The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is requesting comments from the public and foreign governments on intellectual property (IP) rights violations in Spain, as part of an Out-of-Cycle Review. USTR is seeking specific references to laws, regulations, policy statements, executive, presidential or other orders, administrative, court or other determinations that impact IP protections. USTR is also seeking comments that incorporate data and loss estimates, accompanied by methodology used in the losses. The general public must submit comments by Feb. 14, while foreign governments are permitted to submit comments by Feb. 21. Comments must be submitted electronically via http://www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2014-0003.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is requesting public comment on U.S. antidumping measures on a host of Chinese products. China initiated World Trade Organization consultations in the dispute on Dec. 3, 2013 (here). The products include certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses, certain oil country tubular goods, high pressure steel cylinders, polyethylene terephthalate film, sheet, and strip, aluminum extrusions, frozen and canned warmwater shrimp, certain new pneumatic off--the-road tires, crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not assembled into modules, diamond sawblades and parts thereof, multilayered wood flooring, narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge, polyethylene retail carrier bags, and wooden bedroom furniture.
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Miriam Sapiro is scheduled to discuss Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations with European Commission Director General Jean-Luc Demarty, other European officials and stakeholders from Jan. 21-22 in Brussels, Belgium, according to an Office of the USTR weekly schedule press release. The talks are closed to the press. Chief Agricultural Negotiator Islam Siddiqui is scheduled on Jan. 21 to brief U.S. agricultural stakeholders in Washington D.C. on the outcomes of the World Trade Organization “Bali Package” brokered in December in a closed press session. USTR Michael Froman is also slated to participate in the Jan. 22 U.S. Conference of Mayors meeting in Washington D.C. to discuss ports and exports. The meeting is open to the credentialed press.
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) participant nations are far from compromise on environmental rules, particularly on multilateral environmental agreements and a dispute resolution process, WikiLeaks said on Jan. 15 after releasing the confidential TPP environment chapter dated Nov. 24 (here). The consolidated text (here) released by WikiLeaks is said to have been crafted during the TPP summit in Salt Lake City on Nov. 19-24.
The U.S. requested consultation on Jan. 13 with China over antidumping and countervailing duties imposed on U.S. grain oriented flat-rolled electrical steel (GOES) exports to the country, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) officials, including USTR chief Michael Froman, told reporters at a press conference. The U.S. says the duties, initially imposed in 2010, fail to meet World Trade Organization (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) recommendations for compliance and continue to violate WTO agreements, the officials said.
Nearly 100 agricultural organizations expressed support for the pending nomination of Darci Vetter as Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in a joint Jan. 10 letter submitted individually to all members of the Senate Finance Committee. “Deputy Under Secretary Vetter brings a wealth of well-rounded background expertise,” said the letter. “Her most recent experience within the U.S. Department of Agriculture has also given her direct exposure to the workings of many of the critical programs related to trade currently offered by the federal government as well as the numerous trade associations involved in helping to stimulate agricultural trade.” President Barack Obama sent Vetter’s nomination to the Senate on Jan. 7 (see 14010811).
Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Wendy Cutler will meet on Jan. 13 with South Korean Deputy Trade Minister Choi Kyong-lim to discuss potential South Korean accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, USTR said in its weekly schedule. The two officials also plan to raise aspects of U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) yet to be implemented, USTR added.
The Obama Administration is continuing to work with Congress to secure broad bipartisan support for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman during a Jan. 6 interview with Bloomberg TV. The legislation is an essential mechanism to close pending trade pacts and empower Congress to outline trade objectives, said Froman. Froman described Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations as in the “final stages,” while U.S. and European Union officials are “well underway” with Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments on foreign nations that deny “adequate and effective” intellectual property rights (IPR) protection and “fair and equitable” market access for U.S. companies and individuals that rely on IPR. USTR is requesting comment on whether particular trading partners should be identified as Priority Foreign Countries or placed on the Priority Watch List or Watch List. USTR outlined the following comment submission schedule:
Chinese regulatory authorities continued to target beef, poultry, pork products and other agricultural commodities in 2013, preventing anticipated U.S. export growth for such products, said the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in an annual report on Chinese World Trade Organization (WTO) compliance presented to Congress. USTR released the report on Dec. 24. Chinese authorities continue to block imports of U.S. beef and beef products more than six years after these products were declared to be safe for trade under criteria established by the World Organization for Animal Health, said USTR.