The cancellation of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Chile prompted immediate speculation that the prospects for signing Phase One of a trade deal between the U.S. and China were suddenly dimmed or put into question.
While addressing reporters via a teleconference from Ghana, USDA Deputy Secretary Steve Censky was asked about the situation. While acknowledging he was not in Washington and that the APEC development was new, “I will say that I do know that those discussions between the United States and China have been continuing this week to try and finalize that Phase One agreement.”
Given that, Censky reasoned, “everything is still all systems go for the United States and China to keep working to finalize that Phase One trade agreement as quickly as possible. And of course, we had the goal of having it finalized by mid-November for the APEC summit in Chile.”
“But I think the goal of having it finalized by mid-November still remains,” Censky concluded.
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