USRBC Welcomes Working Party Approval of Russia’s WTO Accession Package
The U.S.-Russia Business Council is pleased to announce that today in Geneva the Working Party on Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached a final agreement on the terms of Russia’s WTO accession and approved its accession package.
via USRBC, Nov 10, 2011
Tariff Schedule Now Available
For the convenience of our readers, we have added a link in the sidebar of this blog to the United States Harmonized Tariff Schedule. At that website, you can download a .pdf of each chapter, including a change record and section notes.
United States and East African Community Launch Discussions on New Trade and Investment Initiative
Today, the United States launched exploratory discussions during a meeting with the East African Community (EAC) in Arusha on a potential new trade and investment partnership. Ambassador Alfonso Lenhardt, the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania who is also accredited as the U.S. Ambassador to the EAC, opened the meeting. Assistant United States Trade Representative for African Affairs, Florie Liser, led an interagency team of representatives from the Departments of State, Commerce, and Agriculture, as well as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in the day-long consultations.
Office of the United States Trade Representative, Nov 9, 2011
European Council’s Way Out of the Debt Crisis
The Euro Summit on 26 October agreed on a comprehensive set of measures to address the current tensions in financial markets and restore confidence.
“We do not want to repeat some of the errors from the recent past,” said Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, who chaired the meeting. “In taking today’s decisions, we lay the foundations for our future. All members of the Euro Summit are determined to follow this path.”
European Council. Oct 26, 2011
Hong Kong Delegation Visits the Tri-State
On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, Commissioner Donald Tong visited Northern Kentucky to meet with business, community and academic leaders. Commissioner Tong shared insights on opportunities and advantages of building relationships within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Commissioner Tong’s speech follows.
Transatlantic Job Creation
Jobs are the lifeblood of the modern economy, creating income that is spent at businesses, saved in banks, and gathered as tax revenue. Without jobs, growth grinds to a halt, economic confidence falters, and the economy contracts—bad news for all concerned.
The recession has taken a comparable toll on employment on both the United States and the European Union. Yet, in spite of the economic downturn, the size and interconnected nature of the transatlantic economic relationship continues to create and sustain jobs—close to 15 million of them, divided more or less equally between the EU and the U.S.
Read More
European Union Delegation to the USA, EU Focus November 2011
EU agrees Russia’s WTO accession
The European Union on Friday agreed to Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization, which is expected to take place in December.
The United States welcomed the EU’s decision. However, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it shares “the EU’s strong interest in seeing Russia and Georgia reach a mutually agreeable resolution of trade-related issues, and encourage both sides to continue their cooperative efforts to that end, working with officials of the Government of Switzerland.
American Shipper. Oct 24, 2011
Northern Kentucky Chamber Applauds Approval of Free Trade Agreements
FT. MITCHELL, Thursday, October 13, 2011 – The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce welcomes the approval by the House and Senate of the U.S. Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. This concerted effort will ensure that the United States continues to gain access to world markets and because Northern Kentucky represents twenty-five percent of Kentucky’s foreign trade, the newly approved FTAs have the potential to positively impact local commerce and employment.
“We are pleased to witness a bipartisan support for trade by Congress,” states Daniele Longo, VP Business Growth, Healthcare Solutions and International Affairs at the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “These agreements will open new strategic markets for more exports from Kentucky and the Greater Cincinnati region, supporting jobs and generating tax revenues for our communities.”
The Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and a broad-based coalition of supporters have been urging congressional consideration of these agreements for several years. The U.S. International Trade Commission reports that these agreements could increase U.S. exports by at least $13 billion and U.S. GDP by at least $10 billion. The USITC estimates that these agreements are expected to create a total of 250,000 new American jobs.
“We applaud the efforts of the Greater Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati regional congressional delegation for their support of the FTA’s,” said Brent Cooper, Chair of the Northern Kentucky Chamber’s Board. “Their support is much appreciated by local businesses and will further enhance our region’s ability to compete in the global marketplace.”
“This Chamber has always been proactive in educating and helping its members and communities on the advantages the new global economy brings,” said Steve Stevens, President of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. “As a matter of fact, last year we hosted ten foreign delegations including the Ambassadors and trade officers of Panama and South Korea and we hope that our efforts to build relationships with these dignitaries will strengthen potential trade opportunities for our region in the near future.”
NKITA and DHL Export Trade Conference
Thursday, November 17, 2011, Hilton Cincinnati Airport, 7373 Turfway Road, Florence, KY
Join NKITA at the 2011 DHL Express International Trade Affairs & Compliance (ITAC) Seminar Series.
During the seminar you will learn about:
* Overview of export controls by DHL Express
* Overview of export enforcement by Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export Enforcement
* Brief overview of recent changes in the sanctions and embargo programs by Doug Jacobson
* Automated Export System filing compliance by U.S. Census Bureau
* Brief overview of export compliance best practices published by Bureau of Industry and Security
U.S. trade mission to Qatar, UAE
Commerce Department’s Undersecretary for International Trade Francisco Sánchez will lead a U.S. trade delegation to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Oct. 30-Nov. 3 to promote U.S. goods, services, and technologies in the multi-modal transportation and energy infrastructure sectors.
Representatives from 14 U.S.-based companies, including Boeing, Dais Analytic Corp., DBi Services, Herzog Cos., Lane International, MagneMotion, Manufacturers Industrial Group, Orca Maritime, Parsons Corp., Rapiscan Systems, Target Engineering Group, Technology International, TransCore, and Wilbur Smith Associates, along with the Transportation Department will join Sánchez on the mission.
American Shipper, Oct 6, 2011
Northern Kentucky International Trade Association (or NKITA) Blog 