Apple CEO Tim Cook downplayed speculative reports on a fiscal Q3 earnings call Tuesday that the company was weighing moving production out of China to escape the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. Apple is seeking List 3 tariff exclusions on Chinese imports of 15 categories of components for the Mac Pro desktop due this fall, prompting President Donald Trump’s tweet last week that Apple won't get tariff relief as long as it sources from China (see 1907260027).

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., that the stacking of Section 301 tariffs on tool sets is being reviewed by the agency. Young mentioned the issue in written questions, submitted for the record of Lighthizer's June 18 hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, that the committee recently released. Young said he'd "been informed that some tool manufacturers are facing tariff rates of more than 50 percent" as a result of CBP rulings on the sets and the application of the 301 tariffs on goods from China. Young said that while so far, it's only affecting one industry, if List 4 tariffs go into effect, there could be a wider problem.

President Donald Trump, angry that China neither stopped the flow of fentanyl nor returned to buying U.S. soybeans, announced on Twitter Aug. 1 that tariffs on nearly 3,800 8-digit tariff lines will begin Sept. 1. Just like with List 3, the tariffs will start at 10 percent.

Apple CEO Tim Cook downplayed speculative reports on a fiscal Q3 earnings call Tuesday that the company was weighing moving production out of China to escape the Section 301 tariffs on Chinese imports. Apple is seeking List 3 tariff exclusions on Chinese imports of 15 categories of components for the Mac Pro desktop due this fall, prompting President Donald Trump’s tweet last week that Apple won't get tariff relief as long as it sources from China (see 1907260027).

President Donald Trump said a 10 percent tariff on imported goods from China on List 4 -- nearly all the remaining imports that have not been hit in Section 301 -- will start on Sept. 1. He linked the punishment to a lack of agriculture purchases and the fact that "my friend President Xi" did not stop the sale of fentanyl to the U.S.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer addressed the recent end to India's Generalized System of Preferences benefits eligibility (see 1906050043) in written responses to two senators on the Senate Finance Committee. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asked about GSP and the possibility of Section 301 actions against India at a June 18 hearing at which Lighthizer appeared. Lighthizer replied, "A USTR team ... recently visited New Delhi to meet with a variety of Indian government officials in an attempt to make progress on the broad range of trade barriers we have highlighted. We remain committed to finding solutions to the myriad of trade concerns we have with India. I hope that the Government of India demonstrates a comparable commitment to resolving our concerns."

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin traveled to Shanghai for July 30 and 31 talks on a comprehensive U.S.-China trade deal, the White House said July 30. Vice Premier Liu He and Commerce Minister Zhong Shan led the Chinese delegation, it said. “The two sides discussed topics such as forced technology transfer, intellectual property rights, services, non-tariff barriers, and agriculture.” The Chinese “confirmed their commitment to increase purchases” of U.S. agricultural exports, it said. “The meetings were constructive, and we expect negotiations on an enforceable trade deal to continue” in Washington in early September, it said. The Shanghai meetings were the 12th round of negotiations that started in December, and were the first face-to-face talks between the sides since the negotiations broke down in May over Trump administration allegations that the Chinese reneged on previously agreed-to commitments. Overhanging the talks is the threat that the administration could put the List 4 Section 301 tariffs into effect at any time on virtually all Chinese goods not previously dutied.

International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for July 22-26 in case they were missed.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative issued its first set of product exclusions from the List 2 Section 301 tariffs on goods from China, said an agency notice Friday. Though virtually no tech products appeared on List 2, tech companies were monitoring the pace of the List 2 exclusion process for possible clues on how long exemptions might take for List 3, where tech had much more tariff exposure.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said there's no need for more money for Section 301 exclusion adjudicators, but will assess whether additional funding is necessary as the process continues. He also said "USTR is reviewing various courses of action with respect to whether and how to renew the exclusions granted for Lists 1 and 2" in a newly released written response to one of the chairman's questions stemming from his testimony in June before the Senate Finance Committee.