Watching before acting is as important as listening before speaking. ― Irl M. Davis
 |
| GLOBAL |
WTO DEALS U.S. A BLOW IN CANADIAN PAPER CASE: In other WTO
news, the global trading body largely sided with Canada on Thursday in a
dispute settlement ruling involving U.S. duties on imports of Canadian
supercalendered paper, or the glossy kind used in newspaper inserts and
magazines. A dispute settlement panel found that U.S. countervailing duties ran
afoul of WTO rules.
In the ruling, the global trading
body also took issue with another aspect of U.S. trade remedy law, saying the
Commerce Department's "ongoing conduct" of applying "adverse
facts available" to calculate duties — a practice that often leads to
higher tariffs when the department finds companies aren't fully cooperating
with an investigation — is also inconsistent with WTO statute.
The dispute settlement panel also rejected or declined to rule
on some aspects of Canada's case, but it otherwise largely sided with Ottawa,
wrapping up a case that was first launched in March 2016.
Coming up next: Both sides now have up to 60 days to decide whether to appeal
the findings. [POLITICO's Morning Trade, July 6,
2018]
NORTH AMERICAN AUTO GROUPS PRESS FOR MORE NAFTA TALKS: North American
automotive groups on Monday urged U.S., Canadian and Mexican negotiators to
wrap up talks to renegotiate NAFTA, now that Mexico has elected a new
president.
"As a new government forms in Mexico on Dec. 1, 2018, we
believe now is the time for all parties to return to the negotiating table with
a renewed commitment to the modernization of a cohesive three-country NAFTA
agreement," the groups said. "We have a great opportunity to update
this trade agreement and it is in the best interest of all three countries to
refocus on establishing a new NAFTA agreement that will allow the North
American auto industry to remain globally competitive."
The statement was signed by auto groups from the three countries
that represent U.S., Asian and European brand manufacturers that build cars in
the region. Doug has more. [Morning Trade, July
10, 2018]
MEXICO ASYLUM TALKS HEAT UP: The Trump administration continues
to discuss a possible "safe third country" asylum deal with Mexico,
Joshua Partlow and Nick Miroff write in the Washington Post. Under such an
agreement, asylum seekers who pass through Mexico en route to the U.S. would be
required to first seek refuge in that country — largely fixing the
administration's quandary over how to stop the flow of Central American
children and families to the border.
"The possible accord is likely to be
discussed this week at high-level meetings in Latin America," the Post
reports. "[Nielsen] was scheduled to meet Tuesday and Wednesday with
foreign ministers from Central America and Mexico in Guatemala City. Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo is due to visit Mexico City on Friday."
POLITICO reported in mid-May that
U.S. and Mexican officials were discussing an asylum deal, but talks cooled in
the runup to Mexico's July 1 presidential election.
The election ended with a victory for Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a leftist
and vocal Trump opponent, which would seemingly make a safe-third country pact
less likely. "But DHS officials believe they have a window to secure a
deal in the lame-duck phase of [President Enrique Peña Nieto's] administration,
which ends on Dec. 1," write Partlow and Miroff. "Some on the Mexican
side see such an accord as a possible valuable chit in broader negotiations
over tariffs and the future of North American free trade." More here. [POLITICO's Morning Shift, July 11, 2018]
 |
| CANADA |
 |
| MEXICO |
 |
| EUROPE |
 |
| GERMANY |
 |
| CROATIA |
 |
| AUSTRALIA |
 |
| GREAT BRITAIN |
DD RESIGNS: The U.K.’s Brexit Secretary David Davis resigned shortly before
midnight on Sunday, with a withering assessment of Theresa May’s new plan for
Brexit. Steve Baker, the U.K.’s minister in charge of a no-deal Brexit
scenario, and Suella Braverman, another Brexit minister, have reportedly followed him out
the door. “It leaves a gaping hole at the top of the department set up by
May to plan and negotiate Britain’s EU exit, less than nine months from Brexit
day,” our London colleague Jack Blanchard writes.
It doesn’t particularly matter to Brussels who’s leading
the U.K.’s Brexit charge as long as Theresa May stays put as prime minister.
The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told leaders at their late June
summit that he considers May’s EU adviser Olly Robbins to be his real
counterpart in the discussions, people who witnessed Barnier’s gig told
Playbook. Still, these latest resignations complicate things for the U.K. — and
more concretely for its “strong and stable” government, which has had to deal
with a resignation every six weeks or so.
It’s a major challenge for May, who’s facing her
biggest crisis since the general election. Could other Brexiteer ministers
follow suit and attempt to bring her down? Could the resignations, in fact,
strengthen May’s position? Will they — and let’s not forget there are divergent
interests on the EU side of things too — highlight the need to prepare for a
no-deal Brexit? These are just a few of the many questions swirling around
today and over the next few days. For those of you hungry for the immediate
lowdown on the British fallout, keep an eye out for Jack’s London
Playbook,
hitting inboxes by 8 a.m. Brussels time. [POLITICO
Brussels Playbook, July 9, 2018]
EU BREXIT CHIEF TO MEET WITH TRUMP TEAM AMID U.K. CHAOS: With the United
Kingdom in crisis over its exit negotiations with the European Union, the EU's
chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has a busy
U.S. visit planned for this week. He starts today in New York, where
he is participating in events hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations and
the European American Chamber of Commerce.
Barnier will meet with senior U.S. officials on Wednesday,
including U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Treasury Secretary
Steven Mnuchin, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Federal Reserve Chairman
Jerome Powell. He will discuss the future of Brexit negotiations at the U.S.
Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday and the Carnegie Endowment for International
Peace on Thursday.
The U.S. visit comes as British Prime Minister Theresa May faces
a possible "no confidence" vote that could force her out of office.
The U.K.'s chief Brexit negotiator, David Davis, resigned over the weekend to
protest May's revised Brexit plan, which was approved on Friday by May's
cabinet. By Sunday night, Davis decided to leave, accusing the prime minister
of leaving the U.K. at the mercy of further demands for concessions from the EU
and breaking key negotiating pledges. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson resigned
Monday.
May on Monday appointed Dominic Raab, a Conservative Party
politician from southern England, to replace Davis. The BBCdescribed Raab as a
"staunch Brexiteer" who formerly worked for Davis as a lawyer in the
Foreign Office before going into politics in 2006. May also moved Jeremy Hunt,
who was formerly the health secretary, into the foreign secretary slot. [POLITICO's Morning Trade, July 10, 2018]
U.K.
SCIENTISTS TO MAY: CHALLENGE TRUMP ON CLIMATE: Ahead of Trump's trip to the United Kingdom
this week, 135 of its climate scientists wrote to Prime Minister Theresa May
urging her to challenge the president on climate change. "As the United
States is the world's second largest source of greenhouse gas emissions,
President Trump's policy of inaction on climate change is putting at risk the
U.K.'s national security and its interests overseas," they wrote in the letter. [POLITICO's Morning Energy, July 10, 2018]
|
|||||
|
 |
| MIDDLE EAST |
 |
| ARMENIA |
 |
| BOLIVIA |
 |
| COLOMBIA |
NOTE: I have no official connection to any organization from which information is shared.. Occasionally, I post informational material and/or an opportunity to donate or join as a "community service" announcement. These again are shared for their varying perspectives.
Any commercial or business interest information shared is purely informational, not an endorsement. I have no connection with any such commercial or business interest.
Any books listed are random or topic-related to something else in the post. Think of these as a "library bookshelf" to browse. They are shared for informational or entertainment value only, not as being recommended.
Comments
Post a Comment