The liberalization of U.S.-Turkey trade and investment was a top agenda item during a Sept. 16 meeting in Washington, D.C. between U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman and Turkish Minister of Economy Zafer Caglayan, the USTR said in a press release. The bilateral economic ties fall under a new High Level Committee (HLC), announced by President Obama in May. The two officials requested their technical teams also explore how Turkey will be affected by the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
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The U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and trade (JCCT) remains a vital avenue to address bilateral trade and investment issues, as U.S. exports to China continue to climb, said co-chair and Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler at the JCCT mid-year review in Beijing on Sept. 11. U.S. goods exports to China rose to $110.6 billion in 2012, the USTR said, constituting a 6.4 percent increase from the previous year. Though "significant and complex challenges" in trading with China, "the U.S.-China trade relationship has a strong foundation and will continue to yield substantial dividends for both countries," said co-chair Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez. “We continue to look for opportunities such as the JCCT process to resolve key trade and investment barriers in China, to ensure our shared prosperity, and to broaden cooperation on key issues with a view toward making it easier to for U.S. service providers and exporters to do business with China,” said Sánchez. Sánchez intends to leave office in a matter of weeks (see 13090506).
Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Miriam Sapiro reiterated calls for enhanced relations between the U.S. and Brazil during the Commission on Economic and Trade Relations under the U.S.-Brazil Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation Sept. 11-12, the USTR said in a press release. The day before the commission meeting, Sapiro publicly exhorted both countries to ramp up bilateral small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) economic interconnection, innovation and investment and to eliminate trade barriers (see 13091127). USTR said the next commission meeting will be in Washington D.C. in 2014.
The U.S. and Brazil should increase small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) economic interconnection in order to ramp up exports to both markets and integrate SMEs elsewhere in the global market, said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro, speaking in São Paulo Sept. 10. The U.S. is the largest economy in the world and Brazil ranks seventh, but bilateral trade accounts for only one quarter of one percent of worldwide trade, said Sapiro. Both governments should target bilateral efforts in innovation and investment increases and trade barrier eliminations, she said.
The October meeting of Asia-Pacific Partnership (TPP) leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Bali will be “an important milestone” in concluding negotiations, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said Sept. 9, speaking to more than 170 industry, government and academic stakeholders during a conference call. The meeting will offer an opportunity for heads of state to deliver guidance to trade ministers in TPP, he said, adding that the USTR will keep the stakeholders apprised of developments regarding sensitive issues that remain outstanding in the negotiations. “We won’t make these decisions in isolation. And we will be proactive about getting your participation in this process,” Froman said.
Small business owners will have the opportunity to voice their concerns on existing European Union (EU) trade barriers during a series of roundtable discussions with U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) officials from Sept. 9 to Sept. 27. The roundtables will be held in cities throughout the U.S. and are billed as part of broader outreach efforts under the recently launched U.S.-EU Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) negotiations. Email ITTNews@warren-news.com for a copy of the USTR news release and roundtable circuit schedule.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) requested comments on the inclusion of Paraguay and Liechtenstein into the 20-nation Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) negotiation process. USTR invited interested parties to assist its assessment of existing trade barriers in services in markets in Paraguay and Liechtenstein. Comments should be submitted by Oct. 4 via www.regulations.gov.
New Zealand will join the U.S. World Trade Organization (WTO) challenge to Indonesian restrictive measures applied to horticultural products, animals and animal products, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Michael Froman said on Aug. 30, adding that the U.S. is filing a request to “address recent modifications to Indonesia’s measures." Froman also said he welcomed New Zealand's entry into the dispute.
The negotiators that participated in the 19th round of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks in Brunei worked this week “to close gaps” on sensitive issues that continue to pose obstacles to conclude negotiations by the U.S. Trade Representative-promoted end of 2013 target, the USTR said in a Aug. 30 press release. Although the USTR’s involvement is positive, that target remains ambitious, industry players and analysts have said (see 13082011). The Brunei talks lasted from Aug. 23 to Aug. 30.
Vietnam may not be able to meet labor standards in a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, said International Brotherhood of Teamsters President James Hoffa in an Aug. 26 letter to U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman (here). Hoffa asked if the USTR might seek a "phase-in" period for the country to address its labor issues. Hoffa also cited recent endorsement from Rep. George Miller, senior Democrat on the Committee on Education and Workforce of a Worker Rights Consortium May report (here), that outlined poor Vietnamese labor conditions. “The U.S. must lead in enforcement of labor obligations that inform our national trade policy,” said Miller in a July 24 letter (here) to Froman. An Education and Workforce Committee press official declined to comment.