monday said it may slap punitive duties of up to 100 per cent on US$2.4 billion in imports from France of champagne, handbags, cheese and other products, after concluding that France’s new digital services tax would harm U.S. tech companies. The U.S. Trade Representative’s office said its […] Read more
U.S. vows 100 per cent tariffs on France’s champagne, cheese over digital tax
U.S.-Japan trade deal falls short of abandoned Trans-Pacific pact
But beef and pork producers have made big gains under the bilateral deal
Washington | Reuters – U.S. President Donald Trump has called his new trade deal with Japan a “phenomenal” victory for U.S. farmers. But don’t expect America’s Land O’Lakes butter to knock New Zealand’s Anchor or France’s President brands off store shelves in Japan, the world’s third largest economy. Butter is one of several U.S. dairy […] Read more
China to request U.S. remove tariffs in exchange for ag buys
Washington | Reuters – Top U.S. and Chinese trade officials will discuss plans on Friday for China to buy more U.S. farm products, but in return, Beijing will request cancellation of some planned and existing U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports, people briefed on the talks told Reuters. Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative, U.S. […] Read more
U.S., Japan sign limited trade deal
New York | Reuters — U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed a limited trade deal on Wednesday that cuts tariffs on U.S. farm goods, Japanese machine tools and other products while further staving off the threat of higher U.S. car duties. Trump said the deal would open up Japanese markets […] Read more
Japan set to grant TPP-level access for U.S. beef, pork
Tokyo | Reuters — The United States and Japan have reached the broad framework of a trade agreement, Japan’s Nikkei business daily said on Saturday, with Tokyo making concessions on its agriculture but none immediately apparent from Washington on automobiles. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi reached the deal in Washington […] Read more
Trump threatens new tariffs as U.S.-China trade tensions spike again
Washington | Reuters – U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday moved to impose a 10 percent tariff on a remaining $300 billion list of Chinese imports starting Sept. 1, after U.S. and Chinese negotiators failed to kickstart trade talks between the world’s two largest economies. The levies – which would hit a wide swath of […] Read more
U.S. boosts trade pact’s outlook lifting tariffs on Canadian, Mexican metals
Washington/Ottawa | Reuters — The United States struck deals on Friday to lift tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada and Mexico, the three governments said, removing a major obstacle to legislative approval of a new North American trade pact. The separate agreements, which will not impose U.S. quotas on Canadian and Mexican metals […] Read more
USMCA deal modestly boosts U.S. economy, trade panel finds
Washington | Reuters — The new North American free trade pact would modestly boost the U.S. economy, especially auto parts production, but may curb vehicle assembly and limit consumer choice in cars, a hotly anticipated analysis from the U.S. International Trade Commission showed on Thursday. The ITC report is a crucial step in the push […] Read more
Trump delays tariff hike on Chinese goods, citing trade talk progress
Washington | Reuters — President Donald Trump said on Sunday he would delay an increase in U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods thanks to “productive” trade talks and that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would meet to seal a deal if progress continued. The announcement was the clearest sign yet that China and the U.S. […] Read more
U.S. to seek comprehensive ag access in EU trade talks
Washington | Reuters — The United States on Friday signaled it would not bow to the European Union’s request to keep agriculture out of this year’s planned U.S.-EU trade talks, publishing negotiating objectives that seek comprehensive EU access for American farm products. The objectives, required by Congress under the “fast-track” trade negotiating authority law, seek […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
