Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk will host Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan for the 23rd session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) Dec. 18-19 in Washington, D.C. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will also take part in the discussions to address agricultural trade concerns, the Commerce Department said.
Exports and imports both fell in October, but the drop in exports was steeper, causing a rise in the U.S. goods and services trade deficit to $42.2 billion, said the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis in their U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report for September 2012. The report showed that, as compared to revised September 2012 levels, exports were down $6.8 billion to $180.5 billion, and imports fell $4.9 billion to $222.8 billion. The largest component in the decline in both exports and imports was industrial supplies and materials. As compared to October 2011 totals, exports increased by 1 percent and imports by 0.8 percent. The U.S. trade deficit with China widened to $29.5 billion in October, from a revised $29.1 billion in September.
The International Trade Administration is accepting until Dec. 31 requests for participation in the U.S. Environmental Toolkit, which provides information to foreign consumers on solving environmental problems, as well as a catalogue of U.S. producers of green technologies. It also provides exporters with access to services, including market research; export counseling; and financing, the ITA said. The ITA is requesting input from U.S. businesses capable of exporting goods or services relevant to nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from power plants (here); emissions control from non-road diesel engines (here); and reducing air pollution from oil and natural gas production and processing (here).
The International Trade Administration and the European Commission Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry (DGE) announced a joint initiative to better support and promote transatlantic trade among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the ITA said. The two agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding Dec. 3 which formalizes efforts between ITA and DGE to collaborate on a wide range of trade promotion, information sharing, and policy initiatives that will facilitate the ability of SMEs to access EU, U.S., and third-country markets, it said.
The International Trade Administration will lead a transportation infrastructure sector trade mission to Colombia and Panama May 13-16, 2013. The mission will include business-to-business matchmaking appointments with local companies, as well as market briefings, and networking events, and will focus on the following sectors: building products, construction equipment, electrical power systems, safety and security equipment, airport supplies, logistics and distribution solutions providers, port equipment, and intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by Feb. 15. Fifteen to seventeen companies will be selected to participate.