The International Trade Administration will lead a May 2013 trade mission to the Trade Winds-Asia business forum in Seoul, Korea. Participants may also choose to participate in stops in the Philippines, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan before and after the forum. Each trade mission stop will include one-on-one business appointments with pre-screened potential buyers, agents, distributors and joint-venture partners, and networking events. Trade mission participants electing to participate in the Trade Winds-Asia business forum may attend regional and industry-specific sessions and consultations with CS Senior Commercial Officers based in Asia, the ITA said. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by March 30. The ITA will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis beginning Dec. 17, until the maximum of 65 participants is selected.
The International Trade Administration is proposing to extend until 2017 its program to monitor and require permits from importers of steel products. The ITA Steel Import Monitoring and Analysis system was originally implemented in 2002 as part of a safeguard imposing temporary tariffs on steel products. The safeguard was lifted in 2005, but the monitoring and permitting was extended that year, and again in 2009. The program is currently set to expire on March 21, 2013. The ITA’s proposed rule would extend it for four more years until March 21, 2017. Comments are due by Dec. 13.