U.S. and China committed to Phase One trade agreement

U.S. and Chinese trade officials reaffirmed their commitment to the Phase One trade deal during a scheduled call this week. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin participated in the call with China's Vice Premier Liu He to discuss implementation of the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement. They discussed implementation of the agreement; steps China has taken to effectuate structural changes; intellectual property rights; removal of barriers to American companies in areas of agriculture and financial services; and China's purchases of U.S. products. Following the call, the USTR issued a statement saying, "Both sides see progress and are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure the success of the agreement." China has recently increased its purchases of corn and soybeans but is still behind meeting this year's commitment under the agreement. The Phase One agreement calls for discussions on implementation of the ...