The United Kingdom and Japan made progress toward a free trade agreement during meetings last week and expect to finalize the deal’s details by the end of August. The two sides reached “consensus on major elements” of the deal, Elizabeth Truss, the U.K.’s trade secretary, said Aug. 7. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said “a substantial agreement has been reached in most of the 24 chapters,” according to an unofficial translation of a transcript of an online press conference. Motegi said the negotiations have focused on e-commerce trade, rules of origin and other “market access issues,” adding that the two sides “agreed to aim for a general agreement by the end of August.” The two countries began negotiations June 9 (see 2006090025).
Australia's new digital trade agreement with Singapore represents the “most ambitious digital trade rules” Australia has ever negotiated, that government said in an Aug. 6 news release. The deal includes provisions on e-commerce and is expected to make it “easier for [Australian] exporters to do business,” Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said. Birmingham said the agreement will help Australian companies “reach more customers and further tap into the Singaporean market.” The deal will also decrease costs for Singapore companies exporting to Australia, Singapore said, adding it hopes to better connect the two countries’ national single windows, implement “e-verification” for imports and exports, and better share and verify electronic trade documents.
Chinese and South Korean officials met in Qingdao, China, Aug. 1 to discuss trade and economic relief measures to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, an Aug. 5 China Ministry of Commerce news release said. China said the two countries are “well-placed to restore and promote commercial exchanges” now that each country has seen success in controlling the virus. “There’s an urgent need to explore paths to restore and develop trade,” China said.
The U.S. is unlikely to get a free trade deal done with the United Kingdom before the election., U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said in written responses to members of Congress. A top British diplomat said in June that was his country's goal (see 2006110044). “While it is possible that an agreement between the United States and the UK could be reached in the next few months, the likelihood of that is low,” Lighthizer wrote. “I am more focused on achieving a comprehensive agreement that delivers real benefits for American workers, farmers, and businesses, rather than achieving a quick deal. That said, our teams are working at an accelerated pace, and I am in regular discussions with UK Trade Minister Elizabeth Truss. We are moving quickly and efficiently, but I will not sacrifice our ambitions for speed.”
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden told the United Steelworkers trade union that a core part of his trade strategy “will be to enlist our international allies to collectively tackle unfair practices by China in order to ensure American steelworkers have good, plentiful union jobs. Trump has humiliated and infuriated our allies.”
The European Union during virtual trade talks July 28 asked China for more market access for exporters and expressed concerns about its “unjustified” inspections of EU agricultural goods. China recently introduced “new restrictions” on agricultural goods due to concerns about virus contamination (see 2006300012) that have led to more customs inspections, “controls and requests for certificates on EU exports of agricultural products,” the European Commission said July 28. The EU said its beef and poultry exporters are seeing delays and are “awaiting export authorisation.”
The United Kingdom and Indonesia held the second round of a “trade review” last week to discuss increasing trade and investment to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, a July 24 news release said. The U.K. said the two sides made “excellent progress” on a “wide range of sectors,” including pharmaceuticals, energy and technology. Natalie Black, the U.K.’s trade commissioner for the Asia Pacific, said the U.K. hopes its trading relationship with Indonesia expands opportunities with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other countries in Southeast Asia.
The United Kingdom and India agreed to an “enhanced” trade relationship that could lead to a comprehensive free trade deal, the U.K.’s Department for International Trade said July 24. The two sides agreed to work toward removing a range of trade barriers, including U.K. export restrictions on pears and apples. The U.K. said it hopes to remove Indian trade barriers on the food, healthcare, information technology and chemicals sectors. “At this stage we want to keep all options on the table,” U.K. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement, “including the possibility of a free trade agreement at some point in the future.”
China and Cambodia concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement, China said in a July 20 notice, according to an unofficial translation. The two countries intend to sign and ratify the deal this year (see 2006190009), which would increase market access for a range of goods and services and improve regulatory alignment between the two governments. China also said the deal would improve rules of origin procedures and customs processes and remove a range of technical trade barriers.
The U.S. and Japan expanded their organic trade arrangement to include livestock products, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said July 14. The move will reduce costs and streamline processes for U.S. exporters involved in organic livestock supply chains by requiring only one organic certification, the USTR said.