WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is optimistic it can strike a deal with China and other Asia-Pacific countries to cut tariffs on green technology goods despite frictions with Beijing over the burgeoning trade in renewable energy products, a top U.S. trade official said on Tuesday.

“I think we’re on track to do that,” Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Bank on Monday said it stood ready to help governments respond to a broad-based run-up in grain prices that has again put the world’s poorest people at risk and could have lingering detrimental impacts for years.

“We cannot allow short-term food-price spikes to have damaging long-term consequences for the world’s most poor and vulnerable,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said in statement.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A key congressional committee on Thursday voted overwhelmingly to lift a Cold War-era restriction on trade with Russia, but the top congressional Republican said President Barack Obama must do more to get the bill passed into law.

The White House and business groups want lawmakers to approve the legislation before leaving next week for a month-long recess so U.S. companies can share in the full benefits of Russia’s entry in the World Trade Organization on August 22.

WASHINGTON, July 25 (Reuters) – The United States and the
European Union should seize a historic opportunity to restore
much-needed economic growth by starting bilateral free trade
talks early next year, Britain’s ambassador to the United States
said on Wednesday.

“Estimates suggest that a comprehensive deal covering goods,
agriculture, services, investment, government procurement and
regulatory co-operation would be worth two to three percent in
GDP gains to the EU and the U.S.,” British Ambassador Peter
Westmacott said in a speech.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. union groups, frustrated by what they describe as a decade of broken promises by China since the Asian economic giant joined the World Trade Organization, are pressing Congress to take a tougher approach with Russia, which is poised to enter the WTO.

The plea came as U.S. business groups push Congress to prepare for Russia’s entry into the WTO on August 22 by lifting a Cold War-era human rights provision known as the Jackson-Vanik amendment to establish “permanent normal trade relations” (PNTR) between the two countries.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is encouraged by economic and political reforms underway in Myanmar but needs to see further progress before easing a long-time ban on U.S. imports from the resource-rich Asian country, a top U.S. official said on Monday.

Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats, who along with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently met with Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, told the Center for Strategic and International Studies he was optimistic the long-isolated country intended to stay on the path of reform

WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama’s new
trade enforcement unit is initially focusing on obstacles to
U.S. exports in at least six countries, including Chinese
industrial policies believed to violate world trade rules, a top
U.S. trade official said on Monday.

“We’re looking at problems in at least a half-dozen
countries, and that number is going to grow. We’ve got problems
around the world,” Tim Reif, general counsel in the U.S. Trade
Representative’s office, said in a speech.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top Republican and Democrat on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee on Thursday said they had reached a deal to move forward on Russian trade legislation, including human rights provisions opposed by Moscow.

“I am pleased that we were able to gain bipartisan support for this important legislation that supports U.S. jobs and exports, and I look forward to marking it up next week,” Committee Chairman Dave Camp, a Republican, said in a joint statement with Representative Sander Levin, a Democrat.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill to ensure that U.S. exporters share in the benefits of Russia’s upcoming accession to the World Trade Organization and to also punish Russian officials for human rights violations.

The bipartisan vote improves chances for the bill to move quickly through the full Senate and the House of Representatives and be signed into law by President Barack Obama before Russia enters the WTO in August.

GENEVA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Washington won a major victory in an election-year dispute against China on Monday when a WTO ruling found China had discriminated against U.S. bank card suppliers in favour of a state-owned enterprise that enjoys an illegal monopoly.

The decision by a World Trade Organisation dispute panel said Beijing was breaking WTO rules by requiring all yuan-denominated payment cards issued in China to work with the network belonging to China UnionPay (CUP), as well as requiring every merchant and ATM to accept CUP’s cards.