Inside U.S. Trade - 12/23/2011

U.S. Appeals Court Outlaws CVDs On NMEs, Tossing Curveball To Commerce

A U.S. federal appeals court ruled this week that the Commerce Department cannot apply countervailing duties on domestic subsidies in non-market economies (NMEs), overturning current Commerce practice and placing in potential legal limbo all CVD orders that have been imposed since 2007 on imports from China, as well as subsidies claims being made in ongoing CVD investigations such as the solar panel case.1638 words

Japan Perceives U.S. Preference In Having It Join Final TPP Deal: Observer

GENEVA -- Without saying so explicitly, U.S. officials have signaled in private conversations with their Japanese counterparts that they would prefer that Japan accede to a completed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) deal rather than join the ongoing negotiations, according to a Japanese observer.908 words

EU Rejects U.S. Retaliation Request In Airbus Case, Triggering Arbitration

The European Union yesterday (Dec. 22) clashed with the United States about the amount and nature of the retaliation it is seeking to invoke in a dispute over the subsidies that EU member states have provided to aircraft maker Airbus in violation of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.759 words

Russian Official Says Accession Legislation To Pass No Later Than May

GENEVA -- A prominent Russian official said at a Dec. 16 press conference that the Duma will ratify the package of measures necessary to accede to the World Trade Organization after the Russian presidential election and no later than May of next year.969 words

Happy Holidays

The staff of Inside U.S. Trade would like to wish our readers a joyous holiday season, as well as a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. In observance of the holidays, Inside U.S. Trade will not be published on Dec. 30. Your next issue will be dated Jan. 6, 2012.55 words

Punke Outlines U.S. Interest In Exploring A Services Plurilateral Deal

GENEVA -- Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Michael Punke last week said the United States is interested in exploring a services plurilateral outcome in light of the impasse in the Doha round overall, and in the Doha round negotiations on services in particular.523 words

WTO Official Questions Services Plurilateral Approach Favored By U.S.

GENEVA -- The director of services trade in the World Trade Organization Secretariat last week made the case against members pursuing a services plurilateral agreement whose benefits would not be extended to other WTO members on a most-favored nation (MFN) basis.971 words

Congress Approves Short-Term Ex-Im Extension; Business Not Satisfied

Congress on Dec. 17 extended the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States through May 2012 without changes as part of an omnibus spending bill, allowing the bank to continue operations for five roughly more months. But the extension also stoked the business community's fears that Ex-Im will soon have to ration new projects as it nears its current statutory exposure cap of $100 billion.553 words

Korean Trade Minister Expects FTA Will Enter Into Force By Feb. 1

GENEVA -- South Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon late last week said that he expects the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement to enter into force by Feb. 1 at the latest, after the United States and South Korea have finished the technical process of confirming that each side has taken the necessary steps to comply with the obligations of the agreement.1301 words

Noda Risks Collapse Of Government In Pursuing Both TPP, Tax Increase

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda's decision last month to further explore joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks is one half of a two-item political agenda that is so fraught with peril he may not be able to hold onto his seat past party elections in September next year, according to U.S. experts.1217 words

Japan Moves Ahead On Beef, But Prospects For Autos, Japan Post Unclear

GENEVA -- Japan is moving ahead a process under which it may further open up its market to U.S. beef exports, something that could make the United States more receptive to the idea that Japan could join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations.1185 words

WTO Members Invite Russia To Join; U.S. Invokes Non-Application

Members of the World Trade Organization last week formally invited Russia to join the institution, which it will do a month after it has completed its domestic ratification process now expected mid-2012.861 words

State Department Unveils Two More USML Category Revisions

The Commerce and State Departments today (Dec. 23) published proposed revisions of two more U.S. Munitions List (USML) categories as part of its export control reform initiative.260 words

Sanctions On Iran Central Bank Dealings Require Balance With Allied Oil Buys

New sanctions on foreign countries' dealings with the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) contained in a defense authorization bill approved by Congress this month will require President Obama to strike a careful balance between pressuring Iran over its nuclear ambitions and protecting the interests of closely allied countries continuing to purchase Iranian crude oil through the CBI, according to sanctions experts.1556 words

South Korea To Step Up Assessment Of TPP After FTA Implementation

GENEVA -- South Korean trade minister Kim Jong-hoon last week said his country is "carefully" monitoring the ongoing negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, but is for the time focused on the implementation of the free trade agreement it has negotiated with the United States, which he expects to enter into force before Feb. 1.822 words

Groser Says U.S. Holds Biggest Sway In Decision On New TPP Entrants

GENEVA -- New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser last week said that the decision of whether countries can join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations will essentially be up to the United States, given its prominent position.915 words

Mexico Expects TPP Countries To Consider New Entrants At March Round

GENEVA -- Mexico is moving aggressively to launch consultations with participants in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks prior to a March negotiating round at which it believes current members are expected to evaluate whether Mexico, Canada and Japan can participate, according to Mexican Economy Secretary Bruno Ferrari.1391 words

Canadian Minister Says Canada Ready To Meet, Exceed TPP Standards

GENEVA -- Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast last week said it is unnecessary for Canada to negotiate specific conditions for joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations because it can demonstrate its ambitious trade intentions to TPP partners through other means.561 words

Peru Minister Rejects U.S. IPR Proposal In TPP; Says Other Countries Agree

GENEVA -- Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Jose Luis Silva late last week rejected the United States proposal on intellectual property rights (IPR) tabled in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks because it goes beyond the IPR provisions contained in the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement. Those provisions in the Peru FTA were meant to ensure access for affordable medicines.845 words

Colombia: TPP Countries More Willing To Open Up To Non-APEC Members

GENEVA -- Colombia's desire to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could be bolstered by new signals from current participants that they may be more willing to accept countries that are not currently members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc, according to Colombian Vice Minister of Foreign Trade Gabriel Duque.569 words

McDermott Says U.S. IPR Proposal In TPP Could Hurt Public Health Initiatives

Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), who serves as ranking member on the Ways and Means trade subcommittee, said last week he still questions whether the U.S. proposal on access to medicines in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks will harm the ability of the United States to continue effectively treating AIDS patients worldwide through a government-funded assistance program.613 words

Marantis Promotes U.S. Yarn-Forward Rule Of Origin In TPP Negotiations

Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis last week defended the U.S. proposal for a yarn-forward rule of origin for textiles in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), saying that U.S. negotiators were working on ways to maximize opportunities while addressing "the very real sensitivities" within the U.S. textile sector.417 words

Bersin Announces Intent To Resign As CBP Commissioner At End Of Year

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Alan Bersin yesterday (Dec. 22) informed President Obama that he intends to resign from his post effective Dec. 30.320 words

U.S. Feed Ban Key To Any Easing Of Beef Restraints, Korean Minister Says

GENEVA -- Korean Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon last week signaled that his government would need further scientific study to ensure that a U.S. ban on the use of most animal byproducts in cattle feed is effective in controlling the spread of "mad cow disease" before ultimately increasing its market access for U.S. beef exports.368 words

Peruvian Minister Rejects FTA Labor Petition For Lack Of Trade, Investment Link

GENEVA -- Peruvian Minister of Foreign Trade and Tourism Jose Luis Silva late last week rejected allegations by a Peruvian tax workers' union that Peru has violated its obligation under a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States to uphold the right to collective bargaining. The U.S. government is currently reviewing those allegations in order to determine whether a violation has in fact occurred.470 words

Brady: U.S., India Must Ensure Two-Way Trade As Part of Strategic Partnership

House Ways and Means trade subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) last week said the U.S. and India need to work out critical trade issues as part of their strategic partnership to ensure trade flows move in both directions.219 words

U.S., Guatemala Take Another Stab At Resolving CAFTA Labor Fight

GENEVA -- Guatemalan Economy Minister Luis Velasquez said last week the United States is allowing Guatemala more time to work out a bilateral dispute over potential violations of its labor rights obligations in the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) instead of immediately pressing forward with a panel the U.S. has already requested.997 words

New Colombian Labor Minister To Meet Solis In January On Labor Action Plan

GENEVA -- The U.S. and Colombia are actively engaged in Colombia's implementation of a labor action plan that President Obama and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos unveiled in April to address labor rights problems and increase congressional support for the bilateral free trade agreement.548 words

Lamy Signals Intent To Step Down In 2013 At End Of Current Term

GENEVA -- World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy last week signaled he would step down after his current term ends on Sept. 1, 2013, by saying at the close of the WTO's Eighth Ministerial Conference that it would be his "last regular ministerial" as head of the organization.817 words

African Countries Welcome Cotton Aid, But Exploring WTO Legal Options

GENEVA -- Representatives from the "Cotton 4" group of West African cotton-producing nations last week welcomed offers of new development assistance from the United States, European Union and China, but expressed their continued frustration that trade negotiations on the cotton issue remain stalled in the World Trade Organization.1538 words

Senators Urge USTR To Appeal WTO Ruling On Country Of Origin Labeling

Nineteen senators last week urged the administration to appeal an adverse ruling by a World Trade Organization panel, which found that the way the U.S. has implemented country-of-origin labeling (COOL) for beef and pork violates the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.684 words

Officials Anticipate 'Quiet' Year For Doha Due To Confusion On Path Ahead

GENEVA -- The World Trade Organization ministerial that wrapped up over the weekend made clear that WTO members have no idea how they can collectively move forward the Doha round in the coming years, and that they foresee a relatively quiet year ahead in which they begin exploring their possible options for salvaging at least some elements of the stalled round.1334 words

Inside U.S. Trade provides readers with up-to-the-minute breaking news on critical trade issues as they develop.

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