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Margaret Spiegelman

Margaret Spiegelman

Margaret Spiegelman is an associate editor with Inside U.S. Trade.

Archived Articles

Solar petitioners: Lobbying effort to unmask led by group with China ties

A group of U.S. solar manufacturers asking the Commerce Department to investigate companies they allege are evading longstanding trade remedies against China say an industry group representing Chinese entities has mounted a “high-pressure campaign” to unmask their identities -- efforts they say could lead to retaliation from China and risk putting the domestic solar industry “out of business for good.” An industry group calling itself the American Solar Manufacturers Against Chinese Circumvention (or “A-SMACC”) in August petitioned Commerce to launch...

Heeding industry calls, DOE hastens solar supply chain review

The Energy Department is planning to issue a review of the solar supply chain this fall, well ahead of an administration deadline, at the urging of clean energy industry representatives concerned about uncertain solar trade policy and other issues, a senior Energy official said on Thursday. Energy in June released the findings from a review of the large-capacity battery supply chain -- one of four 100-day critical supply chain reviews requested by President Biden in a January executive order ...

EU touts progress on IP waiver talks at the WTO, challenges India’s view

The European Union on Thursday challenged India’s interpretation of the bloc’s proposal on intellectual property obligations for pandemic-related products and said World Trade Organization members had found "many points of convergence” on aspects of its approach, according to a Geneva-based trade official. The WTO’s Council for Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights met on Thursday for the second day of a two-day meeting focused on finding a pathway to a decision on intellectual property obligations for pandemic-related products -- something...

White House: Port of LA to operate 24/7, easing strain on exporters

The Port of Los Angeles will begin round-the-clock operations as part of a public- and private-sector effort to help ease pandemic-related port congestion causing delays and high prices for exporters, President Biden said on Wednesday. “We're going to help speed up the delivery of goods all across America,” Biden said . “After weeks of negotiation and working with my team and with the major union retailers and freight movers … the Port of Los Angeles announced today that it's going...

USTR seeks ‘environmental justice’ reps, diversity on advisory committee

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is calling for representatives from environmental justice groups and others of diverse backgrounds to serve on the agency’s newly re-chartered industry advisory committee on trade and environment. In a Federal Register notice posted on Monday, USTR said it was accepting nominations for membership on the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee , composed of outside advisers. USTR Katherine Tai in late September renewed the committee’s charter, which was set to expire on Sept...

Tai raises industrial policy, phase-one deal concerns in ‘candid’ call with Liu

U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Friday evening spoke with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He for the first time since laying out the administration’s new strategy for U.S.-China economic relations, raising concerns over China’s industrial policy and implementation of the U.S.-China phase-one deal, USTR said. Earlier this week Tai announced plans to speak with her Chinese counterpart “in the coming days.” On Monday she delivered a much-anticipated speech expressing concern that China in recent years has “doubled down on its...

Lawmakers propose bill to crack down on commodity-driven deforestation

A group of lawmakers led by Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) this week introduced legislation to reduce deforestation by restricting U.S. market access for commodities produced on illegally cleared land. “Illegal deforestation is threatening local communities and wildlife and is a major driver of climate change,” Schatz said in a statement on Wednesday. “American consumers are unknowingly and unintentionally driving this destruction, and our bill will help put an end to that.”...

Dombrovskis plans climate-oriented trade coalition, ministerial next year

European Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis plans to form a coalition of trade ministers focused on reaching climate goals that he hopes will meet for the first time next year, he said on Thursday. Dombrovskis made the announcement during a speech at the EU Sustainable Investment Summit. He touted the bloc’s work to address climate change, including efforts to increase public and private investment in climate and strengthen company reporting on climate-related issues, before announcing plans...

Commerce seeks more information on anonymous solar petitioners

The Commerce Department is requesting more information about a group of anonymous petitioners pushing the agency to launch inquiries into solar product manufacturers in Southeast Asia, which the companies say are evading longstanding trade remedy measures against China. An industry group calling itself the American Solar Manufacturers Against Chinese Circumvention (“A-SMACC”) in August requested that Commerce launch anti-circumvention inquiries into imports of certain solar products from companies in Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand it says are evading AD/CVD orders on China...

House Republicans press Biden to fill USDA trade under secretary slot

Republican members of the House Agriculture Committee want President Biden to fill the role of under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs at the Agriculture Department -- a position they say is key to leading efforts to implement the U.S.-Mexico Canada Agreement, among other priorities for farmers. Twenty-four Republican members of the committee, led by Republican leader Glenn Thompson (R-PA), said in a Sept. 28 letter to the president that it was “alarming” that the role remains unfilled and...

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