President Barack Obama commended Democrats for continuing to focus on "middle-class economics" in a speech to the House Democratic conference on Jan. 29, but made no mention trade as he outlined priorities for the near future (here). In his State of the Union address, Obama urged lawmakers to pass Trade Promotion Authority to secure the Trans-Pacific Partnership (see 1501210016). Many Republicans, however, say he still needs to do more to bring Democrats on board with TPA legislation. Some House Democrats have recently ramped up their campaign to defeat TPA (see 1501090022).

President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlined a series of commitments to improve bilateral trade and investment on Jan. 25 after a summit in New Delhi. The two leaders also praised skyrocketing trade and investment between the U.S. and India in joint comments (here). Obama backed up those statements the following day with pledges for new U.S. financing initiatives to boost trade and investment while giving a speech to the U.S.-India Business Council Summit.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership has the potential to provide significant "economic value," and all partners should continue to "work together to conclude TPP negotiations as quickly as possible," said Vice President Joe Biden and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop after a Jan. 21 meeting at the White House, according to a press release (here).

Despite close cooperation between the U.S. and India, significant steps are still needed to slash Indian tariffs and strengthen intellectual property protections in the country, said two industry representatives in a Jan. 22 conference call. President Barack Obama is scheduled to travel to New Delhi, India in the coming days to attend the Indian Republic Day celebration on Jan. 26 and address bilateral issues.

Small businesses that sell goods in online marketplaces stand to make big gains through an ambitious U.S. trade agenda because they already ship far more goods abroad than “traditional” businesses, said more than 100 “eBay-enabled” companies in a letter (here) to President Barack Obama that praised his push for trade in his State of the Union speech (see 1501210016). The pending Trans-Pacific Partnership and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership trade pacts have the potential to slash remaining barriers to digital trade and boost U.S. gross domestic product, said the companies, which sell everything from jerseys to RV appliances. “Trade rules developed in a ‘pre-Internet’ era unnecessarily complicate international opportunities for our businesses,” said the letter. “Domestic and international customs rules create real obstacles for us to increase exports, while open markets that allow for resale of goods and cross border data flows are critical to our participation in global commerce.”

President Barack Obama urged Congress to remove the half-century embargo on Cuba in his State of the Union address. That plea follows executive action in December to partially normalize relations with the country, and regulatory changes in recent days that liberalize bilateral trade (see 1501150031). Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y., introduced a bill this Congress to repeal the Helms-Burton Act, which codifies sanctions against Cuba (see 1501160009).

Passage of Iran sanctions legislation will torpedo administration efforts to diplomatically resolve the long-standing conflict with Iran over its nuclear enrichment ambitions, said President Barack Obama in his State of the Union. Obama vowed to veto the bill, and instead championed progress at the negotiating table. "Our diplomacy is at work with respect to Iran, where, for the first time in a decade, we’ve halted the progress of its nuclear program and reduced its stockpile of nuclear material," said Obama.

President Barack Obama should “call for action” on Trade Promotion Authority in his State of the Union address on Jan. 20 in order to “provide momentum” for the ambitious U.S. trade agenda in 2015, said U.S. Council for International Business President Peter Robinson in a recent letter (here). Peterson’s comments echo those of a number of trade observers, who are urging Obama to engage directly in the legislative process (see 1501070057). TPA will help shepherd through the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the World Trade Organization Trade in Services Agreement, said Robinson.

President Barack Obama sent the nomination of Mario Cordero for a second term on the Federal Maritime Commission. Cordero is currently the agency's chairman. If the Senate approves Cordero's nomination, his term will expire in 2019. Obama sent the reappointment nomination to the Senate in September, but all nominations have to be resubmitted after a new Congress convenes.

President Barack Obama again sent the nomination of Marisa Lago to be a deputy U.S. Trade Representative to the Senate on Jan. 8. Lago is the assistant secretary for international markets and development at the Treasury Department and has worked in several public and private capacities. Obama nominated her first in November, but nominations have to be resubmitted at the outset of a new congressional term. The previous assistant USTR, Miriam Sapiro, stepped down nearly a year ago.