33 Democrats urge ban on investor-state dispute provisions in all U.S. trade deals

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department to eliminate investor-state dispute settlement provisions from current and future trade deals and to intervene on behalf of Honduras against a U.S. company’s nearly $11 billion claim against the country. In a letter to Secretary of…

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US Senator Rubio seeks probe of Ford’s Chinese partnership on nickel plant

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Senator Marcio Rubio on Wednesday asked the Biden administration to investigate Ford Motor Co’s plan to partner with PT Vale Indonesia and China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt in a $4.5 billion nickel processing plant in Indonesia. Rubio, who is the top Republican on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the venture…

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US stands with Philippines against Chinese ‘intimidation’ in S. China Sea – official

By Karen Lema (Reuters) – The United States stands with treaty ally the Philippines in the face of harassment by China’s coast guard in the South China Sea and remains deeply concerned about “intimidation” by Beijing, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday. A visit to the United States this week by Philippine President Ferdinand…

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U.S. Treasury official says June 1 default scenario is ‘best estimate’ but variable

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury’s estimate that it could run short of cash to satisfy all U.S. payment obligations as early as June 1 is its “best estimate” based on recent tax receipts, Treasury Assistant Secretary for Financial Markets Joshua Frost said on Wednesday. He told a news conference after Treasury’s quarterly refunding announcement:…

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