The U.K. Parliament last week approved a trade deal with Australia (see 2202090017 and 2112170016). The deal, which will take effect “after UK processes are complete” and after the two countries agree to a “commencement date,” will remove tariffs on more than 99% of Australian goods exported to the U.K. annually, Australia said.

The United Arab Emirates and Georgia signed a new free trade deal, which will reduce tariffs and other trade barriers, Arab News, a Saudi Arabian newspaper, reported March 17. The agreement, reached after three rounds of negotiations, ​​"signals our ambition to build a truly global network of trade partners in strategically important parts of the world,” said Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE’s foreign trade minister, according to the report. He said the Georgia deal “holds considerable promise for our exporters.”

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity needs strong commitments on labor rights, the environment and on digital trade, among other items, a coalition of organizations and unions told the Biden administration.

House Ways and Means Committee Trade Subcommittee Chairman Adrian Smith, R-Neb., said the Biden administration is leaving an opportunity on the table by not continuing negotiations for a comprehensive trade agreement with the U.K.

The muted response of the agriculture secretary to Mexico's concessions on genetically modified corn was not enough, according to Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Smith sent a letter Feb. 15 to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai arguing that it is time to initiate a formal dispute over the non-tariff-barriers.

The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council has done some excellent work in technology, according to EU and U.S. trade officials, but it needs to tackle the "trade" part of its mission more directly. A discussion on Making a More Meaningful TTC also included executives from two technology industry associations, who were somewhat less laudatory about its results so far.

Japan brought up issues it has around the Inflation Reduction Act, while the U.S. asked Japan to increase its use of ethanol and have better regulatory transparency for "certain products and services," according to a readout of a trade discussion between the two countries released Feb. 3 by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator Doug McKalip and U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis Taylor, after meeting with Mexican officials over Mexico's plans to phase out the importation of genetically engineered crops, said they appreciate proposed modifications to the presidential decree. "However, these changes are not sufficient and Mexico’s proposed approach, which is not grounded in science, still threatens to disrupt billions of dollars in bilateral agricultural trade, cause serious economic harm to U.S. farmers and Mexican livestock producers, and stifle important innovations needed to help producers respond to pressing climate and food security challenges," they said.

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said she and U.K. Secretary of State for International Trade Kemi Badenoch talked about how to strengthen the U.S.-U.K. trade relationship, how to reform the World Trade Organization, and how to confront "the challenges posed by non-market economies."

The U.S. readout of the first round of negotiations for the 21st Century Trade Initiative with Taiwan said the two sides reached consensus in a number of areas, and will continue to negotiate on trade facilitation, good regulatory practices, domestic regulation of services and approaches to boost small companies and fight corruption.