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September 9, 2012

Statement by FMCS Director George H. Cohen
On United States Maritime Alliance
And International Longshoremen’s Association
Labor Negotiations

WASHINGTON, D.C. 9/6/11 — Upon the request of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), the parties have agreed to resume negotiations under our auspices during the week of September 17, 2012. Due to the sensitivity of this high profile dispute and consistent with the Agency’s longstanding practice, we will not disclose either the location of the meeting or the content of the substantive negotiations that will take place.


USTR Announces Trade & Investment Agreement with Asia-Pacific Region

On September 7, 2012, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) issued a press release announcing a trade and investment agreement with the Asia-Pacific region as a result from the 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, which will reduce tariffs on a list of environmental goods to five percent or less by 2015.

The USTR explains in the press release that "the APEC List of Environmental Goods includes a wide range of core products in the sector, including renewable and clean energy technologies, wastewater treatment equipment, air pollution control technologies, and environmental monitoring and assessment equipment.

Tariffs on some of these products in the region are currently as high as 35 percent."

The release also notes other achievements of the agreement, including:
- A comprehensive approach to improve supply chain performance in the region
- A commitment to work towards prevention of local content requirement in the region
- To further promote market-driven non-discriminatory innovation policy
- To increase transparency and due process in APEC economies

According to the notice, the U.S. currently exports over $1 billion of environmental goods to the Asia-Pacific region, which are subject to tariffs above 5 percent.

The full text of the press release is available online at:
http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/september/ustr-announces-groundbreaking-results-apec-ministerial


ITA Releases Export Guide for Textiles and Apparel

On September 4, 2012, the International Trade Administration (ITA) Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) published an Export Guide for Textile and Apparel, "Going Global" which reports on 15 of the of the largest textile and apparel export markets for the U.S., and the five fastest growing markets for textiles and apparel.

The guide explains that "U.S. exporters are supplying yarns, fabrics, and finished products to mills, processors, assemblers, and consumers. The report provides economic and trade information for each of the 15 markets, as well as detailed data on export trends and processes. U.S. exporters of textiles and apparel can use this information to help determine which markets are most attractive and offer the greatest long-term growth opportunities."

Additionally, the guide includes information on each textile and apparel category classified under the Harmonized System. The report is scheduled to be updated annually.

The full guide is available online at:
http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/PDFs/GoingGlobal.pdf

 

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Tons News is compiled from a number of public sources that, to the best of Tons knowledge, are true and correct. It is our intent to present only accurate information. However, in the event any information contained herein is erroneous, Tons accepts no liability or responsibility.