Energy officials from all 21 member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have endorsed a new global target for the deployment of 10 billion high-efficiency lighting products, as officials remain “intent on boosting trade and green growth in the world’s most populous region,” APEC said (here). The “Global Lighting Challenge” was introduced during the COP21 climate talks in Paris in December. “Lighting accounts for 15 percent of global electricity consumption, more than the electricity generated by all the nuclear power stations in the world, and five percent of all carbon emissions,” APEC Energy Working Group Chairwoman Dr. Phyllis Yoshida said in a statement. Energy officials and experts will meet this week in Taiwan to accelerate work toward the Global Lighting Challenge target. Discussions will include the proliferation of green buildings, new and renewable energy technology, and innovations in energy efficiency and conservation, APEC said.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published the 17th edition of its Restricted Substances List (here), which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The AAFA generally releases the list every six months. The “AAFA continues to develop the RSL to update international and national regulations restricting the use of certain chemicals in product manufacturing," said Rick Helfenbein, the group's CEO, in a press release (here).

The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) of America supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as it is socially and environmentally responsible, and aligns with its “balanced trade” policy by seeking tariff elimination for products not made in the U.S., the group said (here). TPP will also allow for reciprocal market access across the Pacific Ocean, OIA said. The organization acknowledged that some of its members and partners believe TPP’s labor and environmental provisions are not stringent enough, and OIA said it will work to make sure all TPP partners actualize those parts of the agreement, and that the U.S. leads in ensuring full enforcement.

The Internet Association supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will recognize the Internet as an “essential American export,” the organization said in a statement (here). “Historically, pro-Internet policies have been absent from trade agreements, which is why the TPP is an important step forward for the Internet sector that accounts for 6 percent of the GDP and nearly 3 million American jobs,” Internet Association CEO Michael Beckerman said in the statement. “The TPP promotes a more inclusive trade economy by supporting the ability of small businesses to use the Internet to serve customers and users in key markets.” The organization is working with U.S. trade officials and Congress to ensure future trade negotiations build upon TPP’s digital framework and “reflect the priorities of all stakeholders, including a rapidly growing Internet sector."

The Trans-Pacific Partnership will help reduce entry times, provide better information for exporters, and modernize sanitary and phytosanitary trade practices, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Director for Japan and Korea James Fatheree said during a panel discussion in Washington March 30. His words echoed findings in an analysis of the TPP by the Peterson Institute for International Economics (see 1603220062), which projected removal of non-tariff barriers will have a bigger impact on TPP member states than tariff reductions. “It helps reduce the time it takes to get goods into the market once they’ve landed,” Fatheree said during the event, hosted by the Georgetown University Center for Business and Public Policy on Capitol Hill. “That’s all good stuff. There was not, unfortunately, any provisions for cross-TPP de minimis standards, which would’ve been something that would help, I think, overall.”

Broader collaboration is necessary in order for governments to fully embrace the transformative effect the Internet is having on global trade, said David Weller, head of Global Trade Policy at Google, in a blog post (here). Although most people think of physical goods when discussing trade, "data flows enabled by the Internet -- practically non-existent just 15 years ago -- now contribute to global economic growth more than the flow of goods" and "governments are rightly taking note of this transformation," Weller said. "In agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership, negotiators have started to address Internet issues. They are starting to recognize that restrictive Internet policies can damage trade just as much as high tariffs and quotas." While governments are starting to recognize the Internet's growing importance, "the traditionally closed and complex nature of trade negotiations makes engagement by this broader range of stakeholders difficult," said Weller. In order "for trade and Internet policy to work together, trade negotiators need to have input from the full range of Internet stakeholders. At the same time, Internet stakeholders need to start engaging in the trade policy process. Small businesses, startups, civil society groups, the Internet technical community, and everyday users all have a stake."

The Obama Administration should solve the remaining critical issues of Export Control Reform (ECR) and “consider carefully” how a future Administration can build upon progress, the Coalition for Security and Competitiveness said on March 25 in its annual letter to the President (here). Short-term White House priorities should include a completion of category changes in ECR, harmonization of Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and transition to a single export licensing form and application portal, the coalition said. Medium- and long-term priorities should include development of quick procedures for defense and security technology exports that support U.S. government, military, and intelligence interests abroad, and issuance of bulk licenses for technologies on the Commerce Control List (CCL) in situations where multiple U.S. companies export to a vetted overseas end-user, the coalition said. “We appreciate the interagency cooperation and significant progress made toward the initiative’s goals, and we urge you – with the Departments of State, Commerce and Defense – to tackle the remaining critical issues of the Export Control Reform (ECR) Initiative and to consider carefully how a future Administration can build on this important initiative,” the coalition said.

Timberland, Impact Farming, and the Haiti-based Smallholder Farmers Alliance (SFA) have launched a new study to explore the feasibility of reintroducing cotton as an export crop for Haitian smallholder farmers, the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America said (here). Leaders of the study hope the results will empower the Haitian smallholder farming community more actively participate in the global supply chain, FDRA said.

Everglory Logistics acquired LITESHIP International, a customs brokerage in Boston, for an undisclosed amount, Everglory said in a news release (here). "The acquisition of LITESHIP has also set in motion plans to create a seamless, full-service customer experience integrating forwarding and Customs brokerage," Everglory said. "It also provides a roadmap for future software updates that will unify both processes in a single system for our customers." Everglory now has three licensed brokers, it said.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership will help U.S. technology companies access expanded markets and boost both the U.S. economy and American jobs, said the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) (here). CompTIA Executive Vice President for Public Advocacy Elizabeth Hyman said TPP will promote “strong and balanced” protections for copyright and related rights, and will protect against locality requirements that direct companies to establish local data storage facilities, which could deplete the efficiency and economic benefits of the Internet, she said. “Even as we note our support for passage of the TPP, we understand that this agreement negotiated among twelve countries could not accomplish all the needs of U.S. businesses. Accordingly, we encourage USTR to continue to work to further allow cross-border data flows and defend against data localization requirements for the financial services industry. ... Now, we urge Congress to move forward to ratify the TPP.”