Category Archives: Trade Agreements

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U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement: Intellectual Property Provisions for the Modern Age

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Market Access, NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On October 1, 2018, the United States, Canada, and Mexico announced that they had reached an agreement to “modernize” the 24-year old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). When NAFTA came into effect, it created the largest free trade region in the world. Since then, developments in virtually every sector and the advent of cross-border … Continue Reading

Comment Opportunity: U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Market Access, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has opened a public comment period in connection with the proposed U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement negotiations.  On October 16, 2018, USTR notified Congress of its intent to enter into trade talks with Japan.  Those discussions cannot begin until mid-January 2019 at the earliest under the requirements of the … Continue Reading

Export Quotas in Mexico’s Future

By Emily Maloof on Posted in Market Access, Section 232 Investigations, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On October 15, 2018, chief Mexican trade negotiator Jesus Seade indicated that the United States is seeking to replace Section 232 tariffs on Mexican steel with an export quota program.  Seade stated that a deal regarding any potential export quotas on Mexican steel must be reached in the coming weeks, prior to the December, 1, … Continue Reading

ITC Initiates Investigation of the Likely Impact of USMCA

By Grace Kim on Posted in Economics, Market Access, NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Last Friday, the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) formally launched an investigation into the economic benefits of the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) that is to replace NAFTA. Under the Trade Promotion Authority (“TPA”) law, known as the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015, the ITC must prepare a report that assesses the … Continue Reading

U.S. Opens Trade Talks with EU, Japan, and the UK

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Market Access, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Yesterday, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (“USTR”) officially notified Congress that it would be launching separate trade discussions with the European Union, Japan, and the United Kingdom.  The letters sent to Congress provide notice of the Administration’s intent to negotiate trade agreements with each partner as required by the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities … Continue Reading

China Lingers in the Background of USMCA

By Joshua Morey on Posted in China, Market Access, NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
As we previously reported, the United States, Canada, and Mexico have reached agreement on the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (“USMCA”) to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (“NAFTA”), which has governed trade between the three countries since 1994.  Article 32.10 of the agreement requires each country to notify the others of any intention to negotiate … Continue Reading

Trilateral Trade Agreement Reached with Heads of State of Canada, Mexico, and US

By Kathleen Cusack on Posted in Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On Sunday, the heads of state of Canada and the United States agreed on terms for a new trilateral deal with Mexico.  The agreement, now known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement “USMCA,” provides several new updates to its NAFTA predecessor.  The deal’s terms, including those established in August in an agreement between the U.S. and … Continue Reading

United States and Japan to Discuss Bilateral Trade Deal

By Melissa Brewer on Posted in Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
In a joint statement issued yesterday, the United States and Japan announced that the two countries will begin discussions to enter into a bilateral trade deal.  The announcement comes after President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Summit Meeting in New York to discuss a host of issues, including trade.  The joint statement highlighted that … Continue Reading

United States and South Korea Sign Updated FTA

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Economics, Manufacturing, Market Access, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On Monday, President Trump and President Moon Jae-in of South Korea signed a revised U.S.-Korea (known as “KORUS”) free trade agreement on the sidelines of the United National General Assembly meeting this week in New York.  In April 2017, President Trump indicated that he wanted to either renegotiate or terminate the then-five year old agreement.  … Continue Reading

President Trump is Expected to Terminate NAFTA Following Agreement in Principle with Mexico

By Kathleen Cusack on Posted in NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On Monday, August 27, President Trump announced that he intends to terminate NAFTA if discussions with Canada are not finalized by the end of the week.  This news follows the successful negotiation of an agreement in principle for trade between the U.S. and Mexico.  While, according to the USTR, the agreement provides the “most comprehensive … Continue Reading

BREXIT UPDATE: European Commission Warns Importers and Exporters of Goods with Possible UK Origin

By Laura van der Meer and Edouard de Nyary Comandini on Posted in Brexit, Trade Agreements
On 4 June, the European Commission advised economic operators to prepare for the consequences of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union on their imports and exports.   Following the UK’s withdrawal, UK inputs, including materials and certain processing operations, will no longer be considered EU origin for purposes of enjoying preferential treatment.   Whether a particular … Continue Reading

Trump Reconsiders TPP Stance, May Have Renewed Interest in Multilateral Agreement

By Kelley Drye on Posted in Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Ahead of talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe scheduled for this week, President Trump told a group of governors and lawmakers in a meeting on Thursday, April 12th that the United States was looking to rejoin the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (“TPP”).  President Trump withdrew from the TPP in January, 2017, … Continue Reading

U.S. to Raise “Misleading” Food Labeling Rules in NAFTA Discussions

By Kathleen Cusack and Jennifer McCadney on Posted in NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
The New York Times reported on March 20 that the United States was seeking to table a proposal in the NAFTA negotiations to limit the placement of consumer warnings on food packaging with respect to foods that are high in sugar, salt, or fat.  According to a copy of the negotiating document obtained by the … Continue Reading

Will the U.S. Re-Join the (CP)TPP?

By Kelley Drye on Posted in Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
On February 21, the final version of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (“CPTPP”) was released ahead of its official signing, which is scheduled for March 8, 2018.  The CPTPP reduces tariffs between 11 nations: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The economies of these nations … Continue Reading

Global Trade Flows Are Expanding, But Is There a Reason for Optimism?

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Economics, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Last Friday, the CPB Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis, as part of its World Trade Monitor, reported that global trade flows – the volume of export and imports of goods – was 4.5% higher in 2017 than in 2016.  This is an important finding because it marks the biggest rate of year-in-year expansion since … Continue Reading

Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Final Deal Reached Without the United States

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Market Access, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Earlier this week, the remaining 11 parties to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations announced the conclusion of negotiations and that an agreement will be signed on March 8, 2018.  The parties to the agreement (rebranded as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, … Continue Reading

New Obstacles Emerge in NAFTA Negotiations

By Kelley Drye on Posted in NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
As the fourth round of NAFTA negotiations were completed in Washington on Tuesday, October 17, 2017, significant new obstacles to the trade talks are emerging.  As a result, the fifth round of talks has been postponed until mid-November. Specifically, Canada and Mexico have rejected the U.S.’s proposals on the elimination of NAFTA dispute panels in … Continue Reading

Trudeau Turns-on NAFTA Charm-Offensive with House Ways & Means Members

By Jennifer McCadney on Posted in NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
As trade ministers kicked-off the fourth round of negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement in Alexandria, Virginia on October 11, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau traveled to nearby Capitol Hill to meet with members of the House Ways and Means Committee in a closed-door session to discuss mutual objectives of a renegotiated … Continue Reading

EU-Canada Free Trade Agreement (CETA)

By Laura Siegel Rabinowitz on Posted in Trade Agreements
The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (“CETA”), the much anticipated free trade agreement between the European Union and Canada went into effect on September 21st.  CETA is a terrific opportunity for global companies to take advantage of duty savings offered by the FTA as it  expands market access for the EU and Canada through comprehensive … Continue Reading

KORUS Withdrawal Threat Opposed by Congress, Private Sector

By Jennifer McCadney on Posted in Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Dissatisfied with the inability of high-level talks in August between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyung-chong to set a clear path forward on renegotiating the 2011 Korea-U.S. trade pact – and frustrated with Korean negotiators counter-request for a study of factors contributing to the U.S. bilateral goods trade deficit … Continue Reading

NAFTA Round 2

By Paul Rosenthal on Posted in NAFTA, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
Negotiators for the United States, Canada and Mexico wrapped up their second round of discussions concerning renegotiation of the NAFTA. While the negotiators expressed pleasure at the progress made, by all accounts the talks provided no new breakthroughs. Apparently, new texts in certain areas were exchanged, but no progress was made on the difficult issues … Continue Reading

Food Standard Controversies Looms Large in Potential U.S.–UK Trade Deal

By Jennifer McCadney and Laura van der Meer on Posted in Brexit, Trade Agreements, Trade Policy
With Brexit on the horizon, UK representatives are reinvigorating relationships with key trading partners on every continent.  On 24 July, UK International Trade Secretary Liam Fox and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross launched a Trade and Investment Working Group to lay the groundwork for a trade deal to be … Continue Reading

Siemens Cracks Down on Russian Sanctions Evasion

By Brooke Ringel on Posted in Export Controls and Sanctions, Market Access, Trade Agreements
Siemens, a German corporation, has announced that it will no longer deliver power plant equipment to state-controlled firms in Russia after it claimed to discover that Siemens’ Russian customer, Technopromexport, had diverted gas power plant turbines to the disputed territory of Crimea. The United States and the European Union have implemented sanctions targeting Crimea since … Continue Reading
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