China reaffirmed this week its commitments included in the Phase 1 trade deal. The pledge comes out of a conversation between U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Lighthizer and Chinese trade officials, the first formal dialogue since early May, according to Reuters.
In a statement following the call, Lighthizer says, “Both sides see progress and are committed to taking the steps necessary to ensure the success of the agreement.”
The call was scheduled for Aug. 15, the six-month anniversary of the trade deal, but both sides offered conflicting statements about why the original call was canceled. China cited scheduling conflicts, while President Donald Trump claimed he canceled the meeting himself. China’s pace of purchasing U.S. Ag commodities is lagging from expectations, leaving some questioning if China will follow through.
The USTR statement continues, “The parties also discussed the significant increases in purchases of U.S. products by China as well as future actions needed to implement the agreement.”
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)