The Guatemalan government challenged the credibility of U.S. claims in an ongoing bilateral labor dispute under the Central American Free Trade Agreement, in a legal briefing made public by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in recent days (here). The Obama administration resumed litigation in the case in September 2014, and USTR recently asked for industry comments on the dispute (see 1501230021). The briefing argues the U.S. failed to make a compelling case, due to questionable testimony and otherwise poor substantiation. The U.S. says Guatemala is falling short of CAFTA-mandated labor protections, notably freedom of association and worker’s conditions, in the shipping, apparel, steel and agriculture sectors, (see 1411050013).
The Energy Department set new energy efficiency test procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts, in a final rule (here). Changes include a clarification that certain procedures must be followed to test that lamp ballasts meet new energy efficiency standards that took effect in November (see 11111451). Compliance with the final rule is required by Aug. 3.
The International Trade Commission recently began an investigation into the impact of the U.S. embargo on trade with Cuba, it said in a Jan. 30 press release (here). The investigation will “examine the economic effects on exports of U.S. goods and services, including digitally traded goods and services, of statutory and administrative restrictions related to trade with and travel to Cuba by U.S. citizens,” said the ITC. The agency will hold a public hearing on March 24 in connection with the investigation. Written comments are due April 15.
The U.S. Fashion Industry Association called for the “immediate” renewal of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the Generalized System of Preferences and tariff preference levels for U.S.-Nicaragua garment trade through the Central American Free Trade Agreement in a Jan. 27 letter to leaders of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees (here). AGOA is due to expire at the end of the current fiscal year, while GSP expired in July 2013 and the CAFTA Nicaragua provisions lapsed on Dec. 31, 2014. USFIA President Julia Hughes also urged for CBP's "speedy implementation" of the apparel, footwear and textile Center of Excellence and Expertise. The group also voiced support for the development of the International Trade Data System.
The Federal Trade Commission is proposing changes to its Fair Packaging and Labeling Act regulations (here), in response to comments received by individuals, professional associations, a manufacturer and a Nigerian police assistance organization. The proposed amendments clarify certain labeling rules and remove outdated requirements. Comments on the proposed rule are due March 30. Highlights of the proposed changes are as follows:
The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency standards on commercial ice makers, in a final rule (here). The agency is setting more stringent standards for commercial ice makers already covered by DOE regulations, and is also setting new energy efficiency standards for higher capacity icemakers and certain types of batch machines, like tube-type icemakers. Compliance with the new energy efficiency standards is required by Jan. 28, 2018.
Increased environmental standards in the Trans-Pacific Partnership will be a boon for U.S. diesel engine exports to Asian-Pacific markets, said Cummins CEO Tom Linebarger in Jan. 23 comments at the Business Roundtable. “Our view is we have technologies that can help give everything from trucks to generator sets to mining vehicles good, inexpensive power with good air emissions, lower air emissions,” said Linebarger. “The tougher environmental standards are in countries we ship to the more business we have.” Cummins sells diesel and other types of engines. A final TPP deal will also liberalize U.S. engine trade through duty elimination and regulatory harmonization and easing, said Linebarger, while declining to specify particular markets the deal will open up for Cummins. WikiLeaks released what it claimed to be the TPP environment chapter roughly a year ago, and at the time said the deal lacked enforcement mechanisms for environmental standards (see 14011722).
The World Trade Organization is opening its Feb. 16-17 oral hearing on U.S. country-of-origin labeling rules to "public observation via simultaneous closed-circuit broadcast to a separate viewing room in the WTO headquarters in Geneva," it said on Jan. 21 (here). The appeals process is still underway in the case, after the U.S. contested a panel ruling in late November (see 1411280029). The WTO has repeatedly sided with Canada and Mexico in the dispute, saying U.S. COOL rules discriminate against foreign producers (see 1412120005). U.S. producers and industry associations are continuing to pressure Congress and the Obama administration to bring the COOL rules into WTO compliance (see 1501210027). Applications to attend the hearing in person will be accepted until Feb. 4, the WTO said.
The Energy Department is amending efficiency standards for general service fluorescent lamps. The agency’s final rule (here) sets more stringent standards for the fluorescent lamps, and upping the minimum lumens per watt they must produce. DOE declined to toughen energy efficiency standards for incandescent reflector lamps, as it had originally proposed in April, because amended standards would not be economically justified. Compliance with the amended energy efficiency standards for general service fluorescent lamps is required by Jan. 26, 2018.
The investor-state settlement proposal in Trans-Pacific Partnership talks threatens to weaken environmental and other regulatory policies in TPP countries, said nearly 50 environmental groups in a Jan. 21 letter to members of Congress (here). TPP regulatory harmonization is also poised to scale back environmental and public health protections “by offering new opportunities for foreign governments and corporations to intervene early on in our rule-making process,” said the letter, signed by the Sierra Club, Food and Water Watch and others.