Trade

Landmark reforms were aimed at halting deforestation, illegal wood products

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 3) -- The Sierra Club and the United Steelworkers (USW) today voiced concerns over a decision by regulators to grant special exemptions for pulp and paper from the Lacey Act reforms of 2008.

These landmark reforms aim to protect the world’s forests and communities by halting the import and sale of illegally-sourced wood products in the U.S. Under the Lacey Act reforms importers must declare the country and harvest of origin for their products, an essential step to creating transparency in a previously unregulated market where US demand was driving deforestation around the world.

The concerns were submitted in joint comments to the Federal Register on Nov. 2.    » read more »

New bill by key Senators to reinvigorate ‘Super 301’ authority for U.S. agency

Washington, DC (Nov. 3, 2009) – Leo W. Gerard, International President of the United Steelworkers (USW) today announced strong support for the ‘Trade Enforcement Priorities Act of 2009’ (S. 1982) introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) that would breakdown foreign barriers for exports to help create American jobs.    » read more »

Clean Energy Partnership, Export Opportunities

November 3, 2009 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has concluded a successful round of meetings in Beijing as part of the Administration’s ongoing strategic effort to strengthen the state’s long-term economy by promoting Hawaii as a visitor destination to China’s growing outbound tourism market, developing export opportunities for Hawaii products and services and forming partnerships in clean energy.

Beijing was the first stop on the Governor’s six-city tour to promote economic development opportunities for Hawaii with one of the world’s most important emerging economies. Pictures are available at www.hawaii.gov/gov or by request.

Encouraging Chinese Tourism    » read more »

Proposed Acquisition Of A Majority Stake In Zhejiang Tianyuan

November 04, 2009 -- Basel, November 4, 2009 - Novartis has reached an agreement to acquire an 85% stake in the Chinese vaccines company Zhejiang Tianyuan Bio-Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. as part of a strategic initiative to build a vaccines industry leader in this country and expand the Group's limited presence in this fast-growing market segment. This proposed acquisition will require government and regulatory approvals in China.    » read more »

Fact Sheet

October 29, 2009 -- U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, together with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, co-chaired the 20th JCCT in Hangzhou, China, on October 28-29, 2009. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack also participated. Other participants included U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman, U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) Acting Director Leocadia Zak, and representatives from the Treasury and State Departments.    » read more »

HANGZHOU, Oct. 29, 2009 - China agreed today to reopen its market to U.S. pork and live swine, remove barriers for American firms to China's growing clean energy market, and clamp down on Internet piracy at the 20th session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) in Hangzhou, China, co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk along with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack led the discussions on key agricultural issues.    » read more »

October 29, 2009 -- Washington -- The Honorable Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today issued the following statement on China’s agreement to re-open the Chinese market to United States pork and live swine, consistent with science-based international standards.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the agreement at the conclusion of meetings with Chinese officials at the US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade.    » read more »

Move Will Deliver Needed Boost to North Dakota Producers, Senator says

October 29, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Kent Conrad was joined by North Dakota’s pork producers in cheering a decision today that will allow U.S. pork products to re-enter the Chinese market.

“Pork producers in North Dakota and all across the country have been hurt by the baseless ban of their products in China,” Senators Conrad said. “The decision to reopen this market to trade will benefit pork producers in North Dakota and across the nation.”

Senator Conrad, along with 23 of his colleagues, sent a letter earlier this month calling on the Chinese government to end the ban on American pork and pork products.    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- DETROIT—A federal indictment was unsealed late yesterday in Detroit charging Xiang Dong Yu, aka Mike Yu, 47, of Beijing, China, with theft of trade secrets, attempted theft of trade secrets and unauthorized access to a protected computer, announced Terrence Berg, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Yu was arrested on Oct. 14, 2009 at the Chicago O’Hare International Airport upon entering the United States from China. Berg was joined in the announcement by Andrew G. Arena, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI.    » read more »

Washington, DC (Oct. 15, 2009) – The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) began their investigation of the trade case filings by the United Steelworkers (USW) and three domestic companies against coated paper imports from China and Indonesia at a preliminary hearing yesterday.

“We have seen thousands of job losses by multiple plant shutdowns in coated paper manufacturing caused by imports since the period examined in the last petition to enforce fair trade rules against the flood of subsidized imports from Asia,” said Leo W. Gerard, USW international president.    » read more »

Report Fails to Indicate Chinese Currency Manipulation

October 15, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement in response to today’s release of the U.S. Department of Treasury’s semiannual Report to Congress on International Economic and Exchange Rate Policies:

“China’s unfair currency manipulation hurts Ohio manufacturers and workers. For the better part of this decade, the federal government has ignored this unfair advantage while our trade deficit with China has grown from $85 billion in 1999 to $268 billion in 2008. As a result, we have lost more than four million manufacturing jobs. Best estimates show that currency manipulation amounts to a 40 percent subsidy for Chinese products.    » read more »

NEW YORK -- Oct. 12, 2009 -- American International Group, Inc. (AIG) today announced an agreement to sell its 97.57% share of Nan Shan Life Insurance Company, Ltd. (Nan Shan) to a consortium comprising Primus Financial Holdings Limited, the Hong Kong-based financial services firm, and China Strategic Holdings Limited, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed investment company, for approximately US$2.15 billion.

“We are pleased to have found a buyer who shares our confidence in Nan Shan’s bright future, and who has pledged to continue Nan Shan’s commitment to its policyholders, agents, and employees, as well as to the people of Taiwan,” said Robert Benmosche, AIG Chief Executive Officer.    » read more »

DETROIT and SICHUAN, Oct. 9, 2009 - General Motors (GM) and Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co., Ltd (Tengzhong), today announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement that will allow Tengzhong to acquire GM's premium all-terrain HUMMER brand.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, the buyer will acquire the ownership of the HUMMER brand, trademark and tradenames, as well as specific IP license rights necessary for the manufacture of HUMMER vehicles. The buyer will also assume the existing dealer agreements relating to HUMMER's dealership network.    » read more »

October 9, 2009 -- Washington, DC – Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) today called on the Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to complete ongoing tests and evaluations concerning Chinese-imported drywall “without further delay.” The Senator wrote, “Every day that the results of these tests are delayed means more families pushed into bankruptcy and financial ruin.”    » read more »

October 1, 2009 -- WASHINGTON—U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke proposed reforms to modernize America’s export controls system, which will enhance national security and increase the competitiveness of U.S. companies, in a speech at the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Update Conference on Export Controls today. The United States export control system seeks to prevent sensitive items from falling into the hands of those who seek to do us harm.    » read more »