Sanctioned by Russia. Ex-foreign policy & trade reporter at The Wall Street Journal. Founder of Treeboard LLC. Mississippian who survived NYC & Moscow.
Pence says Biden is a "cheerleader for communist China" but Harris faults Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports followed by a phase one trade deal: "You lost that trade war with China," she says.
#VPdebate
The United Steelworkers don't support the Trump administration's latest steel-tariffs move, which extends the duties to Canada. "This decision is unacceptable and calls into serious question the design and direction of the administration's trade policy."
@steelworkers
Breaking: EU's Juncker says the bloc will react to the proposed U.S. steel action with tariffs on motorcycles (Harley-Davidson), bourbon whiskey and blue jeans.
New: Sen.
@RonWyden
sends letters to the White House's Peter Navarro,
@USTradeRep
& cabinet secretaries demanding to know if Biden has come up in China trade talks.
Breaking: Firms affected by steel tariffs just filed a high-profile constitutional challenge to the law Trump is using for duties on metals and possibly cars.
#Section232
@steelworkers
More from
@steelworkers
, suggesting frustration with the administration if not a rift: "The regular chaos surrounding our flawed trade policies is undermining the ability to project a reasoned course and ensure that we can improve domestic production and employment."
Breaking: The Biden administration has imposed a temporary freeze on U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE as it reviews billions of dollars in weapons transactions approved under Trump, according to U.S. officials. By
@wstrobel
Confused by the tariff confrontation between the U.S. and China? Then have a look at this graphic, which shows how the U.S. is taking aim at lots of smaller Chinese machinery and electrical categories, while China goes after soybeans & big-ticket items. Data from
@PIIE
.
Sen.
@ChrisMurphyCT
also raises his voice: "Spare me the righteous indignation," he tells GOP, saying they are criticizing policy execution while blocking State Dep't nominees. "You are at the same time denying the personnel necessary to protect this nation."
"I’m talking to you, would you please pay attention!"
@SenJohnBarrasso
shouts at Deputy Sec. of State for Management McKeon while discussing American citizens in Afghanistan. McKeon, the sole witness at the hearing, says he was only looking at his notes.
Breaking: The Trump administration is looking at imposing new tariffs on imported cars under a national-security law it previously used for global steel and aluminum tariffs.
This is a response by Mexico's foreign secretary to Pres. Trump's tweet this morning: "Mexico decides on its immigration policy in sovereign fashion," Mr. Videgaray tweets, adding that immigration proposals are "unacceptable" in
#Nafta
negotiations.
México decide su política migratoria de manera soberana, y la cooperación migratoria con EUA ocurre por así convenir a México. Sería inaceptable condicionar la renegociación del TLCAN a acciones migratorias fuera de este marco de cooperación.
“I don’t think they can now call it an ‘international’ forum,"
@Billbrowder
says of Putin's economic gathering in St. Petersburg, which
@StateDept
has urged governments & companies to boycott.
New: Iranian security officials helped plan Hamas’s attack on Israel and gave the green light for the assault at a meeting in Beirut, according to senior members of Hamas and Hezbollah.
@summer_said
@benoitfaucon
@stephenkalin
"There's not going to be any backing off by the West, certainly not by the United States," the White House's John Kirby tells me, in response to Putin's military mobilization and threat.
Free-market Republicans aren't happy. "This is a misuse of presidential tariff authority and counter to congressional intent," says
@SenFinance
Chairman
@ChuckGrassley
.
A U.S. special-operations unit and a contingent of Marines have been secretly operating in Taiwan to train military forces there, U.S. officials said. By
@glubold
I pressed Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova for a response to the latest U.S. calls to free
@evangershkovich
. She didn't directly respond. (Photo by
@amanda_m_macias
)
Biden says the Office of Management and Budget has joined the Pentagon in erecting barriers to his transition team, risking his national security efforts. Story with
@SabrinaSiddiqui
In uncharacteristically blunt remarks for a diplomatic meeting, Blinken warned Lavrov of “serious consequences” if Russia confronts Ukraine. Lavrov said Moscow doesn’t want any conflicts but that nations can’t put others’ security at risk.
Live: Sen.
@JeffFlake
is introducing legislation that would block Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum. GOP aides say the votes aren't there to pass such a bill + override a veto from Trump.
Excited to be reporting on U.S.
@StateDept
and foreign policy for
@WSJ
after previously covering int'l trade for half a dozen years. Here is my latest story with
@Kate_OKeeffe
: an interview with
@SecPompeo
and exclusive preview of his big China speech.
Zelensky watches as Biden tells the U.N. General Assembly: "The United States together with our allies and partners around the world will continue to stand with the brave people of Ukraine."
Trump on
@WTO
today: "The World Trade Organization makes it almost impossible for us to do good business. We lose the cases, we don't have the judges. We have a minority of judges. It's almost as bad as the 9th Circuit."
Neither side has big tariffs. The EU charges duties of between 11¢ and 29¢ per bottle of U.S. wine, while the U.S. charges 5¢ per bottle of European still wine and 14¢ for Champagne, according to California's Wine Institute.
On Trade, France makes excellent wine, but so does the U.S. The problem is that France makes it very hard for the U.S. to sell its wines into France, and charges big Tariffs, whereas the U.S. makes it easy for French wines, and charges very small Tariffs. Not fair, must change!
Blinken and Abiy “also discussed the importance of accountability for the atrocities perpetrated by all parties during the conflict, as well as the need for an inclusive and comprehensive process of transitional justice,”
@StateDeptSpox
says.
Today I have met with
@SecBlinken
Anthony J. Blinken, where we held in-depth discussions on various domestic, bilateral & regional issues of mutual interest. We have agreed to strengthen the long standing bilateral relations b/n our countries with a commitment to partnership.
If we're looking at trade balances, China's surplus (not a deficit!) with the U.S. in goods was $375 billion last year, so a reduction of $1 billion would shrink it by a quarter of one percent.
China has been asked to develop a plan for the year of a One Billion Dollar reduction in their massive Trade Deficit with the United States. Our relationship with China has been a very good one, and we look forward to seeing what ideas they come back with. We must act soon!
Thing is, Europe was already at the table when Trump took office, although those
#TTIP
talks had stalled. And so far it's unclear what Europe's deal to buy more soybeans and LNG means in practice.
.
@SecretaryRoss
credits his probes of imports on national-security grounds for bringing Brussels to the table. "If we hadn't had steel and aluminum tariffs, we never would have gotten to the point we are now," he said. "This is a real vindication of the president's trade policy."
It seems that congressional consideration of a new trade deal that Trump says will make Mexico pay for the wall is being delayed by his insistence that Congress make U.S. taxpayers pay for the wall.
#Nafta
#usmca
#shutdown
The latest idea for getting grain out of Ukrainian ports is to allow freighters to navigate right through the sea mines (with an escort, of course). Story with
@jmalsin
.
@VP
Harris says a planned digital trade agreement with common international rules and norms on data flows, privacy & e-commerce will help secure investment for regional economies
#APEC2022
"There are a number of areas where we are fundamentally at odds," Blinken said. "It's no surprise that when we raise those issues, clearly and directly, we got a defensive response."
Mexico is paying for the Wall through the new USMCA Trade Deal. Much of the Wall has already been fully renovated or built. We have done a lot of work. $5.6 Billion Dollars that House has approved is very little in comparison to the benefits of National Security. Quick payback!
Poetry standoff at the UN Security Council: Ukraine's ambassador switches to Russian, turns to Moscow's deputy foreign minister, and cites Yevtushenko's "The Heirs of Stalin."
The EU says Trump's steel-tariff plan doesn't have a national-security justification and vows, within days, "WTO-compatible countermeasures against the U.S."
A big, broad warning to businesses that may have supply-chain ties or customers linked to Xinjiang. And the coordination (from
@CommerceGov
@StateDept
@DHSgov
@USTreasury
) suggests the administration doesn't want to appear soft on China human rights.
It's surreal that Russia is presiding over an emergency UN Security Council meeting requested by Ukraine. Increasingly isolated, Moscow is showing it can still deflect serious international pressure.
Sen.
@JeffFlake
sharpens trade rhetoric, linking
#Nafta
concerns, Trump policies and even the Alabama election: "Let's not follow those who...are advocating an ethno-centric or an extreme nationalistic trade policy."
“Biden agrees that we should stand together with our allies and partners to press China’s gov't to curtail its economic, human rights & other abuses,"says
@AndrewBatesNC
. "He looks forward to working with both parties in Congress to realize that approach.”
.
@WSJ
is tracking these "great new Trade Deals." By our count, there's one deal struck (but not ratified) so far and half a dozen other major efforts to reach broad agreements with trading partners.
Our Country was built on Tariffs, and Tariffs are now leading us to great new Trade Deals - as opposed to the horrible and unfair Trade Deals that I inherited as your President. Other Countries should not be allowed to come in and steal the wealth of our great U.S.A. No longer!
China's latest retaliation list against U.S. exports includes LNG, some aircraft not listed previously and various soy products (soybeans were already included). Today's proposed $60 billion, plus the previous $50 bln, means the majority of U.S. exports of $130 bln are at stake.
"Iran’s action is a direct threat to freedom of navigation and commerce," Blinken says of the Mercer Street attack at a briefing. "It took the lives of innocent sailors."
U.S. lawmakers from states bordering Canada write to
@USTradeRep
Lighthizer to make sure Washington keeps Ottawa in the
#Nafta
talks after warnings about prioritizing Mexico alone.
From White House readout of Biden-Xi call: "Pres. Biden underscored his fundamental concerns about Beijing’s coercive & unfair economic practices, crackdown in Hong Kong, human rights abuses in Xinjiang, and increasingly assertive actions in the region, including toward Taiwan."
Turkish and UN officials are saying Russia and Ukraine have agreed on exporting grain from Odessa and other ports, with an official signing expected Friday. Any deal will be tricky to implement in wartime. Story w/
@jmalsin
A senior State Dep't official calls the balloon incident an unacceptable violation of U.S. sovereignty: "We have concluded that the conditions are not right at this moment for Sec. Blinken to travel to China."
It's official--the president's "fast track" trade powers, also call trade promotion authority, have been automatically renewed for three years after lawmakers didn't move to revoke them before July 1.
Machines at Red Wing Shoe Co. use AI to cut leather hides for maximum yield, but the results aren't as good as a highly skilled (and likely retired) human. Amazing story about the lengths manufacturers have to go to to keep producing domestically.
New: State Department officials serving at the embassy in Kabul sent an internal memo to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and another top official last month warning of the potential collapse of Kabul. By
@vmsalama
The Huawei problem: Trump now has limited scope to calibrate U.S. restrictions on Huawei without either souring the trade talks with Beijing or else running afoul of the China hawks in Congress and his own administration.
WSJ’s
@sarasmunoz
asks Blinken at
@CFR_org
about consular officials’ access to our friend and colleague Evan Gershkovich, and he replied that Russia is currently denying access but “we’re not going to stop until we get him home.”