The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative recently posted to its Web site the President's 2010 Trade Policy Agenda and 2009 Annual Report on the Administration's progress on trade issues and future objectives.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has published a notice announcing the availability of 2009 full calendar year import statistics relating to the Generalized System of Preferences competitive needs limitations (CNLs) for the 2009 GSP Annual Review.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice seeking comments by May 3, 2010, on the extension of an existing information collection, the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Certificate of Origin.
The Senate Finance Committee has announced that it will hold a hearing on the options for reforming U.S. Preference Programs on March 9, 2010. Testimony will be heard from four witnesses, including one representing labor.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted to its Web site the President's 2010 Trade Policy Agenda and 2009 Annual Report on the Administration's progress on trade issues and future objectives.
The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has issued a notice seeking information on child labor and forced labor in foreign countries as part of its preparation to meet various reporting requirements.
On February 17, 2010, Transportation Secretary LaHood announced Recovery Act awards to fund innovative transportation projects. The TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits, including improvements to roads, bridges, rail, ports, transit and intermodal facilities. (White House, dated 02/17/10, available for http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/secretary-lahood-announces-funding-over-50-innovative-strategic-transportation-proj.)
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.