SINO-US TRADE

Vice President Kamala Harris’ recent visit to Southeast Asia could offer some clues into elements of the Biden administration’s still-evolving trade policy toward mainland China, particularly as the U.S. works to strengthen relations with allies in the region. More

With the Biden administration still offering no information on when an on-going review of U.S. trade policy toward mainland China might be completed or what its outcomes might be, the U.S. trade community is pushing the White House to take specific measures to ensure “continued engagement with China on trade and economic issues” in the meantime. More

Legislation introduced by Sen. Cotton on 28 July would, among other things, prohibit federal procurement of pharmaceutical products with active pharmaceutical ingredients produced in mainland China (to be phased in over two years) and require drug companies to list APIs and their countries of origin on the labels of imported and domestically-produced finished drug products. More

U.S. business groups are again calling for relief from Section 301 tariffs as the total assessed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection nears US$100 billion. Congress is moving toward providing such relief but the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has yet to indicate whether or when it might act. More