On November 30, 2010, Representative Camp (R), Ranking Member on the House Ways and Means Committee and Representative Brady (R), Ranking Member on the Trade Subcommittee, issued a statement in reaction to the signing of the Tax Information Exchange Agreement between the U.S. and Panama.
The following hearing or markup is scheduled for November 30, 2010:
On November 29, 2010, the following was reported in the Senate:
On November 29, 2010, 40 associations sent a letter to Senator Reid (D), Senate Majority Leader and Senator McConnell (R), Senate Minority Leader, urging them to oppose hasty action on H.R. 2378, the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act, in the lame duck session. They urge the Senate to follow regular order and allow the Senate Finance Committee to exercise its jurisdiction over the bill.
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report (R40850) entitled: " Managing Electronic Waste: Issues with Exporting E-Waste.”
The Congressional Research Service has issued two reports on the proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement entitled “The Proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement” (RL34470) and “The Proposed U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Labor Issues” (RL34759).
On November 17, 2010, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation held an oversight hearing on the Transportation Security Administration. In their opening statements, Chairman Rockefeller (D) and Ranking Member Hutchison (R) pledged to make sure TSA has the resources it needs to address key security concerns as part of the TSA authorization process (which is not expected to happen until the 112th Congress). Both the Chairman and Ranking Member expressed concerns about security issues related to cargo, general aviation, mass transit, passenger screening, etc.
On November 8, 2010, the Senate Finance Committee’s International Trade, Customs and Global Competitiveness Subcommittee held a hearing on “International Trade in the Digital Economy.” During this hearing, various witnesses described trade barriers faced by U.S. technology companies, including secret regulations, licensing standards, etc. Subcommittee Chairman Wyden noted that as U.S. technology firms create and expand the global market for digital products, foreign governments are increasingly resorting to discriminatory measures against U.S. technology and content providers.
The Government Accountability Office has posted its letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee responding to questions for the record, from a July 2010 hearing on port security.
On November 18, 2010, the following trade-related bills were introduced: