USTR Kirk and Deputy USTR Sapiro recently concluded their two-day visit to Mexico. The two sides discussed the mutual importance to the U.S. and Mexican economies of using trade to create jobs and improve competitiveness. In an earlier meeting, the Ambassadors and Secretary Ruiz Mateos discussed topics including the North American Leaders Summit; bilateral trade issues such as transportation, tuna and intellectual property; the environment, and the Doha Round of world trade negotiations. (Press release, dated 02/09/10, available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2010/february/united-states-trade-representative-ron-kirk-concl)
The DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 2.9 percent lower in November 2009 than in November 2008, dropping to $58.9 billion. Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 88 percent of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land. (Press release, dated 01/28/10, available at http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2010/bts005_10/html/bts005_10.html)
The International Trade Commission has announced that it is initiating an investigation and seeking input for an investigation concerning a possible modification to the Generalized System of Preferences.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that it has accepted for review a petition to remove certain sleeping bags, classified under HTS subheading 9404.30.80, from the list of products eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences program.
1. U.S.-China Commission Hearing on National Security and Trade
The International Trade Commission has announced that it is seeking input for a newly initiated investigation concerning possible modifications to the Generalized System of Preferences as part of the 2009 GSP Annual Review.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing the competitive need limitation waiver petitions that are accepted for further review as part of the 2009 Generalized System of Preferences Annual Review1.
CBP issued a CSMS message stating that on December 28, 2009, the President signed a bill that renewed the Generalized System of Preferences and the Andean Trade Preferences Act/Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act programs until December 31, 2010. Additionally, on December 23, 2009, the President issued Proclamations 8467 and 8468, which modified the list of beneficiary countries eligible for the GSP and the African Growth and Opportunity Act. (CSMS 09-000383, dated 12/31/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17780&page=&srch_argv=&srchtype=&btype=&sortby=&sby)
President Obama has issued Proclamation 8467 in order to amend the Harmonized Tariff Schedule's list of Generalized System of Preferences countries for 2010, extend the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Area tariff rate quotas (TRQs) for certain agricultural products of Israel another year, implement rule of origin and other technical corrections for four free trade agreements, etc.
The International Trade Commission has posted to its Web site the 2010 Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the U.S., which is effective January 1, 2010.