The White House released a list of completed items as part of the joint U.S.-Canada "Beyond the Border" initiative. The White House press release is (here). The report is (here).

President Barack Obama signed into law HR-6156 Dec. 14, giving Russia and Moldova Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) status. The bill repeals the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which limits U.S. trade with communist countries.

President Obama established an Interagency Task Force On Commercial Advocacy, in an executive order Dec. 6. He said the goal is "to help level the playing field on behalf of U.S. businesses and workers competing for international contracts against foreign firms and to facilitate the growth of sales of U.S. goods and services around the world in support of the National Export Initiative."

President Obama and the leaders of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations unveiled a new U.S.-ASEAN initiative to expand trade and investment ties at a meeting in Cambodia Nov. 19. The “U.S.-ASEAN Expanded Economic Engagement” (E3) initiative identifies specific cooperative activities to facilitate trade and investment, increase efficiency and competitiveness of trade flows and supply chains throughout ASEAN, and build greater awareness of the commercial opportunities of the U.S.-ASEAN economic relationship, the White House said. Furthermore, the initiative will lay the groundwork for ASEAN countries to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), it said.

President Barack Obama's re-election gives "a degree of credibility and, perhaps, urgency" to the Administration's goal of concluding the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement by the end of June 2013, said David Spooner of Squire Sanders, Washington counsel for the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA). Spooner analyzed the election's outcome for USA-ITA members.

International Longshoremen's Association members "rejoice in the re-election of President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden," said ILA President Harold Daggett in an open letter. He said the ILA and AFL-CIO worked hard in the presidential race, and ILA members also were "responsible for" Senate victories in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, Wisconsin, Virginia and elsewhere. "With our Master Contract negotiations still ongoing, it is comforting to all of us that we have retained our friends in the White House, Senate, the House and many State Capitals," Daggett said.

International trade, particularly with China, got an airing during the Oct. 22 Presidential debate, despite the much heavier emphasis on the Middle East and security concerns. President Barack Obama said the U.S. had boosted its exports to China and China's currency was at its most favorable level for the U.S. balance of trade in decades. Republican candidate Mitt Romney said China is in a "silent" trade war with the U.S. and he will label China a currency manipulator "on day one" of his presidency, which he said "allows us to apply tariffs where they're taking jobs."

The Obama administration should reconsider its preliminary decision to terminate the agreement suspending an antidumping investigation of Mexican tomatoes, the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) said in an Oct. 18 letter to the president. The International Trade Administration recently posted its preliminary results of the changed circumstances review of fresh tomatoes from Mexico, potentially leading to a new antidumping investigation and the imposition of AD duties. (See ITT's Online Archives 12092821 for summary of the preliminary results.)

President Barack Obama signed an executive order (here) authorizing new sanctions against Iran and Syria. The new order prohibits foreign subsidiaries of U.S. entities from knowingly violating the Iranian Transactions Regulations, E.O. 13599, section 5 of E.O. 13622, or Section 12 of the new E.O., and provides for civil penalties on the U.S. parent company for such violations. The Treasury Department issued a FAQ document (here) detailing the impact of the order.

President Barack Obama again decided to continue certain authorities under the Trading With the Enemy Act for one year with respect to Cuba. He issued a presidential memorandum saying the action is in the national interest of the U.S. As a result, the President is continuing until Sept. 14, 2013, the exercise of those authorities with respect to Cuba as implemented by the Cuban Assets Control Regulations, 31 CFR Part 515. He issued a similar memorandum last year (see ITT's Online Archives 11091409.