Seoul, April 16 (IANS) The Seoul government has submitted a formal opinion letter on the United States’ ongoing probes into South Korea and other nations involving what it calls “unfair” trade practices related to structural excess production and forced labour, officials said on Thursday.The letter was submitted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources to the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) ahead of public hearings on the ongoing trade investigation scheduled to begin next m…
Latest US Trade Representative News & Updates
Bengaluru, April 3 (IANS) Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, on Friday, criticised the Centre over its online content regulation policies, citing concerns raised in the US Trade Representative’s 2026 National Trade Estimate Report. In a statement, Kharge said the report has formally flagged India’s content takedown regime, noting that US firms are facing an increasing number of requests to remove online content and user accounts that…
Washington, April 3 (IANS) The United States will impose tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imported patented pharmaceuticals, with President Donald Trump citing national security risks and heavy reliance on foreign supply chains.In a proclamation issued Thursday, Trump said pharmaceuticals and related ingredients “are being imported into the United States in such quantities and under such circumstances as to threaten to impair the national security of the United States.”The proclamation targe…
New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has emphasised that WTO discussions must address the asymmetries from the Uruguay Round, underlining the importance of all members having a fair opportunity to build productive capacity, create employment, and participate meaningfully in global trade.The minister said that the multilateral trading system must ensure that innovation, development and opportunity are shared equitably among Members. He also stated India’s commitm…
Washington, March 13 (IANS) The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has opened investigations into 60 economies, including South Korea, China and Japan, to determine whether their governments have taken sufficient steps to ban the importation of goods produced with forced labour.The office said the investigations were initiated under Section 301 of the 1974 Trade Act, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration pushes to roll out new tariffs to replace the country-specific emergency…
Seoul, Feb 27 (IANS) South Korea’s decision to allow global tech giant Google to transfer government-supplied domestic high-precision map data overseas seems to be tied to Seoul’s efforts to address US concerns over non-tariff barriers, industry observers said on Friday.Earlier in the day, the government approved Google’s request to transfer 1:5,000-scale high-precision map data to its overseas facilities, contingent on supplementary measures to address security concerns, reports Yonhap news age…
Washington, Feb 23 (IANS) US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has sought to shift the spotlight away from whether the Trump administration will refund nearly $134 billion collected under now-invalidated emergency tariffs, saying that the Supreme Court’s decision was “very narrow” and that the White House is moving quickly to new tariff authorities that keep 2026 revenue projections “unchanged”. In an interview with the CNN on Sunday, Bessent rejected the premise that refunds are the central issu…
Washington, Feb 23 (IANS) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has sought to calm global nerves after the Supreme Court struck down a key plank of President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, telling allies and trading partners that existing agreements remain safe and that Washington’s trade policy “hasn’t changed” despite a shift in legal tools. In an interview to a top US television channel on Sunday, Greer signalled that while the Trump administration is pivoting from emergency powers to other…
Washington, Feb 23 (IANS) US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the Trump administration has “very durable tools” to keep its tariff-driven trade strategy intact after the Supreme Court struck down most of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, insisting the White House is now focused on “continuity” as it shifts to other legal authorities and investigations. In an interview to a top US media portal on Sunday, Greer said the Trump administration had prepared “backup plans” in case the …
New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) After the US Supreme Court struck down reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Donald Trump administration, the White House has released a Fact Sheet, explaining that Trump has now invoked his authority under “Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974”, which empowers the President to address certain “fundamental international payment problems” through surcharges and other special import restrictions.The Proclamation imposes, for a period of 150 days, a 10 per cent “ad va…