July 2002 News

USDA Solicits Comments on Country of Origin Labeling Guidelines

On July 25, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it is seeking public comments on how best to structure the voluntary country of origin labeling (COOL) guidelines mandated by the 2002 Farm Bill.

View Department of Agriculture press release

Indian Supreme Court Vacates Injunction Against U.S. Soda Ash Exports

On July 29 the American Natural Soda Ash Corporation (ANSAC), the U.S. soda ash export cooperative corporation, announced that the Indian Supreme Court has granted its appeal to vacate an injunction barring U.S. soda ash exports to India. In its press release, ANSAC stated the court held that the injunction, obtained in 1996 at the behest of domestic producers seeking to block U.S. imports, was improperly issued by the Indian Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC). View text of ANSAC press release

Commerce Secretary Evans' Statement on House Passage of Trade Promotion Authority

View Secretary Evans' statement (No Longer Available) regarding the House of Representatives' vote to grant Trade Promotion Authority to President Bush.

Comprehensive U.S. Trade Proposal to Expand American Farmers' Access To Overseas Markets

On July 25th, The United States announced an ambitious proposal for reforming the rules of global agricultural trade that would level the playing field for all countries by substantially reducing global trade barriers, slashing trade-distorting subsidies and eliminating export subsidies. Read the USTR Press Release( No longer available)

United States and Sri Lanka Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement

On July 25th, U.S. Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick and Sri Lankan Minister of Economic Reform and Science and Technology Milanda Moragoda signed an agreement that provides a forum for Sri Lanka and the United States to examine ways to expand bilateral trade and investment. The new Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) creates a Joint Council to enable officials to consider a wide range of commercial issues, and sets out basic principles underlying the two nations' trade and investments relationship. The Council will establish a permanent dialogue with the expectation of expanding trade and investment between the United States and Sri Lanka. Read the USTR Press Release(No longer available)

Commerce Assistant Secretary Lash's Efforts to Dismantle Foreign Trade Barriers

View text of Women's Wear Daily article regarding Commerce Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance William Lash's efforts to persuade the United States' trading partners to eliminate trade barriers and comply with international laws.

Mexico: Proposed Standards (July 8 to 19, 2002)

View recently proposed and enacted Mexican Government standards

USTR Zoellick Praises Progress in Global Trade Talks

In a July 19 statement, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick said World Trade Organization (WTO) talks have been energized by recent meetings that produced agreement on a negotiating plan for tariff reductions in manufactured goods. That tariff agreement "means that negotiations in all areas are now focused on substance," Zoellick said following the weeklong meeting in Geneva of the Trade Negotiating Committee, the group of high-level national officials that steers the negotiations launched last November in Doha, Qatar. "The message from Geneva is encouraging," he said.

Read the USTR Press Release

Commission's Recommendations on U.S.-China Economic Relations

On July 15, the U.S.-China Security Review Commission released its first annual report to Congress, which assesses the growing U.S. economic relationship with China and its implications for U.S. national security. The report presents a variety of findings that emerged from the Commission's investigation into this relationship, and proposes 21 major recommendations to Congress to strengthen U.S. national security interests. Among the report's key findings is that the U.S. has been a major contributor, through trade and investment, to China's rise as an economic power, and that there is plausible evidence that the U.S.'s burgeoning trade deficit with China will worsen despite China's entry into the WTO. Based on its findings, the Commission's recommendations to Congress include making full use of U.S. law and WTO tools to gain Chinese compliance with trade agreements, and increasing reporting by the U.S. government on Chinese compliance with its WTO commitments. View text of Commission's press release (no longer available)

Commerce Under Secretary Aldonas Addresses Development Capacity Building

On July 16, Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade Grant Aldonas delivered the keynote address at a symposium sponsored by the Carnegie Endowment and UN Environment Program. In his remarks, Mr. Aldonas said that the United States must be inclusive in its efforts to build a trade consensus. He also said domestic good governance, along with international trade rules, are important for lifting countries out of poverty and increasing freedoms. He stated that the Commerce Department is planning several initiatives and missions designed to forge greater links between the U.S. private sector and the private sectors of developing world economies. For example, Secretary of Commerce Evans has committed to lead a business delegation to several sub-Saharan countries this fall. President Bush has already indicated his plans to participate in the second AGOA Forum in Mauritius in January of 2003 and to visit several other countries as part of his swing through Africa. To date, several cabinet members--USTR Zoellick, and Secretaries Powell, O'Neill and Thompson-- have visited the region.

Commerce Under Secretary Aldonas Welcomes EU Engagement to End Global Steel Crisis

In a July 17 statement, Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade Grant Aldonas stated that the USG welcomes the European initiative to reach an international agreement on the crisis facing the global steel industry.

View text of ITA press release

UAE Bolsters Intellectual Property Protection

On June 28, United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheik Zayid endorsed a comprehensive copyright law that is intended to protect works covered by copyrights or related rights and impose stiff penalties on those who manufacture or import works without permission. The law will officially go into effect once it is published in the official gazette, which is expected shortly. The new law is designed to supersede a 1992 law and revokes other regulations that contravene it. ITA MAC has worked directly with the UAE for a number of years in bilateral and multilateral consultations advising the Government toward greater IPR protection and to take steps in providing a copyright law to meet its TRIPs obligations. The Commerce Department’s Patent and Trademark Office will review the law to determine whether it is TRIPs consistent.

U.S. To Advance WTO Doha Development Agenda in Geneva, July 15-19

The United States will continue its leadership in spurring momentum on the Doha Development Agenda in the WTO, advancing trade liberalization proposals and strategies in key meetings (including the Trade Negotiating Committee), and holding bilateral and other consultations July 15-19 in Geneva, according to a July 12 USTR press release. These meetings mark an important point in the Doha trade agenda as negotiators move to substantive, detailed discussions on the road to the September 2003 WTO Ministerial, to be held in Cancun, Mexico. Besides helping to lead in the Doha negotiations, the U.S. is moving ahead aggressively on other trade initiatives at the regional and bilateral level, including the Free Trade Area of the Americas, bilateral FTA negotiations with Chile and Singapore, and exploring FTA's with other trading partners. View USTR press release( No longer available)

Commerce Assistant Secretary Lash Comments on Russian Business Climate

In a June 26 roundtable discussion in Moscow, Commerce Assistant Secretary for Market Access and Compliance William Lash said that American companies regard the Russian market as promising from the viewpoint of investments, noting that they invested over $1 billion in Russia in 2001. At the same time, Mr. Lash urged Russia to continue reforming its business practices: improving business transparency; further developing the rule of law; guaranteeing protection to minority shareholders; and enforcing intellectual property rights. View texts of Interfax and AP news items

Request for Comments and Notice of Public Hearing Concerning China's Compliance With WTO Commitments

http://www.ustr.gov/fr/2002/2002-07-09-china.PDF (no longer available)

New Study Cites Relatively Low U.S. Trade Barriers

In a July 9 press release, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) described a study which concluded the U.S. economy has some of the lowest barriers to imports of any economy in the world, but eliminating remaining barriers would benefit the U.S. economy even further

Read the USTR Press Release

Mexico: Proposed Standards (June 24 to July 5, 2002)

View recently proposed and enacted Mexican Government standards

Brazil Criminalizes Bribery of Foreign Officials

On June 12, 2002 Brazil published in its Official Gazette legislation which establishes criminal penalties for bribing foreign officials to gain an advantage in foreign business transactions. The legislation, adopted by parliament on June 6, 2002, implements Brazil's obligations under the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Antibribery Convention. An assessment of this legislation will be undertaken by the OECD Working Group on Bribery this Fall. Of the Convention's thirty-five signatories, only Chile and Turkey must still adopt domestic laws to implement the Convention. Additional information on implementation and enforcement of the Antibribery Convention is available in the Commerce Department's Fourth Annual Report to Congress.

WTO Panel Upholds Key Sections of U.S. Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Laws

On June 28, the Office of the United States Trade Representative announced that the World Trade Organization (WTO) had completed a final report upholding key sections of the U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty laws. The WTO found that certain U.S. laws used in AD/CVD cases – the "facts available" provisions – do not breach WTO rules. The U.S. facts available provisions allow the United States to complete antidumping and countervailing duty investigations when foreign companies refuse or otherwise fail to provide necessary information. Antidumping and countervailing duty laws are used to combat unfair foreign trade practices that cause injury to U.S. industries. Read the complete USTR press release(No longer available)

U.S. Commerce Secretary: Trade Creates Tampa Jobs, Grows Economy

On June 27, U.S. Commerce Secretary Don Evans carried his trade message "trade is crucial to the health and vitality of the nation's economy" to Tampa, Fla. This visit is the second stop on Secretary Evans' nationwide grassroots trade education tour aimed at spotlighting the benefits of international trade for American families in their daily lives. Read the complete news item (no longer available)