TPP Negotiators Announce Dates Of July San Diego Round; Tout Progress
DALLAS – Countries participating in the Trans-Pacific Partnership today (May 16) formally announced that the next round of negotiations will take place in San Diego, Calif., on July 2-10 without any intersessional meetings before then, and that they have made greater than expected progress at the 12th round of talks.
Agriculture, Food Industry Seek WTO-Plus Rules For TPP SPS Chapter
DALLAS – U.S. agriculture and food producers for the first time have publicly detailed their recommendations for how the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) chapter on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures should go beyond World Trade Organization rules.
U.S. Cross-Border Data Flow Proposal Raises Privacy Questions
TPP Partners Willing To Discuss Scope Of U.S. Labor Text; Enforceability Is Major Hurdle
>> MORE TPP COVERAGE
Brady Says Russia MFN Vote This Year Depends On White House Effort
House Ways and Means trade subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) yesterday (May 15) said the White House must significantly step up its lobbying effort among both Democrats and Republicans in Congress if it wants to secure a congressional vote this year to remove Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment.
Senate Sends Ex-Im Deal To Obama After Defeating Five GOP Amendments
The Senate today (May 15) concluded a months-long struggle over the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank, approving a House-passed bill to renew the bank's charter with a 78-20 vote following the defeat of five Republican amendments that would have placed new restrictions on the bank's activities.
De Gucht Says U.S.-EU Trade Deal Must Address State Procurement, Services Rules
European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht late last week laid out his blueprint for a deal to deepen U.S.-EU trade and investment ties, saying it must be comprehensive, yield more access to U.S. state-level government procurement; create a new framework for cooperation on state and federal regulations of services; and have a strong tariff component -- though not necessarily complete tariff elimination.
Kirk, Bryson Name Leadership Of Interagency Trade Enforcement Center
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk today (May 14) named Principal Deputy General Counsel Brad Ward, who is also the assistant U.S. trade representative for monitoring and enforcement, to be the director of the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center (ITEC), according to informed sources.
- Appellate Body Upholds Mexican Victory In Tuna Labeling Dispute With U.S.; Changes Basis For Ruling
- Bipartisan Group Of 44 Senators Call On Reid To Bring Farm Bill To The Floor
- Solar Coalition Expects 'Critical Circumstances' Finding In Forthcoming Commerce Decision In SolarWorld Case
- Stakeholders Offer Comments To USDA On Proposed BSE Rule
- Fifty-One House Members Endorse EU-U.S. Trade Effort In Letter To Obama
- Boehner Calls On Obama To Pursue New Trade Promotion Authority
- USW Applauds Administration's Appointment Of ITEC Leadership
- Carney Says Obama Not Scheduled To Attend Russia APEC Summit
- White House Proclamation Outlines HTS Modifications Made To Implement Colombia FTA
- Russia's WTO Accession
Latest news regarding Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization
- TPP Agreement
Latest news and stories on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement
- Export Controls
Latest news on U.S. export control policy and its effects
- Free Trade Agreements
Latest news on the pending free trade agreements
- EU Signals New Flexibility On Non-Tariff Barriers In ITA Expansion Talks
European Union officials in Geneva have told other World Trade Organization delegates that the EU is rethinking its earlier position that negotiations to expand the product scope of the tariff-cutting Information Technology Agreement (ITA) must be linked to talks on removing non-tariff barriers (NTBs). This is a major development that could help to spur the ITA talks forward in the near term, sources said. - AFL-CIO Seeks Human Rights, Enforcement Bills In Context Of Russia Vote
The AFL-CIO is seeking legislation to help ensure adequate enforcement of Russia's World Trade Organization commitments and enforcement of basic human and labor rights to accompany any bill to remove Russia from the Jackson-Vanik amendment, according to AFL-CIO trade policy specialist Celeste Drake.
- House Republicans Revise Draft Bill To Limit Export Control Reforms
House Republican critics of the administration's export control reform initiative have modified a controversial draft amendment they hope to offer next week to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) in an effort to curtail the extent to which the White House can ease controls by transferring items off the U.S. Munitions List (USML) to the Commerce Control List (CCL). - Senate Dems, House Push Ahead With MTB In Face Of DeMint Opposition
Senate Finance Committee Democrats and members of both parties in the House are pressing ahead with their effort to put together a new miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) this year even as Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) is working to solidify opposition to the current process among Senate Republicans, informed sources said this week.
- USTR Lays Out Auto Barriers For Japan To Address In TPP Consultations
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has identified roughly 10 automotive non-tariff barriers (NTBs) that it wants Japan to commit to addressing before joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and has done so without major input from U.S. auto companies or unions, according to informed sources. - Kirk Signals U.S. Focused On Concluding TPP With Current Nine Members
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk this week signaled that the U.S. is more focused on quickly concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations with the current nine members than on bringing new countries into those ongoing talks.
Short Takes
05/16/2012Issa Seeks Public Comment On Previously Leaked Version Of TPP IPR Proposal
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) has posted a previously leaked copy of the U.S. proposal on intellectual property rights . . .
05/16/2012USTR Declines To Table TPP Tobacco Proposal, Continues Consultations
The United States did not table a new proposal on tobacco during Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations and instead opted to continue consultations with stakeholders and . . .
05/16/2012Brady Supports Administration Efforts To Identify Specific Japan Trade Barriers For TPP Discussions
House Ways and Means trade Subcommittee chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) yesterday (May 15) said he welcomes the administration’s decision to identify priority automotive trade barriers . . .
Featured Story
Countries Offer ACTA Language To Replace U.S. IPR Proposal
DALLAS – In an apparent effort to break the deadlock in negotiations for an intellectual property rights (IPR) chapter in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), several countries are proposing that certain provisions in a U.S. proposal be replaced with language from the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), according to informed sources.
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