U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is punting the decision to extend duty-free, quota-free preferences for exports of travel goods to the U.S. for all Generalized System of Preferences beneficiaries to the incoming Trump administration, according to multiple sources. [Daily News| January 18, 2017 |Inside US Trade] Sources said that Froman will also issue a non-public…

President-elect Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, said on Wednesday that he wants to overhaul how the U.S. negotiates free trade agreements, urging a “systematic re-examination” process that would assess where a deal falls short and listing reciprocity and simultaneity of concessions as two of the principles he wants to include in his model.…

Billionaire Wilbur Ross, nominated by  Donald Trump to serve as Commerce secretary, called China the most protectionist of the world’s major economies and vowed to level the playing field with the Chinese on trade, especially in reducing overcapacity in its steel industry. [Andrew Mayeda| January 19, 2017 |NED] “China is the most protectionist country of…

President-elect Trump’s pick for Commerce secretary kept China’s trade policies in his cross-hairs throughout his questioning in front of the Senate Commerce Committee on Jan. 18, managing to remain critical of Beijing while calming the fears of some senators that the Trump administration will follow through on threats and impose a high tariff on Chinese…