The Commerce Department is aiming to publish its advance notice of proposed rulemaking for foundational technologies before the end of September, said Rich Ashooh, the assistant secretary for export administration. “That’s kind of the goal,” Ashooh said, speaking during a Sept. 5 Materials Technical Advisory Committee meeting. “It’s really important for us to get there.”
Exports to China
Canada's minister of international trade diversification said that Canada will ask for consultations at the World Trade Organization over discrimination against Canadian canola oil imports in China. Minister Jim Carr made the statement Sept. 6, saying Canada has a "robust food inspection system."
Vietnam continues efforts to crack down on the country of origin fraud and transshipment schemes that have become especially more frequent since the ramping up of U.S.-China trade tensions, according to reports in CustomsNews, the self-described “mouthpiece” of Vietnam Customs.
China, as a result of a Sept. 3 final ruling in its antidumping investigation, imposed duties on imports of phenol from the U.S., the European Union, North Korea, Japan and Thailand, China’s Ministry of Commerce said Sept. 4. China ruled that the dumping has “substantially damaged” its domestic industry. The duty rates range from 10.6% to 287.2%, and took effect Sept. 6 for a five-year period, China said.
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices as of Sept. 6 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):
A top U.S. Department of Agriculture official said he was “elated” to hear about the upcoming October meeting between top-level U.S. and China officials, but warned that a trade deal may still be far away. “I hope this is a very serious attempt to get going and to get back to the table and really bring this to fruition,” said Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney, speaking during a Sept. 5 conference call with reporters.
A China Ministry of Commerce press release says that the U.S. treasury secretary and the U.S. trade representative agreed to host trade negotiations in Washington in early October. Working-level staff will negotiate in mid-September, the announcement said. Former Acting Deputy USTR Wendy Cutler, speaking just after the release came out on Sept. 5, said it's the working level staff meetings that hold the most promise for progress. While the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative did not confirm a specific date, the agency told reporters Sept. 4 that meetings between the USTR and top Chinese officials will be held "in the coming weeks," and that the mid-September meetings of deputy-level officials would lay the groundwork.
China said it will continue to push for Huawei to be included in any potential U.S.-China trade deal, despite President Donald Trump saying the U.S. does not want to discuss Huawei in negotiations. “China’s position is clear. It is hoped that the U.S. will stop using the national power to suppress the wrong practices of Chinese enterprises in the name of national security,” China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesman said Sept. 5, according to an unofficial translation of a transcript from a press conference.
China and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the electronic customs certificates process for ships and shipping companies, according to a Sept. 5 report from Xinhua, China’s state-run news agency. The agreement will “boost customs clearance efficiency” and “reduce the burden of shipping enterprises and ships,” the report said.
Wendy Cutler, former acting deputy U.S. trade representative, says that the first bucket of Section 301 tariffs, the ones tailored to Made in China 2025, worked. Even though Cutler is generally not a fan of tariffs, she said, "I think those succeeded … in getting China to negotiate in earnest."