Africa and The Middle East

The Biden administration on Friday announced its “strong support” for Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as the World Trade Organization’s next director-general, ending the previous administration’s block and opening the door to her quick appointment. Okonjo-Iweala was named the consensus candidate last year after a months-long selection process, but the Trump administration refused to join the consensus on her appointment, leaving the WTO without a leader since the end of August last year. The Trump administration instead continued to back Okonjo-Iweala's rival,...

Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee has taken herself out of the running for the World Trade Organization’s top job, removing one of the major hurdles to Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala taking the reins of the leaderless organization. Okonjo-Iweala was identified as the consensus director-general candidate by the WTO General Council chair last year after a months-long selection process. She would be the first African and first woman to head the organization. However, her appointment was blocked by the Trump administration, which...

President Biden’s move to maintain national security-based tariffs on the United Arab Emirates likely isn’t indicative of how Section 232 duties will be handled broadly, industry sources said this week, suggesting the administration could opt to negotiate exemptions with key countries. The Trump administration in 2018 invoked Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 in imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from a slew of countries, including some close allies. Others negotiated separate arrangements. In a proclamation issued...

President Biden on Monday revoked a last-minute Trump administration move to lift Section 232 tariffs on aluminum from the United Arab Emirates in favor of a quota system. The day before leaving office, President Trump issued a proclamation to amend his 2018 decision to impose 10 percent tariffs on aluminum imports from a host of countries, ordering that duties on aluminum from the UAE be lifted beginning on Feb. 3. However, Biden, in a proclamation on Monday, contended that aluminum...

Negotiators from the U.S. and Kenya will wrap up the second round of trade talks on Nov. 12, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The countries initiated the negotiations in July. That round lasted roughly two weeks and was focused primarily on determining the scope of a potential deal. The second session, which began Oct. 21, has featured substantial exchanges of texts. According to the American Chamber of Commerce in Kenya, Nairobi has prepared text for several...

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on Thursday backed the U.S.’ continued support of Korean Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee to lead the World Trade Organization despite majority support for her rival. Grassley argued Yoo could deliver on reform. The U.S. on Wednesday threw a wrench in the WTO director-general selection process by refusing to back Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who was identified by the chairs leading the process as the candidate with the most support among the members. The Trump...