Information Technology Agreement (ITA) participant nations, notably China, must concede more sensitive ITA products and product lines, along with shorter tariff phase-out periods, in order to secure an ITA expansion deal by the next World Trade Organization summit in Bali, said leaders of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees in a Nov. 13 letter to U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Michael Froman. An ITA expansion deal would fuel increased U.S. exports of IT products, said the letter. “Any final agreement should also include important products that are priorities of U.S. information technology exporters, such as next-generation semiconductors, high tech instruments and medical devices,” said the letter. The Bali summit will be held from Dec. 3-6. The USTR and U.S. industry have led the ITA expansion effort (see 13100908).
The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved Terrell McSweeny for as Commissioner at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), according to a press release on Nov. 12. The full chamber must now vote on her nomination. McSweeny would fill the vacant fifth FTC commissioner position. McSweeny is a former staffer for Vice President Joe Biden.
The Department of Energy must approve liquefied natural gas (LNG) export applications for non-free trade agreement (FTA) countries from facilities on the west coast, such as Jordan Cove in Oregon, said a Nov. 12 letter to Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, endorsed by 12 House and Senate lawmakers. The expectation that the nation’s LNG supply will soon meet domestic demand is causing some companies to scale back operations and, in turn, decreasing local and Native American tribal government revenue while cutting jobs, said the letter. Therefore the application approvals are necessary to maintain LNG production.
Twenty-two members of the House of Representatives told President Barack Obama on Nov. 12 that they would oppose Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), also known as fast-track. The law, which expired in 2007, sacrifices the congressional authority to set the terms of trade, said the letter, while requiring the House to vote in a definite period of time on bills designed to implement trade deals the administration strikes.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will conduct on Nov. 13 at 10:00 a.m. a hearing on the nomination of Jeh Johnson as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the committee said. Rand Beers has held the DHS chief post as acting secretary since Janet Napolitano vacated the position in September.
NEW YORK-Recently introduced legislation meant to prevent shippers from skirting certain port fees through the use of Canadian and Mexican ports would impose some major new taxes on any good not originating from North America and should be of concern to importers, said Robin Lanier, director of the Waterfront Coalition. Lanier spoke Nov. 6 at the U.S. Fashion Industry Association conference. The bill in question, the Maritime Goods Movement Act, was recently introduced by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Maria Cantwell, D-Wash.
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
Recent trade-related bills introduced in Congress include:
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., announced on Nov. 4 Jason Park joined the committee majority staff as international trade counsel focusing on Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), customs and other issues. Baucus has pressed the need to pass TAA in conjunction with Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) (see 13072513). Baucus said he preferred TPA should pass by the end of 2013, while speaking at an Oct. 30 committee hearing on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (see 13103107). Park joined the committee from the Senate Budget Committee majority staff, where he worked on trade and tax issues as revenues counsel. Prior to that, he served as legislative counsel for Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash.
The Senate Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), S. 601, and the sister House Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA), H.R. 3080, will modernize and preserve critical infrastructure, while ensuring retention of hundreds of thousands of jobs, a group of labor associations said in a letter submitted to Congress on Nov. 1. The House passed H.R. 3080 (here) on Oct. 23 with an overwhelming bipartisan vote, after the Senate passed its version of the bill, S. 601 (here), in May (see 13102428). The Senate on Nov. 4 appointed eight conferees.