The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for May 16, 2012:

The International Trade Administration joined leaders from 11 American Chambers of Commerce (AmChams) in Latin America to announce new partnerships under the ITA’s Global Buyers Initiative. Formal memorandums of understanding were signed during a ceremony at the annual Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA) Conference. According to the ITA, through the Global Buyers Initiative a U.S. company identifies potential buyers of U.S. goods and services, and then refers them to the ITA's commercial posts overseas, where ITA staff works to connect the buyers with American companies who can meet their needs. The ITA said the pilot program has been a success, so it's expanding it through this agreement.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for May 15, 2012:

The International Trade Administration announced an open teleconference meeting of the Manufacturing Council on May 22 in Washington, DC. The ITA said the Council will likely deliberate recommendations regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement negotiations and energy policy. To be considered during the meeting, comments are due by May 16, 2012.

"The vast majority of the American solar industry opposes" the SolarWorld campaign to impose antidumping and countervailing duties on imported Chinese solar cells, said Jigar Shah, president of the Coalition for Affordable Solar Energy in a press statement. The coalition said it's awaiting the International Trade Administration's decision on the tariffs.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for May 14, 2012:

Related-party trade accounted for 40.5% of total goods trade in 2011, according to a report by the Census Bureau, an absolute increase of 14.6% but a relative decrease from 40.8% to 40.5% as a percentage of total trade. Census said related-party trade accounted for about 48.3% of consumption imports and about 28.9% of total exports. Related-party trade includes trade by U.S. companies with their subsidiaries abroad as well as trade by U.S. subsidiaries of foreign companies with their parent companies.Computer and electronic products, transportation equipment, and chemicals were the top three goods categories for both directions of trade.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for May 11, 2012:

The U.S. goods and services deficit was $51.8 billion in March 2012, up $5.8 billion from March 2011, according to the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report, released on May 10, 2012 by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The report showed that, as compared to February 2012 levels, exports were up $5.3 billion to $186.8 billion, and imports were up $11.7 billion to $238.6 billion. As compared to March 2011 totals, exports increased by 7.3% and imports by 8.4%. The U.S. trade deficit with China increased to $21.7 billion in March 2012, from $19.4 billion in February. Statement by Commerce Secretary Bryson available here. ITA fact sheet available here.

The creation of the Global Solar Council was not a response to dumping claims moving through the U.S. Commerce Department process, despite recent media claims, said GSC Executive Director Roland-Jan Meijer in a press statement. He said GSC's goal is just to promote" a favorable political framework for solar power, unrelated to any active trade disputes." But he said one goal is to "create awareness among stakeholders that free and open market conditions are essential to maintain a thriving global market for solar energy." Creation of the GSC was announced earlier this month (See ITT's Online Archives [Ref.12050501]). A coalition filed a series of solar equipment dumping complaints against China in October (See ITT's Online Archives [Ref.11102002]).