The U.S. Trade Development Agency and China's Ministry of Commerce will partner to boost industry cooperation in the healthcare, energy, agriculture, and environmental technology sectors through a Select Reverse Trade Mission Initiative, under a memorandum of understanding signed during the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade this week, they said. USTDA intends to fund up to four Reverse Trade Mission activities to the U.S. for Chinese delegations to introduce potential buyers to U.S. products, services and best practices, it said.
U.S. officials said there was meaningful progress on key elements of the U.S.-China trade relationship during the annual meeting of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in Washington this week. But they also said much more work remains to be done to open China's market to U.S. exports and investment. The meetings "were important both as a capstone to our past efforts and to lay a foundation for progress going forward," said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk (here).
The International Trade Administration is asking for comments by Feb. 19 on procedures for requesting safeguard measures on textile imports from Panama. The ITA said it expects 6 responses per year, including one request for safeguards and five comments on the request, to take four hours each to complete. Comments should be submitted to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230 (or via the Internet at jjessup@doc.gov).
The International Trade Administration provided its notification of annual quantitative limit on certain apparel under the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership for Encouragement Act (HOPE), effective Dec. 20. It said that, for the one-year period beginning Dec. 20, the quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under the value-added program is 306,742,329 square meters equivalent, and apparel articles entered in excess of that will be subject to otherwise applicable tariffs.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board scheduled outreach events in Washington, D.C., for Feb. 13, the day after a FTZ-related industry seminar in Washington. The outreach events will include: A general training session from 9 a.m. to noon on submission of the annual report, provisions of the 2012 regulations, plus enable Q & A/discussion. See below for RSVP information; and outreach session for officials of grantee organizations from 1-4 p.m. focusing on the grantee’s submission of the annual report, regulatory provisions that have a direct impact on the grantee role (including zone schedule requirements), and enable Q & A/discussion. Both events will be at the U.S. Department of Commerce building, 1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington. RSVPs are required for either event, via e-mail ftz@trade.gov or via Marsha Foust, 202-482-2862, by Feb. 8.
The International Trade Administration is seeking comment on its proposed information collection and interim procedures for considering requests under the Commercial Availability Provision of the U.S.-Panama Trade Promotion Agreement, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Dec. 19. Comments are due by Feb. 19 to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230,or to JJessup@doc.gov.
The International Trade Administration is extending the deadline for applications to its International Buyer Program (IBP) until Dec. 21. Through the IBP, the ITA selects domestic trade shows that will receive ITA assistance in the form of global promotion in foreign markets, providing export counseling to exhibitors, and providing export counseling and matchmaking services at the trade show. The application deadline was originally Dec. 10.