The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on February 14, 2006, the USTR unveiled the results of a top-to-bottom review of U.S.-China trade policy at a news conference.
Forced Labor
CBP is the primary U.S. agency tasked with combating forced labor in international trade. It is the only agency with legal authority to take enforcement action and prevent entry into domestic commerce of goods produced with forced labor. CBP combats forced labor by issuing Withhold Release Orders (WROs) and Findings, and enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Goods subject to WROs and Findings, UFLPA, and CAATSA status cannot be entered at any ports of the U.S.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release and fact sheet stating that the U.S. and Peru have completed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA). USTR Portman noted that as many products from Peru already enter the U.S. market duty-free under the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), this FTA with Peru will level the playing field and make duty-free treatment a two-way street.
On October 7, 2005 the Senate passed the conference version of H.R. 2360, the fiscal year (FY) 2006 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), etc. The House passed the conference version of H.R. 2360 on October 6, 2005.
On August 2, 2005, President Bush signed H.R. 3045, the Dominican Republic-Central America - U.S. Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) Implementation Act into law (Public Law (P.L.) 109-53).
On July 28, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3045, the "Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act" by a vote of 217 yeas to 215 nays.
According to World Customs Organization (WCO) sources, the WCO Secretariat is preparing a new publication that will present all of the amendments to the Nomenclature appended to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System or HS) that are scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2007. WCO sources state that the amendments will be commented on individually, item by item, and all of the amended legal texts will be reproduced and their background, nature and scope will be briefly explained. According to these WCO sources, publication of the document is expected in late 2005/early 2006.
On July 14, 2005, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 2360, the fiscal year (FY) 2006 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), etc.
According to European Union (EU) sources, on June 27, 2005, the European Council (Council) adopted, with certain changes, a new Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). An EU press release explains that on June 23, 2005, a qualified majority of EU member states backed a compromise which amended certain aspects of the new EU GSP as it had been proposed. The adoption of this compromise ends a three month deadlock in the Council that had delayed the adoption of the new EU GSP.
On May 17, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2360, the fiscal year (FY) 2006 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), etc.
Washington Trade Daily reports that House opponents of the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) are moving within sight of the 218 votes needed to defeat the trade deal, with 165 members stating that they will or are likely to vote against CAFTA. According to WTD, concern about lack of decent labor standards in Central America, as well as CAFTA's failure to ensure such standards improve, is most often cited as the reason for opposition. (WTD, dated 05/17/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com)