On June 20, 2011 the Senate Committee on the Judiciary reported S. 978, a bill to amend the criminal penalty provision for criminal infringement of a copyright.
On June 20, 2011, the Senate Committee on Armed Services ordered favorably reported the following bills:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted remarks by USTR Kirk at the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors, in which he states, among other things, that to create export opportunities, "President Obama is committed to passing trade agreements with South Korea, Panama, and Colombia this year, as well as extending Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). We are working every day with our partners in the House and Senate toward the informal markups that need to be held before these agreements are formally submitted. And we are also urging Congress to reach an agreement on TAA so that these agreements are not delayed."
On June 16, 2011, as part of its consideration of the Economic Development Revitalization Act (S. 782), the Senate adopted an amendment to repeal the import tariff on foreign ethanol.
The Congressional Research Service has recently issued a report on sector-specific concerns of the U.S.-South Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA). Some of the concerns reported by CRS were also expressed in industry advisory committee reports1 that were submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative in 2007. These concerns include provisions of the KORUS FTA regarding beef, various agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, etc.
On June 17, 2011, 28 Senators sent a letter to the U.S. Trade Representative urging him to work to lift Russian trade barriers to U.S. pork products. The letter urges the USTR to encourage Russia to ease the unwarranted restrictions and abide by commitments as a precursor to joining the World Trade Organization. According to the Senators, the U.S. was able to obtain commitments from China and Vietnam to overcome similar obstacles as part of those countries’ accession to the WTO. Grassley press release available here
On June 15, 2011, Representative Grijalva (D) sent a letter to House Speaker John Boehner and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi calling for greater funding at border ports of entry, citing the high economic costs of understaffing and a chronic shortage of infrastructure. The letter notes that the economic benefits of trade are threatened by a severe lack of manpower and infrastructure at U.S. ports of entry. According to the letter, the growth of international trade has outpaced the ports’ workload capacity, resulting in congestion and delays. Grijalva press release, including text of letter, available here
On June 17, 2011, Senators Brown (D) and Snowe (R) called for swift passage of their Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act of 2011 (S. 328) in order to give the Administration additional tools to address China’s currency manipulation.
Prior to its June 16, 2011 passage of H.R. 2112, the FY 2012 Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration Appropriations Act, the House of Representatives added back in a provision which would block funding from being used to make payments to Brazil as part of a mutually agreed World Trade Organization settlement dispute involving cotton. (Earlier in its consideration, the House had stricken a similar funding ban from the bill.)
On June 16, 2011, a House Appropriations Subcommittee1 approved at mark-up (without change) a proposed fiscal year 2012 Financial Services appropriations bill. This bill would provide funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the Treasury Department, etc.