Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 6/8/18

House Ways and Means members left their Thursday meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer pretty discouraged about the administration's trade moves. In fact, Pro Trade's Adam Behsudi and Doug Palmer report that lawmakers question whether the administration has any clear approach at all.

"We left there I think feeling that there's just no clear strategy," Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) said. "What's the end game? That was the first question that was asked."

NAFTA worries: Among the concerns raised by House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) and Rep. Dave Reichert (R-Wash.), who is chairman of the Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee, was the continued business uncertainty resulting from the drawn-out renegotiation of NAFTA. The talks started nearly 10 months ago but do not appear to be anywhere near done.
Brady said he urged the administration to push for a "strong and modern NAFTA with binding dispute settlement, including [investor-state dispute settlement], and without the uncertainty created by an automatic sunset." Lawmakers said Lighthizer did not give any timeline for the conclusion of the talks.

One bright spot in trade war? The U.S. government struck a deal with Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Thursday, resolving one of the major demands from the Chinese government amid ongoing trade talks.
But Ross also said that China had no plans to improve the situation for U.S. exporters in exchange for the Trump administration's decision to lift a ban that prevented U.S. firms from doing business with ZTE.