Reuters has reported that President Bush may impose economic sanctions on Syria during the week of May 10, 2004 for supporting terrorism and failing to stop guerrillas from entering Iraq. Reuters reports that Bush is expected to curb future investments by American energy firms in Syria, prohibit Syrian aircraft from flying into the U.S., and either block transactions involving the Syrian government or ban exports to Syria of U.S. products other than food and medicine. (Reuters Pub 05/10/04, www.reuters.com)
On May 3, 2004, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced the results of its 2004 "Special 301" annual report on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the move to establish a premium fee for daytime use of marine terminals in Los Angeles/Long Beach is intensifying. According to the article, State Assemblyman Alan Lowenthal has amended his proposed bill to call for creation of a specific board (comprised of representatives from the ports, the commercial trucking industry, the union, etc.) to collect the fee; however, the bill would not take effect if a local agency or private-sector group establishes a plan to move specified levels of inbound cargo during off-peak hours. The article notes that the Waterfront Coalition is developing its own proposal that would make a daytime usage premium fee a private-sector initiative. (JoC dated 04/12-18/04, www.joc.com.)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted to its Web site the section of the draft U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) on Dominican Republic-specific textile provisions. In addition, the USTR has issued a side letter concerning the Dominican Republic's potential loss of certain U.S-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) benefits as a result of CAFTA.
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released a statement on U.S. China trade relations which announces, among other things, that the administration has rejected a section 301 unfair trade practices petition filed by the AFL-CIO with regard to China's worker's rights policies. The USTR explains while there are serious concerns about labor rights and working conditions in China, the administration believes that trade and economic growth, among other things, will move China faster and further toward achieving results. (USTR Statement, dated 04/28/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/04/2004-04-28-statement-china.pdf)
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS') Science and Technology Directorate has announced that Analytic Services Incorporated (ANSER) has been selected to operate the Homeland Security Institute, which is DHS' first Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). According to DHS, the FFRDC will particularly focus on those matters involving policy and security where scientific, technical, and analytical expertise is required such as those in the extremely complex threat and vulnerability assessment areas. (DHS press release, dated 04/23/04, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3509)
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice requesting public comments by May 10, 2004 regarding a petition it received on behalf of Narroflex Inc.:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has posted to its Web site the reports of 32 Trade Advisory Committees on the proposed U.S.-Dominican Republic agreement which integrates the Dominican Republic into the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting comments by May 17, 2004 concerning the issues raised by the U.S.' March 18, 2004 request for World Trade Organization (WTO) consultations with China regarding its value-added tax (VAT) on integrated circuits (ICs).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued two notices on behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) which announce that the USTR and the Department of Labor (DOL) are initiating a review of the impacts of the proposed U.S.-Thailand and U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) on U.S. employment, including labor markets.