The latest Agricultural Outlook by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization will be released on June 15, 2010. The Outlook forecasts market trends, assesses the impact on food security of the economic crisis, and discusses how farm production can meet growing global demand.
European Trade Commissioner De Gucht has stated that the European Commission is expected to propose granting duty-free, quota-free access for Palestinian exports to the EU in the coming months. This would improve the access of Palestinian exports to EU markets beyond the current free trade agreement and help to revamp the private sector.
The European Commission has decided to encourage industry, governments and NGOs to set up certification schemes for all types of biofuels, including those imported into the EU. This will help implement the EU's requirements that biofuels must deliver substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and should not come from forests, wetlands and nature protection areas.
The World Resources Institute (WRI), Enironmental Investigation Agency (EIA-US) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) have created a global initiative, the Forest Legality Alliance, to help private corporations reduce their trade in illegal wood. The alliance's formation comes after the U.S. amended the Lacey Act in 2008 to ban the trade of illegal wood products in the US.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's Office of Intellectual Property Protection has decided to investigate Turkey’s revised trademark law, as requested by the Special Committee on Intellectual Property Rights Protection of the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association.
In the June 9, 2010 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union, the following trade-related notices regarding the WTO banana dispute were posted:
GOV.cn reports that China has unveiled a new National Medium and Long-term Talent Development Plan (2010-2020) that states the government will work out favorable policies in terms of taxation, insurance, housing, children and spouse settlement, career development, research projects, and government awards for high-caliber overseas talents who are willing to work in China.
Driven by a surge in exports and broad customer demand, the South Carolina State Ports Authority (SCSPA) is teaming up with the Charleston region’s rail-served warehouses to serve targeted export accounts through the Port of Charleston. The new business development program aims to build new business through the port and 14 rail-served warehouses with 2.7 million square feet of space in the Charleston area.
The Port of Long Beach has announced a $40 million project deepening the Port of Long Beach Main Channel to allow safer transit for the largest ships including oil tankers was officially kicked off on June 8, 2010, by the Port and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.