Australia-Japan FTA Cuts Beef Tariff, But Aussie Ag Industry Not Satisfied
Australia and Japan this week announced that they have concluded negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement that further opens up the Japanese market to Australian exports of beef and, to a lesser extent, dairy products. But the deal stops short of fully liberalizing agriculture trade and completely excludes several sensitive farm goods.
U.S. Tech Industry Mulls Longer Tariff Phase-Outs To Spark ITA Progress
The U.S. technology industry has quietly begun discussing how it might scale back its demands to eliminate tariffs quickly under an expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), in the hope that this might help break the deadlock in the ITA talks caused by China's resistance to eliminating a wide range of tech tariffs in the near term.
U.S. Official Updates On TPP Textiles; Signals Link To Japan Market Access
A Commerce Department official last week provided new details about the U.S. textile and apparel offer to Vietnam in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks, and acknowledged that TPP countries are still haggling over the terms of a short supply list containing textile inputs that could be sourced from outside the region to make apparel that would qualify for tariff benefits.
QFR By Ways and Means Member Presses USTR On Steel Overcapacity
In his question for the record (QFR) to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR) pressed USTR on how it is working with the Commerce Department and the White House to address the excess foreign steel capacity and the resulting increase in steel imports to the United States, which he charged is unfairly traded.
EU Stance On Food Safety In TTIP Makes Resolving Irritants Tough Road
The United States will have a tough time tackling some key EU agricultural trade barriers – especially those affecting U.S. meat exports – if senior European Commission officials adhere to their position that a bilateral trade and investment pact currently being negotiated will not change the laws governing EU food safety.
German Finance Minister Says Ukraine Will Help 'Fight' TTIP Slowdown
German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble acknowledged late last week fears among some supporters of the U.S.-EU trade negotiations that political momentum is slowing behind the initiative, but argued that the recent crisis in Ukraine will help prevent any such slowdown.
TPP Countries Plan Chief Negotiators' Meeting For May 12-15 In Vietnam
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries are planning to hold a meeting of their chief negotiators May 12-15 in Vietnam prior to a meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers in neighboring China, according to informed sources. One source said the TPP chief negotiators' meeting has already been confirmed.
GSP Jump-Start; TPP Japan, Legal Issues; WTO Wrestles Over Agenda
- Former USTR IP Official Hired As VP At International Motion Picture Association
- In Conditional WTO Rare Earths Appeal, U.S. Challenges Panel Move To Reject Additional Evidence
- House Republican Circulates Draft Letter Asking Froman, Vilsack To Resist EU Push For GIs In TTIP
- Bipartisan Group Of Five House Members Ask Obama To Not Let FTAs Undermine Jones Act
- EU Official Says Russia's WTO Membership Has Been 'Disappointing,' Citing Pork Import Ban
- U.S. Maintains Compliance In WTO Clove Cigarette Dispute Based On New Research From FDA
- De Gucht Says EU Commission Plans To Release This Week Its Proposals On Regulatory Issues For Various Sectors In TTIP
- Public Citizen Takes On Pro-TPP Foreign Policy Arguments, Citing Similar Pushes For NAFTA, CAFTA
- Costa Rica Requests CAFTA Dispute Consultations With U.S. Over Elimination Of Ethanol TRQ
- EU Trade Officials To Participate In May 13 Stakeholder Consultation For ISDS In TTIP
- Senate Confirms Felton For New Term As Ex-Im VP; Toomey, Lee Raise Concerns Over Reauthorization During Debate
- Pritzker Asks House Approps Panel To Up ITA Funding By 8 Percent To Promote Exports, Boost Enforcement
- Azevedo Presses WTO To Take Fresh Approach To Debate On Agenda
World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo this week exhorted members to move beyond reiterating their diverging positions on a Doha round work program and develop concrete proposals for moving forward, but countries showed little inclination for doing so following his April 7 remarks to the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC).
- In Mixed Ruling, WTO Upholds GPX Law But Faults U.S. 'Double Counting'
A World Trade Organization panel last week handed down a mixed decision in a Chinese challenge of U.S. trade remedy practices.
- Switzerland, Lichtenstein Notify WTO Of Ag Subsidies For 2012 Marketing Year
- Japan Responds To Australian, Canadian Inquiries On Subsidies For Financial, Energy, Aviation Sectors
- Russia Responds To U.S. Questions On Antidumping Proceedings
- Indian Semiannual AD Notification Cites Investigation Into U.S. Solar Cells
- Froman Says U.S. Will 'Re-Engage' With India On IPR After Spring Elections
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman signaled during an April 3 House Ways and Means Committee hearing that the United States wants to resolve issues relating to India's intellectual property (IP) policies through negotiation rather than litigation, but that it is waiting to do so until after India's parliamentary elections this spring.
- NGOs Blast PITAC As Not Adding Sufficient Balance To Advisory Panels
Three civil society groups and two members of Congress last week blasted the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's new Public Interest Trade Advisory Committee (PITAC) as not going far enough to incorporate input of civil society representatives in the advisory committee system, and argued that requiring PITAC members to sign non-disclosure agreements would stymie their ability to serve the public interest.
- Commerce Preliminarily Finds Dumping Of Japanese Chlorine Disinfectant
- House, Senate Steel Caucuses Urge Pritzker To Enforce Trade Law In Turkish, Mexican Rebar Case
- Public Citizen Circulates Petition Opposing Holleyman Nomination On Basis Of Lobbying Background
- U.S. Dairy Producers Tout Support Provided Year To Date Under Industry Export Support Program
- Levin Calls For Bicameral TPP Working Group To Provide Structured Input
House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI) this week said he hoped to work with other members of Congress and the Obama administration to create a bicameral, bipartisan working group to provide input into the negotiations for a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) on a range of what he called major issues, including meaningful rules for curbing currency manipulation.
- De Gucht Attacks U.S. Limits On Access To TTIP Negotiating Proposals
EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht last week strongly criticized the Obama administration for the restrictions it has sought to place on the European Commission's ability to share U.S. negotiating proposals made in bilateral trade and investment negotiations with the European Parliament and EU member state governments.
- DOE Approves LNG Export License To Non-FTA Countries For Alaskan Terminal
- U.S. Apparel, Footwear Importers Reiterate Call To Obama To Eliminate Japan's Footwear TRQ In TPP
- U.S. Dairy Producers Tout Support Provided Year To Date Under Industry Export Support Program
- Union, Retiree Groups Urge USTR To Exempt TPP Drug Pricing Disciplines From ISDS, Submit Recommendations
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