Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Wendy Cutler will visit Tokyo, Japan on April 7 to participate in Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade negotiations, with particular focus on market access liberalization and regulatory changes to the autos sector, said the Office of the USTR in its weekly schedule. USTR chief Michael Froman will then travel to Japan from April 8-10 to continue the TPP negotiations with Japanese Minister for Economic and Fiscal Policy Akira Amari. Froman will then meet on April 11 in Washington D.C. with Pakistani Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Dutch Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Lilianne Ploumen and a host of African finance ministers, said USTR.

Many trade proponents commended the Obama administration’s commitment to its trade agenda, following U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman’s appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee on April 3. President Barack Obama’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget also boosts USTR funding (see 14030506). "The seven percent increase in funding to the U.S. Trade Representative, paired with USTR Froman's testimony, indicates this Administration's commitment to working with Congress to pass much-needed free trade agreements,” said vice president of government and public relations for the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates in a statement. “Currently, chemical manufacturers in the U.S. are facing challenges in many foreign markets because of costly and burdensome regulatory barriers.”

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman consulted with Angolan Trade Minister Rosa Escorcio Pacavira de Matos on the African Growth and Opportunity Act and strengthening intellectual property rights during the U.S.-Angola Council on Trade and Investment meeting on April 1, USTR said in a release. “Angola is one of our most important partners in sub-Saharan Africa. American exports to Angola are a strong example of how the Obama Administration is emphasizing trade as a key way to unlock economic opportunity, strengthen the middle class, and benefit our partners abroad,” said assistant USTR for Africa Florie Liser. The U.S. largely imports from Angola mineral fuel and oil, precious stones, wood and rubber, said USTR. U.S. exports to Angola are mostly machinery, poultry, iron and steel products, electrical machinery and optic and medical instruments, said USTR.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is asking for nominations to fill the Intergovernmental Policy Advisory Committee on Trade (IGPAC). USTR is reestablishing the committee for a period of four years from the date the charter is filled. Nominations for those interested in joining the initial full committee must be submitted by May 1. The committee advises USTR on matters that have influence on state and local governments in the U.S. Nominations should be submitted to IAPE@ustr.eop.gov.

U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will meet with members of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee and the Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee on March 31, the Office of the USTR said in its weekly schedule. Acting Deputy USTR Wendy Cutler will meet with Japanese negotiator Takeo Mori from March 31-April 1 on opening the Japanese auto market, as was previously scheduled (see 14032512). Assistant USTR for African Affairs Florie Liser will also on March 31 chair a roundtable discussion on U.S.-Africa services trade and investment in a review of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, USTR said.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) released three reports that detail the Obama Administration's successes in breaking down trade barriers in foreign markets, USTR said in a March 31 press release. The Report on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Barriers to Trade (here), the Report on Technical Barriers to Trade (here) and the National Trade Estimate Report (here) all show the Obama Administration’s opening of international markets for U.S. companies, said USTR.

The U.S. proposal for investor-state dispute settlement in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations and other effective or pending trade agreements would strengthen arbitration procedures through enhancing safeguards and transparency, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in a March 27 statement. The mechanism could not be abused to jeopardize countries’ financial stability, environmental protection efforts, or public health, said USTR, categorically dismissing allegations to that effect. “The United States wouldn’t negotiate away its right to regulate in the best interest of its citizens, and we don’t ask other countries to do so either,” said USTR. “U.S. trade agreements do not require countries to lower their levels of regulation. In fact, in our trade agreements, we require our partners to effectively enforce their environmental and labor laws and to take on new commitments to increase environmental and labor protections.” The Workers Uniting labor group said on March 26 TTIP should exclude the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, noting that Germany and France oppose the provision (see 14032630).

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is asking the public for comments on the new World Trade Organization (WTO) environmental goods agreement, in preparation for a June 5 hearing on the matter. USTR aims to launch negotiations on the agreement within months, after first announcing interest in June alongside 12 other nations and the European Union (see 14032415). The comments are due on May 5 and should include information on the following areas:

A World Trade Organization (WTO) settlement panel found Chinese export restraints on two rare earth metals, tungsten and molybdenum, violate WTO agreements, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman announced on March 26. The panel ruled in favor of the U.S. in the dispute, the Office of the USTR said in a press release. The WTO website has not yet published the ruling. U.S. companies import the rare earth metals to use as inputs for hybrid car batteries, wind turbines, energy-efficient lighting, steel, advanced electronics, automobiles, petroleum and chemicals, USTR said.

Negotiators at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) will conduct several different sets of meetings with Japanese officials in the coming days, USTR announced on March 24. Acting Deputy USTR Wendy Cutler will meet with Japanese deputy chief negotiator Hiroshi Oe in Washington D.C. from March 27-28 on agricultural market access. Lower levels market access negotiations will also begin on March 26 and last several days, said USTR. Cuter will then meet with Japanese negotiator Takeo Mori from March 31-April 1 on opening the Japanese auto market. Japanese tariff and non-tariff barriers are among issues slowing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, said USTR chief Michael Froman on March 18 (see 14031821).