The Department of Homeland Security has announced that its Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) will meet on February 3, 2010, in New York, New York. The meeting will be partially closed to the public. Closed portions of the meeting will include updates on operational challenges, intelligence briefings, and predecisional policies. The briefings will include information on sensitive homeland security procedures and the capabilities of DHS components and on law enforcement and transportation security procedures. (D/N DHS-2009-0160, FR Pub 01/19/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-942.pdf)
China's Ministry of Commerce announced pledges by the Chinese government to push forward the transformation of the nation's economic development pattern in 2010 while maintaining stable and comparatively fast economic growth. Among other things, China said it would continue to enrich current policies to enhance domestic demand, including the subsidized rural purchase programs of home appliances and autos. (Notice, dated 12/07/09, available at http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/xw/t631846.htm)
Trade ministers concluded their World Trade Organization meeting, declaring that they want to try to conclude the Doha Round talks quickly and agreeing to extend existing "moratoriums" on electronic commerce and intellectual property. (The ministers extended their agreements to not charge import duties on electronic transmissions and to not bring "non-violation" IPR cases to the WTO dispute settlement process.) (News release, dated 12/02/09, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/mn09a_02dec09_e.htm)
The Treasury Department has posted its 2009 report to Congress on the International Trade Data System. The ITDS project is an interagency effort to build an electronic "single-window" system for reporting imports and exports to the government. ITDS will allow traders to make a single electronic report, with the relevant data distributed to the appropriate agencies. (See ITT's Online Archives or 11/10/09 news, 09111010, for initial BP summary on the report) ( posted 11/23/09, available at http://www.itds.gov/xp/itds/whats_new/).
The American Apparel and Footwear Association has issued a press release on the breakthrough in negotiations to hold an election on whether to reinstate the ousted President of Honduras. AAFA states that it and other key textile and apparel stakeholders will monitor the implementation of this agreement and advise U.S. officials about its impact on U.S. businesses. (Press release, dated 10/30/09, available at https://www.apparelandfootwear.org/userfiles/file/pressreleases/103009AAFAApplaudsBreakthroughTowardsRestoringStabilityinHonduras.pdf.)
Trade Ministers attending the Global Services Summit held in Washington, DC in October 2009 confirmed that in September, a group of 20 trade ministers agreed to push for negotiating services alongside agriculture and manufacturing in the World Trade Organization Doha Round, instead of afterwards. (Global Services Summit Transcripts available at http://www.uscsi.org/ServicesSummit2009.html)
At the September 25, 2009 meeting of the World Trade Organization's Dispute Settlement Body: (i) a panel was established to review antidumping "zeroing" measures taken by the U.S. affecting imports of Brazilian orange juice; and (ii) Brazil stated in regards to its cotton dispute with the U.S. that it intended to apply the formula provided by the arbitrators on the basis of 2009 data. Brazil said it would send a letter to the U.S. requesting 2009 data on the U.S. export credit guarantee program (GSM102) and on export prices for three commodities, namely rice, pork and poultry. (Notice, dated 09/25/09, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/dsb_25sep09_e.htm)
For the first time, customs and trade officials from the six major semiconductor producing regions (China, Chinese Taipei, the European Union, Japan, Korea and the U.S.) met to discuss problems posed by trade in counterfeit semiconductor products.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a final rule, effective September 25, 2009, which makes technical corrections to provisions in 19 CFR Part 148 that set forth personal duty exemption amounts, in order to conform the regulations to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS). (CBP final rule, CBP Dec. 09-37, FR Pub 09/25/09. available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-23158.pdf.
During a recent speech on financial rescue and reform, the President expressed his administration's commitment to pursuing expanded trade and new trade agreements. The President also noted that every time the G20 and the G8 have met, the U.S. has reaffirmed the need to fight against protectionism. According to the President, his recent action against tires from China was not meant to be protectionist, but is part of maintaining an open and free trading system. (Remarks, dated 09/14/09, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Financial-Rescue-and-Reform-at-Federal-Hall/)