U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk concluded a three-day visit to Ghana last week where he discussed with officials “both countries’ interest in considering the possibility of a U.S.-Ghana bilateral investment treaty (BIT),” an USTR release said. In Accra, Kirk had a series of bilateral meetings with business leaders and Ghanaian government officials The discussions centered on the importance of trade and investment in promoting economic growth in Africa and the U.S., as well as the Obama administration’s new Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) for Sub-Saharan Africa, it said. Two-way trade between the U.S. and Ghana reached $2 billion in 2011, a 56 percent increase over 2010, USTR said. U.S. imports from Ghana were valued at $779 million, up nearly from $273 million in 2010. Imports from Ghana under the African Growth and Opportunity Act were $454 million in 2011, and consisted of oil, cocoa powder and paste, vegetables, fruits, precious metals, baskets and apparel, the release said. U.S. exports to Ghana topped $2 billion in 2011, up 25 percent from $963 million in 2010, and included petroleum products, machinery, and vehicles. Ghana was chosen as one of four countries in President Obama’s Partnerships for Growth (PFG) initiative, which is designed to promote broad-based economic growth through trade and investment.
While trade barriers affect all businesses, they pose “particular challenges” for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and “we are ready to focus on measures that disproportionately affect SMEs, especially those that impose additional costs, and thereby hamper SME export performance,” said Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro. At a workshop on SMEs organized under the U.S.-EU Transatlantic Economic Council in Rome Thursday, she said SMEs with limited resources often find it difficult to meet foreign standards, testing and certification requirements. In the services sector, insufficient intellectual property protection “poses a relatively larger risk to firms with limited resources,” she said. Services SMEs also find it more difficult to establish affiliates in foreign markets, where preferences for local providers can make it more burdensome for SMEs. Small businesses account for nearly 98 percent of all U.S. exporters, she said. The value of exports by U.S. small businesses in 2010 was more than $380 billion, a 24 percent increase over 2009. “These trends are positive, but I believe we can do better,” Sapiro said.
The Russian Duma ratified Russia’s World Trade Organization (WTO) accession package. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said the U.S. is "pleased" that Russia has "completed this critical first step in its domestic process" for becoming a WTO member. "Russia’s membership in the rules-based global trading system of the WTO will contribute to Russia’s economic growth as well as provide us with new opportunities to guide and grow our bilateral economic relationship," Kirk said. The legislation now moves to the upper chamber of Russia’s parliament, the Federation Council, for adoption, and then to the President for signature. Russia has until July 23 to notify the WTO.
The U.S. is proposing at the upcoming Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement talks in San Diego a new provision that will "obligate parties to achieve an appropriate balance" in their copyright systems in providing "exceptions and limitations for purposes of criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship and research," the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said. "These principles are critical aspects of the U.S. copyright system, and appear in both our law and jurisprudence," it said. The "balance" sought by the U.S. proposal "recognizes and promotes respect for the important interest of individuals, businesses, and institutions" that rely on "appropriate exceptions and limitations in the TPP region," USTR said. It’s the first time that the U.S. is making such a proposal in any U.S. trade agreement, it said.
"It is time" to bring talks aimed at a World Trade Organization agreement in trade in services "back to Geneva with the ultimate aim of reinforcing and strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system," a group of WTO member nations, including the U.S., said in a statement.
The U.S. Council for International Business is "quite concerned" with the U.S. Trade Representative determination to maintain access to Andean Trade Preference Act trade preference benefits for the government of Ecuador, it said in a statement. "With Peru and Colombia now moving up to full Free Trade Agreement partner status, Ecuador is the sole potential recipient of ATPA preferences going forward," it said. "Yet, in recent years, the Government of Ecuador has flaunted international and ATPA standards in key areas of rule-of-law and respect for arbitral awards." "It is inappropriate to reward the Government of Ecuador for its behavior in these key areas with preferential access to our market," USCIB said. "Ecuador should only obtain these benefits by coming into compliance with the eligibility criteria in the ATPA statute."
The Office of U.S. Trade Representative closed the Generalized System of Preferences country practice review on worker rights in Sri Lanka without any change to Sri Lanka’s GSP trade benefits, said USTR Ron Kirk. The AFL-CIO had filed a petition in 2008 alleging shortcomings in Sri Lanka’s recognition of worker rights. Kirk noted “the Sri Lankan government’s noteworthy efforts over the past few years to address the worker rights issues outlined in the GSP petition.” Among the steps, USTR said, are making progress in initiating, investigating and resolving unfair labor practices cases; establishing trade union facilitation centers in each of the three largest Economic Processing Zones; improving procedures for conducting union certifications; and enacting legislation to increase the fines for labor practices violations.
U.S. trade with the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA) was virtually unchanged in 2011, falling less than 0.1 percent following rapid growth of 34 percent in 2010, despite the exit of Peru from the program at the beginning of the year, and the lapse in the program from February 12, 2011, through October 21, 2011, according to the report on ATPA released June 30 by the U.S. Trade Representative.
Two-way trade between the U.S. and Turkey crossed $20 billion in 2011, making it the U.S.’s 32nd largest goods trading partner, the Office of the United States Trade Representative said. U.S. goods exports to Turkey totaled nearly $15 billion in 2011, which represents almost a 39 percent increase from 2010 and a 292 percent increase from 2000. The top U.S. export categories were aircraft, iron and steel, mineral fuel, cotton yarn and fabric, and machinery. Turkey is also the U.S.’ 10th largest agricultural export market, with 2011 bringing in a total of $2.5 billion. Leading categories of agricultural exports were cotton, wheat, tree nuts, and live animals. U.S. Trade Rep. Ron Kirk is in Turkey this week with Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank to attend the second meeting of the U.S.-Turkey Framework for Strategic Economic and Commercial Cooperation (FSECC).
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is seeking applicants to serve on dispute settlement panels required for some trade agreements to which the U.S. is a party, it said in a Federal Register notice. The agreements include the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement, and the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Applications should be received by Aug. 9 at www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2012-0009. Further information: Catherine Field, 202-395-3432.