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Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
Ambassador Ron Kirk | Executive Office of the President | www.ustr.gov http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108666687340&s=9878&e=001GXRB7tP4_qpFEB3HcQpo-uDQtb43z2UnC3-7ixmMDGFxivw-G-w65aHzuJGaiJ_a2gdr6vaQCcTRpssUg2K2dt7DR95wn04QAWATkI6XVJM=
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Engagement | 202.395.6120 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
November 18, 2011
Volume 110 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Announcements for the Week of Nov. 13-18, 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Response to WTO Panel Decision on Country of Origin Labeling
November 18 - The Office of the United States Trade Representative issued the following statement in regard to a decision by a World Trade Organization (WTO) panel in disputes brought by Canada and Mexico, which affirmed the United States' right to require country of origin labeling (COOL) on meat products:
"We are pleased that the panel affirmed the right of the United States to require country of origin labeling for meat products," said Andrea Mead, Press Secretary for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. "Although the panel disagreed with the specifics of how the United States designed those requirements, we remain committed to providing consumers with accurate and relevant information with respect to the origin of meat products that they buy at the retail level. In that regard we are considering all options, including appealing the panel's decision."
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United States, Philippines Sign Trade Facilitation Protocol
November 13 - Today on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Gregory Domingo signed a customs administration and trade facilitation agreement between the United States and the Philippines, demonstrating our countries' commitment to improving our trade relationship.
The agreement includes specific commitments on trade facilitation, including on simplified customs procedures and transparency of customs administration, which will promote increased bilateral trade, benefitting both the United States and the Philippines. The Philippines is already an important U.S. trading partner, with two-way goods and services trade last year of $20 billion.
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Statement By U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk On Announcements From Mexico And Canada Regarding The Trans-Pacific Partnership
November 13 - Today, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk commented on the statements issued by the governments of Mexico and Canada regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP):
"The United States welcomes the interest of Canada and Mexico, our neighbors and largest export markets, in seeking to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks," said Ambassador Kirk. "We look forward to initiating consultations with them and with Congress and our domestic stakeholders and to discussing the TPP's high standards for liberalizing trade and specific issues of concern to the United States. These will include stronger protection of intellectual property rights, additional specific opportunities for U.S. goods, services, and investment, and the elimination of various non-tariff barriers. Along with Japan's similar announcement this week, the desire of these North American nations to consult with TPP partners demonstrates the broadening momentum and dynamism of this ambitious effort toward economic integration across the Pacific."
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USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APEC Business Spotlight: SKAI Ventures Export to the Asia-Pacific Region
November 17 - SKAI Ventures is a Hawaii-based venture accelerator-a company which seek out new ideas and innovations with biomedical and biodefense applications to invest in, develop, and market as a finished product. Currently, SKAI Ventures portfolio companies include Eyegenix, TruTag Technologies, CBI Polymers, SKAI Vision Institute, Hawaii Endoscopy Institute, and the Eye Surgery Center of Hawaii. The three largest companies, Eyegenix, TruTag Technologies, and CBI Polymers, all export significantly to the Asia-Pacific region.
Read more here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108666687340&s=9878&e=001GXRB7tP4_qrCSJQ54EpOLF3K7-bIYaT4ToQlLgpQd4jannFeeKRE5boIamHVaiAylATM2KYG3sQtHI_gTB1K_KHj3Us531sMLiB9Nia62XHPABJ-jtF-ai8FhmgYkaKQWuNZf8ZTk7QYsMYaEXj3sy5ZKjfEVC8Yo8qBXG6Up8ohQxsjmABGsbqs52NBv17WOeWmxLKXNeEiWiNS_B8teVVycEk5PelIGsaDXy3SBniwbHSCsKXXN_VTCY3w_03k. ___________________________________________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ambassador Kirk Updates the President's Export Council on 2011 Trade Updates and Initiatives"
November 17 - Yesterday, Ambassador Kirk participated in a meeting of the President's Export Council (PEC). He updated the PEC members on recent trade successes and initiatives. He wrote a guest blog post for WhiteHouse.gov http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108666687340&s=9878&e=001GXRB7tP4_qp5kJJjThASeY42_0Q3QYJ67zr8tskmQiNlAbRDzK8-ZVefughzq50TW1mUAg1uDt2G02aif0ZenSs_Gi9RXLTuKF4sdb82H9DDKXlzO-ABMQ== about the meeting. You can read the post below:
"Earlier today I had the opportunity to participate in a meeting of the President's Export Council (PEC) at the White House. Members of the PEC gathered to strategize and discuss ways to reach the President's goal of doubling our nation's exports by the end of 2014. In addition, the private sector members of the PEC presented Administration officials with letters of recommendations on topics such as expansion of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), Middle East/North Africa commercial engagement and workforce readiness. We thanked them for their ideas, and underscored the importance of their input to the Administration's efforts to boost exports."
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U.S.-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) Council Meeting
November 16 - Yesterday, senior U.S. and Sri Lankan officials met at the Office of the United States Trade Representative for the ninth meeting of the United States-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council. The TIFA was signed in 2002, and is now the primary forum for bilateral trade and investment discussions between the two countries. The TIFA process has been the focal point of a sustained and multi-faceted high-level engagement between the United States and Sri Lanka on trade and investment issues, including impediments to greater trade and investment flows between the countries.
The parties discussed a full range of investment climate issues, including market access, the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), trade promotion efforts, intellectual property rights, and sector-specific challenges to investment. Discussion also included the importance of considering gender issues in setting trade and investment policy, and in expanding technical cooperation between the two countries. Exporting more machinery, optic and medical instruments, plastic, cereal, and wheat could result in more jobs for businesses, farmers, and workers here at home.
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What They Are Saying: 2011 APEC Ministerial and Economics Leader's Meeting
November 14 - This week, The Office of the United States Trade Representative concluded the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ministerial and Economic Leaders' meetings.
Click here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108666687340&s=9878&e=001GXRB7tP4_qrWExrHPA4_r2jLvDzHWxsWqEWhYWpPSbh50TMNvfWr_Sbse__h9kmuLIZN4rD5nt0klBIFsNJycCX_pAhGC1vm3NZR955mfASwj-LCBVyOJpxqFzt8IxsYs76lIFXHMUA-irMfjG_9wFm4rox2iPyjgrcgRKZb_Ey6Tt77qI_KMqZmg7OPXNdzDJqFBCX5HHjdn30PHMjhL1MNieMSkbKvLtBW66gozN1qC3aGaoc8VNPH2CHEMQte to see what people are saying about the important initiatives announced during the meetings.
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Trade with the Asia-Pacific Region Benefits Indiana's Businesses and Workers
November 13 - In a world where 95 percent of consumers reside outside our borders, APEC comprises 40 percent of the global population. The Asia-Pacific region offers tremendous opportunities for U.S. exporters. The Asia-Pacific region is the largest market in the world for U.S. exports and receives over 70 percent of U.S. agricultural exports. Many of these dynamic economies are growing faster than the world average and together generate 56 percent of global GDP in 2010.
Indiana's goods exports in 2010 totaled $29 billion. Of Indiana's total exports, $18 billion, or 63 percent, went to markets in the Asia-Pacific region. The top three product categories to APEC member economies exported in 2010 were transportation equipment, machinery, and chemical manufactures.
Indiana Exported $18 Billion in Goods to Asia-Pacific Countries in 2010:
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APEC Business Spotlight: Oceanit Hopes to Find Success in Asia-Pacific Region
November 13 - Oceanit is a small business located throughout the Hawaiian Islands. Founded in 1985, Oceanit is one of Hawaii's largest and most diversified science and engineering companies.
The company owns state of the art facilities for nanotechnology, biology, laser/optics and electronics. Focusing on innovation, Oceanit employees work primarily in the aerospace, life sciences, engineering, and information systems fields.
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IN THIS ISSUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Statement by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in Response to WTO Panel Decision on Country of Origin Labeling United States, Philippines Sign Trade Facilitation Protocolnited States, Philippines Sign Trade Facilitation Protocol
Statement By U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk On Announcements From Mexico and Canada Regarding The Trans-Pacific Partnership ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
APEC Business Spotlight: SKAI Ventures Export to the Asia-Pacific Region
"Ambassador Kirk Updates the President's Export Council on 2011 Trade Updates and Initiatives"
U.S-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA) Council meeting
What They Are Saying: 2011 APEC Ministerial and Economic Leaders' Meeting
Trade with the Asia-Pacific Region Benefits Indiana's Businesses and Workers
APEC Business Spotlight: Oceanit Hopes to Find Success in Asia-Pacific Region ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RECENT EVENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ambassadors Kirk, Marantis, and Punke traveled to Honolulu, Hawaii for the conclusion of the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial and Economic Leaders' meeting
Ambassador Kirk met with the CEO of Aetna, Mark Bertolini
Ambassador Sapiro met with members of the Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA)
Ambassadors Kirk and Sapiro participated in a meeting of the President's Export Council (PEC)
Ambassador Kirk traveled to China to meet with business leaders including the American Chamber of Commerce Board of Governors
Ambassador Kirk and Secretary Bryson will serve as co-chairs for the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT)
Ambassador Marantis will participate in the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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