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As reported by the Guardian, over the weekend, Robert Lighthizer appeared on TV and spoke regarding several trade issues:
- The Trump administration is set to impose further duties on Chinese goods on March 1, 2019 if a trade deal is not reached. The March 1st deadline marks the end of 90 days starting December 1 of this month.
- The US Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer was chosen by Trump to negotiate the trade deal and Lighthizer told CBS’s Face the Nation that March 1, 2019 is “a hard deadline”.
- In other news, at Trump’s last meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, both sides announced a truce and delay in the scheduled January 1, 2019 increase in tariffs to 25% from 10% on approximately $200 billion of Chinese goods.
- In response to last Monday’s arrest of Huawei’s CFO, Lighthizer indicated the two issues are separate (trade on one side and law enforcement on the other side).
- Lighthizer indicated that part of the negotiations require China to increase purchases of US goods along.
- Other requirements for China would be changes to the rules requiring American firms to provide technology to Chinese partners as a condition of doing business.
Check back for more information as it becomes available. Also, if you have any goods scheduled under “List 3” and have questions about what the delay may mean to your imports under List 3, feel free to give me a call, 832-896-6288 or email at attorney.dave@yahoo.com.