USTR Trade Enforcement Priorities Report: No Surprises

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR)  2023 trade enforcement priorities as spelled out in their annual report to congress outlines a continuation of previous initiatives, elevating labor and environmental standards, but continuing a staunch America First approach to national security priorities in dealing with multilaterla and bilateral disputes.

Key Priorities:

• Preservation of U.S. National Security Rights: USTR asserts the non-negotiable position that the World Trade Organization (WTO) lacks jurisdiction over U.S. national security matters. Given recent legal challenges from China and other WTO members to U.S. national security measures, USTR reiterates that it will not relinquish authority over national security to WTO panels.
• Enforcement of USMCA: Stringent enforcement of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) ensures compliance from all member countries. The focus extends to elevating labor standards and environment protections. In 2023 alone, the U.S. sought Mexico’s review under the USMCA's Rapid Response Labor Mechanism six times, and also challenged Canada’s dairy tariff-rate quota allocations.
• WTO Reforms: USTR aims to spearhead reform of the WTO's dispute settlement system, advocating for a system that is efficient, transparent, and minimizes unnecessary complexity and overreach.
• Defense of U.S. Trade Remedies: In the face of challenges particularly from China, USTR will continue to safeguard U.S. antidumping, countervailing, and safeguard actions that protect domestic workers and businesses from unfair trade practices.
• Strategic Interests: USTR's enforcement initiatives align with broader U.S. strategic objectives, including supply chain resilience as per Executive Order 14017. The office also focuses on intellectual property protection, tackling issues like counterfeit goods, forced technology transfer, and patent infringements.
• Barrier Removal: Technical barriers that discriminate against U.S. exports or violate international commitments will also be rigorously addressed to ensure fair competition for American workers and businesses.

While this summary outlines the core enforcement priorities for 2023, it is not exhaustive. Further details on ongoing efforts and objectives are available in complementary reports such as the 2023 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers and the 2023 Trade Policy Agenda and 2022 Annual Report of the President of the United States on the Trade Agreements Program, accessible on the USTR website.