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Notices from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
MITC serves as the state’s Single Point of Contact for notices from the USTR, and makes them available for public inspection here. This list is not exhaustive, and parties interested in learning more about the USTR’s activities should visit the Office of the US Trade Representative’s website at www.ustr.gov.
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United States Files WTO Case Against China Over
Treatment of U.S. Auto Parts
March 30, 2006
Trade Representative Rob Portman announced that the United States requested WTO dispute settlement consultations with China today due to its unfair treatment of U.S. auto parts.
"As a mature trading partner, China should be held accountable for its actions and be required to live up to its responsibilities," Portman said.
Government Procurement Thresholds
January 6, 2006
Every two years, Executive Order 12260 requires the United States Trade
Representative to set the U.S. dollar thresholds that are applied to procurement covered under the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA) and Free Trade Agreements, in
order to carry out U.S. trade agreement obligations under Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended. The latest adjustments were published in the Federal Register Notice. These new thresholds will be effective from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2007. For the states that are covered by the WTO and/or an FTA, the new thresholds are:
-- For procurement of goods and services: $526,000; and
-- For procurement of construction services: $7,407,000.
This means that only procurements at or above these dollar values will be covered by the agreements.
United States and Iraq Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
July 11, 2005
Amman, Jordan - Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Ashley Wills and Iraq’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Ali Abdulameer Allawi, signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) today during a meeting of the U.S. – Iraq Joint Commission on Reconstruction and Economic Development. Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick, who chaired the U.S.
The U.S. – China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) Outcomes on Major U.S. Trade Concerns
July 11, 2005
Improving Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights
Statement of USTR Rob Portman regarding Senate passage of CAFTA-DR and House Ways and Means Approval
June 30, 2005
Proclamation 7912
June 30, 2005
To Modify Duty-Free Treatment Under the Generalized System of Preferences and Certain Rules of Origin Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, and for Other Purposes
United States Wins WTO Semiconductor Case
June 27, 2005
In Far Reaching Report, WTO Appellate Body Reverses Prior Panel Decision
NAFTA Environment Ministers Adopt Trade and Environment Strategic Plan
June 23, 2005
The Environment Ministers of the United States, Canada and Mexico adopted a five-year strategic plan for the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation (CEC) at their annual meeting in Quebec City today. The strategic plan, which demonstrates the commitment of the three governments to give new direction to the organization and will guide the cooperative activities of the CEC for the next five years, places special emphasis on trade and environment issues. The Ministers pledged to work closely with trade officials in all three countries in pursuing action in the following areas: (i) enhancing environmental law enforcement; (ii) preventing establishment of invasive plant and animal species; (iii) creating new markets for green products; (iv) promoting renewable energy; (v) improving and expanding green purchasing practices; and (vi) continuing the CEC’s work on environmental assessment of the NAFTA. A press release and more information on the meeting of environment ministers and the CEC strategic plan are available on the EPA website.
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Summary of Sector-Specific Elelments Under Consideration for Inclusion in the Updated U.S. GATS Submission
May 4, 2005
Click here to view full document.
Memorandum to State Points of Contact and the Interngovernmental Policy Advisory Committee (IGPAC)
May 3, 2005
As part of the ongoing WTO Doha services (GATS) negotiations, by May 31, 2005, all WTO Members are required to make updated market access submissions. The updated U.S. submission includes some market-opening measures that states have implemented independently in certain services sectors over the last few years. PLEASE NOTE: This updated submission does not require any state to take any further action regarding its existing laws or regulations in services sectors. It simply reflects the current state level treatment accorded to domestic and foreign service suppliers.
Click here to view full document.
“Trade Agreements and the States”
April 16, 2005
Remarks by Ambassador Peter F. Allgeier,
Acting U.S. Trade Representative,
National Conference of State Legislatures
Click here to view full document.
The WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and the States:
The Facts
April 14, 2005
The United States is the world’s leading exporter of services, which account for about three quarters of our GDP and 8 out of
every 10 jobs in the United States. International markets generate huge opportunities for US service providers, and make up
nearly one-third of our exports. The U.S. services market is one of the most open in the world. But foreign markets are often
closed to U.S. service providers through discriminatory policies and barriers, so we seek to open markets through trade
agreements like the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services, or GATS. GATS can create important new
opportunities for U.S. providers of services like banking, telecommunications, express delivery, retailing, and professional
services. At the same time, the GATS is carefully crafted to preserve state sovereignty.
Click here to view full Fact Sheet.
State Sovereignty and Trade Agreements: The Facts
April 13, 2005
Trade supports one-quarter of U.S. GDP and over 12 million jobs in the United States, including 1 in 5 manufacturing jobs. Trade agreements level the playing field and encourage foreign governments to adopt the sorts of open and transparent rulemaking procedures, and non-discriminatory laws and
regulations, that are the hallmark of due process in the United States and are in place at all levels of government in the United States. At the same time, in every agreement we negotiate the United States remains very sensitive to, and protective of, our federal system of shared power.
Click here to view full Fact Sheet.
U.S. Wins Victory on Key Issues in WTO Dispute on Internet Gambling
April 13, 2005
U.S. Internet Gambling Restrictions Can Stand;
No Adverse Finding Against Any State Law
Click here to view full Fact Sheet.
State Government Procurement and Trade Agreements
April 2004
The Facts Myth: The federal government made a misleading request to states to cover their procurement under free trade agreements (FTAs).
Click here to view full Fact Sheet.
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