USTR opens investigation into China’s phase one trade agreement implementation

In Washington, United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer announced the initiation of a Section 301 investigation of China’s implementation of the Economic and Trade Agreement Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People’s Republic of China USTR will examine whether China has fully implemented its commitments under the Phase One Agreement, the burden or restriction on U.S. commerce resulting from any non-implementation by China of its commitments, and what action, if any, should be taken in response.

Growth Energy, the nation’s largest biofuel trade association, issued the following statement from CEO Emily Skor in response to the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) announcement of a Section 301 investigation into China’s implementation of its commitments under the Phase One Agreement:

“The U.S. cannot stand by while its trading partners fail to live up to their commitments, particularly when farmers and rural communities across the country are facing a period of significant economic challenges. We applaud USTR for taking a closer look at China’s failure to fully deliver on its Phase One commitments. While China briefly resumed imports of U.S. ethanol immediately following the agreement, those purchases represented baseline trade levels rather meaningful increases and have since dissipated—they did not reflect the sustained market access that American producers were promised.