World

Now seeks President Obama’s support to save U.S. jobs & plants

Washington, D.C. (Jun. 29) – The United Steelworkers (USW) applauded today’s vote by the International Trade Commission (ITC) for a tariff remedy in the union’s Section 421 petition against a surge of low-priced and market disrupting consumer tires from China.

Leo W. Gerard, USW international president, declared: “Today’s remedy vote by the ITC is a great victory for the USW, its members and for all U.S. tire workers. The tariffs voted by the commissioners should remedy the market disruptive surge in Chinese tire imports that have caused harm to the domestic industry.”    » read more »

June 24, 2009 -- The President spoke with President Adamkus on Tuesday morning, June 23. The two Presidents discussed a range of issues of common concern, including NATO issues and our shared commitment to collective defense.

President Obama expressed appreciation to President Adamkus for Lithuania’s important contributions to alliance operations and affirmed the commitment of the United States to Lithuania’s security.

The President also updated President Adamkus on our plans for the upcoming July Summit in Moscow between President Obama and President Medvedev.

Source: White House

June 24, 2009 -- The President spoke with Prime Minister Rudd on Tuesday evening, June 23rd. They discussed the North Korea nuclear issue, including ways in which the United States and Australia can work together to ensure full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1874.

They noted their upcoming July travel to Italy, where they will see each other at the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, and discussed ways to cooperate on the Forum’s issues.

Source: White House

DOE Secretary Chu signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Chilean energy minister Tokman

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The Department of Energy announced today that U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Minister Marcelo Tokman of the Chilean National Energy Commission signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to further collaboration between the two nations on a series of energy issues. The Memorandum establishes an institutional framework between Chile and the United States that will facilitate a broader range of cooperation and exchange activities, including U.S. technical expertise to support operations for Chile’s new Renewable Energy Center.    » read more »

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on the current crisis in iran

June 23, 2009 -- The AFL-CIO, representing over 11 million working women and men in the United States, expresses its deep concern over the immediate situation in Iran, following the contested election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Several people have been killed and many more wounded and injured by Iranian government forces attempting to repress massive demonstrations demanding either an annulment of the elections or a vote recount.    » read more »

Says China’s export quotas, taxes are illegal trade barriers that hurt U.S. manufacturing workers

Washington, D.C. (Jun. 23) -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today gave strong support for a new World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute filed by the United States and European Union, challenging China’s export restrictions on key raw materials and minerals used in manufacturing.

The U.S. and the EU have requested WTO consultations with the Chinese government regarding export restrictions placed on a variety of raw materials and minerals, including bauxite, coke, zinc, silicon metal, silicon carbide, fluorspar, yellow phosphorous, magnesium and manganese.    » read more »

Peabody Energy and Shanxi Lu'an Mining Group Co., Ltd. agree to pursue joint development of open-cut mine in Xinjiang

ST. LOUIS, June 23 -- Peabody Energy and Shanxi Lu'an Mining Group Company Ltd. (Lu'an) have announced that their subsidiaries have entered into an agreement to explore joint development and operation of Lu'an's Shaxi Mine in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in Northwestern China.

The Shaxi Mine, which is under construction, has access to a large dedicated thermal resource. The mine has the potential to expand to 15 million tonnes or more per year in line with the development of a new rail project that would serve electricity customers and other industrial users in Central and Eastern China.    » read more »

55,021 retainees too get their allotment; deliveries begin in July

June 23, 2009 -- Tata Motors is pleased to announce that it has completed the process to select the first 100,000 owners of the Tata Nano from among the 2,06,703 final list of applicants who had booked the car. As announced at the launch on March 23, 2009, the first 100,000 owners were selected through a computerised random selection process. The company had said that the process would be completed within 60 days of the closure of booking on April 25.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Dearborn, MI—Today, U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) made the following statement regarding the announcement that the U.S. has filed a World Trade Organization complaint against China for its export restraints on raw materials. The export restraints provide Chinese companies with an unfair competitive advantage over U.S. companies. Senator Stabenow has been leading the fight to hold accountable countries that practice unfair trade. Earlier this year, she introduced the Currency Reform for Fair Trade Act of 2009 and is currently working on legislation that would expand our resources for trade enforcement.    » read more »

June 23, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The U.S. Trade Representative today formally launched a World Trade Organization (WTO) case to examine China’s raw material export restrictions. Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley applauded the move, which is necessary to end unfair trade practices that have distorted economic incentives and hurt American businesses:

“Despite previous pledges, American companies continue to find it nearly impossible to purchase raw materials such as tin and zinc from China. Export tariffs and low quotas block access to this market, which gives Chinese enterprises an unfair advantage that violates clearly established WTO guidelines.    » read more »

International Team of Engineers to Develop Next Generation of Energy, Environmental Solutions

BELFORT, France--23 June 2009-- GE Energy today opened a new Technology Center in Belfort, the company’s European headquarters for the past 10 years and its international center of excellence for the manufacturing of medium-sized gas turbines.

The new Technology Center will house up to 400 engineers from 15 different countries, who will work to develop the most advanced technology to help customers address environmental and energy challenges.

Covering 12,000 m2, the center will be fully operational by September2009 and represents GE Energy and Sempat’s (Société patrimoniale du Territoire de Belfort) joint investment of approximately € 25 million.    » read more »

Project is Chevron's First Major Upstream Development in Brazil

SAN RAMON, Calif., June 23, 2009 - Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) announced today that its subsidiary Chevron Brasil Upstream Frade Ltda. has commenced crude oil production from the Frade Field, the company's first operated deepwater development in Brazil.

The estimated $3 billion project, with continuing development drilling, is expected to achieve peak production of 90,000 barrels of crude oil and natural gas liquids per day in 2011.
Frade

This schematic drawing depicts the Frade subsea system. Oil from the field is produced through a floating production storate and offloading vessel (FPSO). The crude is stored in the FPSO and offloaded to crude oil tankers.    » read more »

June 22 2009 -- Riyadh -- Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) today announced that Morgan Stanley Saudi Arabia (MSSA) has launched equity trading on the KSA stock exchange, Tadawul. This new capability enables the Firm and its clients to trade cash equities and delivers the Firm's global market expertise to Saudi as well as GCC investors. The launch also enables MSSA to service international clients via swap contracts.

The new equity trading capability follows on the Firm's recent initiation of economic and equity strategy research coverage for Saudi Arabia.    » read more »

June 20, 2009 -- "The Iranian government must understand that the world is watching. We mourn each and every innocent life that is lost. We call on the Iranian government to stop all violent and unjust actions against its own people. The universal rights to assembly and free speech must be respected, and the United States stands with all who seek to exercise those rights.

As I said in Cairo, suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. The Iranian people will ultimately judge the actions of their own government. If the Iranian government seeks the respect of the international community, it must respect the dignity of its own people and govern through consent, not coercion.    » read more »

June 19, 2009 -- WASHINGTON--As part of the Obama Administration's aggressive efforts to enforce U.S. tax laws and reduce offshore tax evasion, the U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the conclusion of negotiations with Switzerland to amend the U.S.-Switzerland income tax treaty to provide for increased tax information exchange. Official signing of the protocol is expected in the next few months.

"This Administration is committed to reducing off shore tax evasion to help ensure that all U.S. taxpayers are playing by the same rules," said Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner. "This treaty will increase our ability to enforce our tax laws and will help bring an end to an era of offshore accounts and investments being used for tax evasion."    » read more »