The Trump Administration & US - Indo-Pacific Relations

This resource tracked statements, developments, visits, and other interactions in US-Indo-Pacific relations under the President Trump administration. Special focus was given to the comments and activities of President Donald J. Trump; Vice President Mike Pence; United States Trade Representative Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, Jr.; former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson; former Secretary of Defense James Mattis; and former Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper.

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Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator Ron Wyden (OR) - China

Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator John Cornyn (TX) - China and TPP

Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator Steve Daines (MT) - Japan and China

Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (NV) - China

Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) - China

Ambassador Lighthizer's Remarks to Senator Maggie Hassan (NH) - China

Ambassador Lighthizer's Opening Remarks During Senate Finance Committee Hearing - China

Statement By U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Section 301 Action - China

“Earlier today, at the direction of the President, the United States increased the level of tariffs from 10 percent to 25 percent on approximately $200 billion worth of Chinese imports. The President also ordered us to begin the process of raising tariffs on essentially all remaining imports from China, which are valued at approximately $300 billion.”

Statement from the Press Secretary Regarding the Administration’s Trade Talks with China

"At President Donald J. Trump’s direction, United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin will travel to Beijing for continued negotiations on the trade relationship between the United States and China. The talks will begin on April 30, 2019. Vice Premier Liu He will lead the talks for China. The Vice Premier will then lead a Chinese delegation to Washington for additional discussions starting on May 8, 2019.

The subjects of next week’s discussions will cover trade issues including intellectual…

United States Wins Dispute Finding China’s Administration of Grain Tariff-Rate Quotas Breaches WTO Commitments

"U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced today that a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel found that China has administered its tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) for wheat, corn, and rice inconsistently with its WTO commitments. Contrary to those commitments, China’s TRQ administration is not transparent, predictable, or fair, and it ultimately inhibits TRQs from filling, denying U.S. farmers access to China’s market for grain.

This panel report is the second significant victory for U.S. agriculture this year, and, together…

Statement from USTR on Meetings to Discuss the United States-Japan Trade Agreement

"United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer met with Japan’s Economic Revitalization Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on April 15-16 in Washington to continue negotiations on the United States-Japan Trade Agreement.

The two officials reaffirmed their shared goal of achieving substantive results on trade in furtherance of the joint statement issued by President Donald J. Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 26, 2018.

The United States and Japan discussed trade issues involving goods, including agriculture, as well as the need to establish high standards in the…