Lighthizer Meets Japan and EU to Discuss Before and After US-China Phase One Agreement

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), is reported by major foreign media on the 13th (local time) to meet with trade chiefs from Japan and the European Union (EU) before and after the signing of the US-China Phase One trade agreement to discuss China's subsidy support and non-market trade policies.

According to reports, Representative Lighthizer met with Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, in Washington DC on the day, and the USTR announced that he will hold a bilateral meeting with Phil Hogan, the EU Commissioner for Trade, on the 16th. They will discuss issues such as China's non-market trade policies and subsidies together. Major foreign media analyzed that these meetings serve as a foundation for the US-China Phase One trade agreement.

However, experts pointed out that despite the Phase One agreement between the US and China, several challenges remain, citing subsidy support for Chinese state-owned enterprises, digital trade, and disputes in the field of cybersecurity. The EU and Japan are countries that share concerns about the issues the US is negotiating with China, while at the same time facing concerns about the US tariff bomb.

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), a US think tank, called on the US, Japan, and EU trade chiefs to stop pursuing bilateral negotiations outside the multilateral system of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to jointly respond to China's dangerous mercantilist practices.