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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=1108915704979&s=9878&e=001DpywdsvGE7Ap9D_Dny91xDSJUCJBb_E1bkkIwKULnKtq7OIA8HToDi3rGs8H16O1vAUtDxhJ_njb9RQdifepTjGUhV_ttDbONUX8g9nLmO4=
Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Engagement | 202.395.6120 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
December 23, 2011
Volume 114 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Announcements for the Week of Dec. 19 - 23, 2011 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Announces U.S. Win in WTO Dispute Challenging Philippine Excise Taxes on Distilled Spirits
December 21 - United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced today that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body agreed with the United States that Philippine excise taxes on imported distilled spirits were discriminatory and inconsistent with the Philippines' WTO obligations. The Appellate Body affirmed similar findings made by a WTO panel earlier this year. The Philippines imposes taxes on imported distilled spirits, such as whiskey and gin, at significantly higher rates than on domestic distilled spirits.
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USTR Announces Results of Special 301 Review of Notorious Markets
December 20 - The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today issued the Special 301 Out-of-Cycle Review of Notorious Markets. It identifies more than 30 markets that typify the problem of marketplaces that deal in goods and services that infringe on intellectual property rights (IPR) and help to sustain global piracy and counterfeiting. The results identify examples of both Internet and physical marketplaces that have been the subject of enforcement action connected with counterfeiting and piracy, or that may merit further investigation for possible IPR infringements. Today's announcement concludes the review process launched on September 22, 2011. The list can be viewed here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108915704979&s=9878&e=001DpywdsvGE7Bix78Gjo-tjdPPR_7-An0pFGV_41sA09zZbWa9etwiynRYhnNPpGW69dd9M0Lf0oVKvaw3jVCYAW_QmfVo7vm-HWzGK2MTRdqDYrJpCl4LY2T4LoMeRlYT.
"Piracy and counterfeiting continue to present a serious challenge to the innovation and creativity that is essential to supporting American jobs and creating economic growth around the world. The notorious markets highlighted in this review negatively impact legitimate businesses and industries of all sizes that rely on intellectual property to protect their goods and services," said United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "We hope that this review will continue to yield the kind of concrete action from highlighted markets that led to the removal of several markets from the list this year."
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U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba Discuss Trade Issues
December 19 - Ambassador Kirk met today with Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba and discussed a range of multilateral, regional, and bilateral trade issues. Ambassador Kirk welcomed our two countries' close cooperation in Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and under the bilateral Economic Harmonization Initiative.
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Update on Implementation of Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama
December 19 - Please be advised that USTR is holding working-level meetings with Korea on December 19-20 to continue discussions related to implementation of the U.S.-Korea trade agreement. The delegations will discuss each other's respective laws and regulations related to implementation of the trade agreement.
Find full releasehere http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108915704979&s=9878&e=001DpywdsvGE7BWxXSjnwH1L2jPHgiFtCkiMuR-XJCuPBlIQi6lQU6RugQlYr9_2m2QcjS9glZFSBVDmY641CUplg9ZdneDHVcfcjRuR40EXREt7Z086yyvqf1cHvO-KPPUXajy8Zgoa0Z9D40yo7LgpFNwJI3iAzgi8gMjr0UZlrufKUf5WXpCEX0jGjGEMSHSAtXqGA_SaPNRYYqi42ciMPokl62kCwFAyFI7LGYxAtVogGhUP09dbD-o58s6QtFd. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Trade Spotlight: USTR's 2011 Year-in-Review
December 22 - In 2011, the Obama Administration continued to advance an ambitious trade agenda that is helping to keep the United States on track to meet President Obama's goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014, in support of up to two million additional American jobs.
Ambassador Ron Kirk, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), is helping President Obama pursue a balanced and thoughtful approach to trade that supports American jobs, by opening markets for U.S. exports and leveling the playing field for our producers competing overseas. At the same time, the Ambassador has continued engagement and dialogue with Congress and stakeholders to ensure our trade policy reflects U.S. values and keeps faith with American workers and families.
Read more here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108915704979&s=9878&e=001DpywdsvGE7AgHIexU8q2SX2n5_VKFM-06ey_Ej1xFaXxneYDEDdYd33STFqimmTNYxPACzBL-iok_0nX8qBcYIzBwefVyorUCfYGCrdnCsxGJMcsMOoSsCxKGv3d1S-BXhlr_r4oYirpMNKDp2QCBzNf8YtcYweW00mynGcjnvoSuuR5ueCxg1e28z31TLreml7NiftyeVq1OnbuW-_pxLos4VtSKMoLEj0WW-VXaIpDq_LuM-RMww==. ___________________________________________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
USTR Release of the Ninth Report to Congress on the Operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act
December 20 - The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative presented today the Ninth Report to Congress on the Operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act (CBERA). The report is statutorily mandated by Congress and examines the operation of the CBERA as amended by the Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
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United States - Lao PDR Sign Agreement In Principle Concerning WTO Accession December 19 - Lao PDR is a least developed country (LDC) accession candidate to the World Trade Organization (WTO). On December 16th, 2011 U.S. Ambassador to the WTO, Michael Punke, and Lao PDR Minister of Industry and Commerce, Dr. Nam Viyaketh, signed an agreement in principle on bilateral market access, associated with Lao PDR's accession to the WTO.
Read more here http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1108915704979&s=9878&e=001DpywdsvGE7CKJBm67purHkiGp-y_RNW_bqrQ1MWBcWr7EL4JMQTDicZiU7jDbJNx9LvDjLf42ErNytsfJpVV09yLyrAUGg1z7dzwQJ6PEd3Yl32yiKDNvFj0EbBpqL-b4WV4CN19AgOdcYQyQHk8i5nDgYaO7-ZhLSe-x3o1mdNYQyGn2DIoaYEdUSZ7PoYKOmyFy4is1JXWMKl398X10ywlIJukYqFadE67VG1BVop32plaQuF5FHft_RrJBKKX. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
IN THIS ISSUE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk Announces U.S. Win in WTO Dispute Challenging Philippine Excise Taxes on Distilled Spirits USTR Announces Results of Special 301 Review of Notorious Markets
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichiro Gemba Discuss Trade Issues
Update on Implementation of Trade Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama
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USTR.gov ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Weekly Trade Spotlight: USTR's 2011 Year-in-Review
USTR Release of the Ninth Report to Congress on the Operation of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery Act
United States - Lao PDR Sign Agreement In Principle Concerning WTO Accession ________________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RECENT EVENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ambassador Kirk met with the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Koichiro Gemba
Ambassadors Kirk and Sapiro met with the British Ambassador, Nigel Sheinwald
Ambassador Sapiro met with Kathryn Hauser of the TransAtlantic Business Dialogue (TABD)
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Ask the Ambassador ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please send us your trade stories at
or submit questions to Ambassador Kirk at Ask the Ambassador http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6lcilzcab&et=1106186007300&s=0&e=001J-cVcRjoUL9KjYJPmPUlY57fPYQI9b_PpqanY3J1s_iIwtpIVIVLGJgHrOulCsDpcmKJOE3Hi60SWTt38lUGMq74a77JgfqiChlsnSs0AYDKezb7pM2c1Mz-mPXhWAbPFVjdlaNHj0x-rs0IKN3JbA==. ______________________
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