The International Trade Administration plans a conference Dec. 4 on trade issues impacting the U.S. machinery manufacturing industries. At the conference in Washington, D.C., the ITA will discuss significant trade barriers facing U.S. machinery manufacturer exporters in foreign market destinations.

The Department of Commerce is seeking applications by Nov. 9 to attend a roundtable on renewable energy in Tokyo on Dec. 3. The ITA will accept 20-25 applicants. The application period begins Oct. 25. According to the ITA, The dialog will provide an opportunity for Japanese policy-makers to benefit from the viewpoints of U.S. clean energy companies and those companies to be able to learn more about the policy and regulatory landscape for renewable energy developing in Japan at this time. Following the roundtable, the delegation will travel to Fukushima Prefecture and Sendai for site visits to learn the current condition of reconstruction following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The International Trade Administration will lead a renewable energy and energy efficiency trade mission to Chile April 15-16, 2013. The trade mission will directly precede the International Fair of Technologies, which will be held in Chile on April 17-19, 2013. The mission will focus on: (1) creating a policy environment conducive to growth in Chile’s renewable energy and energy efficiency market; and (2) introducing U.S. renewable energy and energy efficiency exporters to key Chilean Government officials. The mission will promote the competitiveness of U.S. wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, hydropower, waste-to-energy, smart grid, and energy efficiency exporters, the ITA said. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by March 1, 2013. The ITA said it will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notice for Oct. 16:

The Commerce Department will hold the first meeting of a new Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness on Oct. 19 in Washington, D.C., it said. The committee, comprised of 40 senior-level private sector representatives of multiple industries and supply chain experts appointed by the Secretary of Commerce, will advise the Secretary, the U.S. Department of Transportation and other U.S. agencies on supply chain issues that affect the international competitiveness of U.S. businesses. Committee members represent supply chain firms, associations, stakeholders, community organizations, and experts from academia. The DOT Secretary Ray LaHood and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will serve on the Committee as non-voting members.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notice for Oct. 12:

Imports and exports once again declined in August, and the drop in exports again outpaced the fall in exports, leading to further widening of the U.S. goods and services deficit by $1.7 billion to $44.2 billion, said the Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis in their U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report for August 2012. The report showed that, as compared to revised July 2012 levels, exports were down $1.9 billion to $181.3 billion, and imports were down $0.2 billion to $225.5 billion. As compared to August 2011 totals, exports increased by 1.6 percent and imports by 1 percent. The U.S. trade deficit with China narrowed to $28.7 billion in August, down from $29.4 billion in July.

The International Trade Administration is asking for applications by Dec. 10 to participate in the 2014 International Buyer Program (IBP). Through the IBP, the ITA selects domestic trade shows which 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 Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notice for Oct. 5:

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Oct. 4: