International Trade Law News

The U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Trade Policy Staff Committee is requesting public comments for inclusion in the 2008 version of the National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.

Information submitted should relate to one or more of the following categories of foreign trade barriers:

1. Import policies (e.g., tariffs and other import charges,quantitative restrictions, import licensing, and customs barriers);
2. Standards, testing, labeling, and certification;
3. Government procurement (e.g., "buy national'' policies and closed bidding);
4. Export subsidies (e.g., export financing on preferential terms and agricultural export subsidies that displace U.S. exports in third country markets);
5. Lack of intellectual property protection (e.g., inadequate patent, copyright, and trademark regimes);
6. Services barriers;
7. Investment barriers;
8. Anticompetitive practices with trade effects tolerated by foreign governments;
9. Trade restrictions affecting electronic commerce; and
10. Other barriers (including bribery and corruption).
    

Labels: USTR

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) yesterday announced the results of the 2006 Annual Review of the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP). As a result of the review, USTR terminated GSP eligibility for 21 products and granted waivers of the competitive need limitations on 115 products.

The 21 products were removed from the GSP program because they "can compete effectively in the U.S. market". Among the products that will be removed from GSP eligibility are: brake and brake parts and ferrozirconium from Brazil; kola nuts from Cote d’Ivoire; gold jewelry and brass lamps from India; wiring harnesses from the Philippines; gold jewelry from Thailand; and methanol from Venezuela. The 2006 import value of the products removed from GSP eligibility was approximately $4.8 billion. Total U.S. imports from beneficiary developing countries under the GSP program in 2006 were $32.6 billion, a 22% increase over 2005.

A PDF document containing a complete list of the products that were removed and added to the GSP program (and their corresponding HTS numbers can be found at the following link.

Labels: GSP, USTR

Various press reports indicate that former U.S Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is President Bush's choice to serve as the next president of the World Bank.

Labels: USTR

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has announced in Monday's Federal Register that it will conduct a 2007 Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review. Petitions to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program and to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries because of country practices must be submitted to USTR by June 22, 2007 . The deadline for competitive need limitation (CNL) waivers are due on November 16, 2007.

Labels: GSP, USTR

Three members of Congress have criticized Saudi Arabia following the report in Monday's Jerusalem Post that Saudi Arabia continues to enforce the primary boycott of Israeli goods.

Friday's edition of the Jerusalem Post contains quotes from Representatives Howard Berman (D-CA), Joseph Crowley (D-CT) and Mike Pence (R-IN) that are strongly critical of Saudi Arabia for continuing the boycott, despite their agreement to terminate the boycott during the WTO accession process. The three members of Congress called for Saudi Arabia to end their boycott immediately.

The article also quotes an official from the U.S Trade Representative's Office that:

"At the time of its accession to the WTO, Saudi Arabia did not invoke the nonapplication provisions of the WTO Agreement with respect to any member, and therefore has taken on all WTO rights and obligations, including most-favored-nation treatment, with respect to all members, including Israel."

In our view," the official said, "continuing the primary boycott of Israel would not be consistent with these commitments."

Labels: Boycotts, USTR

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative today released its 2007 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers (NTE), which contains an inventory of the most important foreign trade barriers affecting the U.S. export of goods and the U.S. actions to reduce and eliminate those barriers. The 2007 NTE was delivered to Congress on March 30, as required by statute. The full report, including the country-by-country analysis, can be found at the following link.

Labels: USTR