Enforcement mechanisms and execution should take higher priority in future U.S. free trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, four industry officials told the Senate Finance Committee on March 3. During a committee hearing (here) on implementation of U.S. FTAs, National Milk Producers Federation CEO Jim Mulhern said a “sector-specific approach” is necessary to enforce the relaxation of non-tariff trade barriers, such as in the case of Canada, which has limited its domestic dairy production to maintain a certain price level, even as NAFTA remains in place. “Our point through the TPP negotiations was: If you’re going to be a part of a free trade agreement, free trade is about free trade,” Mulhern said. “You can’t pick and choose.” Although U.S. milk products have little market access in Canada, Mulhern said his group is trying to ensure through TPP as much market flexibility as possible north of the U.S. border.
Notable CROSS rulings
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 25 (here) with 24 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 02/25/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 19 (here) with 56 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 02/17/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Feb. 9 (here) with 56 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 02/09/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Jan. 29 (here) with 33 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 01/28/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Jan. 19 (here) with 103 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 01/19/16.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Jan. 14 (here) with 69 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 01/13/16.
CBP adopted the interim regulatory changes for the customs provisions within the U.S.-Australia Free Tree Agreement with one small change, the agency said in a final rule (here). The final rule will take effect Feb. 16. Though the agreement entered into force in 2005, the agency published interim implementing regulations last year (see 1502090007). The final rule includes a small clarifying change that removes a cross reference, said CBP. AUFTA was implemented in the HTS by Presidential Proclamation 7857 of Dec. 20, 2004, effective for goods of Australia entered or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption on or after Jan. 1, 2005 (see 05010315).
The Trans-Pacific Partnership supports U.S. technology leadership globally and will be a driver for economic growth and job creation, TechNet said in a news release (here). TechNet urged Congress to approve TPP and identified "key provisions" that are important to the technology sector, including "rules and regulations to increase fair competition and consumer protection in the tech sector," guarantees of "nearly unrestricted" cross-border data flows, prohibitions against "forced localization" of data and the elimination of tariffs and duties on digital products. "Our nation's ability to continue to lead in this [technology] sector is dependent on access to the fastest growing markets in the world and the uninhibited flow of data across borders," said TechNet CEO Linda Moore.
The Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated Jan. 5 (here) with 18 rulings. The most recent ruling is dated 01/05/16.