Category: Press Releases and Statements

NFTC Sees Mostly Success in “Lame Duck” Session – Congressional Support for Mission of Export-Import Bank Evident

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Majority Support for Liberalized Cuba Travel Rules Thwarted Again

Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council logged several legislative victories in the close-of-session Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005, approved by Congress on November 20, 2004.  Among the provisions supported by NFTC:

Libya Assistance Waiver – Congress granted the President a waiver to Section 507 of the Foreign Operations Appropriations bill (H.R. 4818), which bans the Export-Import Bank from providing assistance to Libya.  The ban remains on assistance to Cuba, North Korea, Iran or Syria.   The action offers the President flexibility as U.S.-Libya relations continue on a path towards normalization.  The United States lifted its nearly 20-year-old embargo on trade and investment in Libya earlier this year in response to that country’s positive steps to dismantle weapons of mass destruction and to make reparations for past terrorist actions.  While a positive development, the Congressional action does not immediately allow the Export-Import Bank to conduct business in Libya, but removes a significant legal obstacle to doing so.

NFTC also scored a success in the final Foreign Operations Appropriations bill with the rejection of the Sanders Amendment, which would have placed restrictions on Export-Import Bank financing for certain offshore facilities, without regard to their importance to overall U.S. economic interests.  Revisions were also made to a provision that would have required the Export-Import Bank to undertake an economic analysis of a Bank-supported ethanol production plant in Trinidad and Tobago and report on its findings to Congress within 30 days, which would have overridden Ex-Im’s current procedures for determining whether a full-blown economic impact analysis was warranted.  Finally, Congress approved adequate funding levels in line with the Administration’s requests for the Export-Import Bank, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the U.S. Trade Development Agency.

“Congress clearly demonstrated its support for U.S. trade and investment through its strong support of critical institutions such as the Ex-Im Bank, OPIC and USTDA.  Expanding U.S. business opportunities abroad, including in countries such as Libya, provides the path to economic growth for America.  These institutions play a pivotal roll in making that growth possible,” said Bill Reinsch, NFTC President.

In addition to the items included in the omnibus appropriations measure, NFTC also lauded the Senate’s recent approval of the Dutch-U.S. Tax Treaty.  This approval adds to the completion of six other important tax agreements in this session of Congress. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee, under the leadership of Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN), as well as the U.S. Treasury Department have shown a significant commitment to the competitiveness of U.S. business in the international marketplace through their dogged pursuit of these important treaties.

While support for international trade and investment was evident in the lame duck, Appropriations Conferees once again stripped language passed by both the House and Senate that would ease onerous travel restrictions on Cuban-Americans seeking to visit family members in Cuba.   The original FY05 Treasury-Transportation Appropriations bill denied funding to implement these travel restrictions.

“Congress delivered a lump of coal to Cuban-Americans, many of whom now will not be able to visit elderly relatives in Cuba for Christmas,” concluded Reinsch.

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) www.nftc.org  is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC serves its several hundred member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.

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NFTC Urges Rejection of NDAA Export Control Provisions

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Industry Groups Line Up Against Return to “Cold War” Policies

Washington DC – In a letter to House and Senate Conferees on the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the National Foreign Trade Council today joined other major business organizations in urging a removal of certain provisions contained in the original House bill (H.R. 4200) that would mandate new unilateral sanctions and export controls.

“If the House provisions are adopted, it will be a step backward for U.S. trade and export control policy.  Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations have actively sought to modernize our export controls in a way that improves security while protecting our technological leadership.  These onerous provisions would reverse that course,” stated Bill Reinsch, President of the National Foreign Trade Council.

The letter stated:

Taken together, these provisions are counterproductive to U.S. trade and foreign policy.  They also would harm the competitiveness of American companies at a crucial point in the current business recovery and would only strengthen the position of our overseas competitors.  As a result, the jobs of many American workers in these affected industries would be put at risk.

The attempt to turn back the clock to Cold War-era export controls will only damage U.S. technological and industrial leadership.  They run counter to the efforts of both Republican and Democratic presidents to make U.S. export controls more targeted, effective and multilateral, while maintaining U.S. technological leadership and promoting defense cooperation with our allies.  These provisions should be deleted as the Congress crafts a final version of the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act.

The letter is available at http://www.nftc.org/default/usa%20engage/Conferee%20Ltr%20Final%20NDAA%209-29-4.pdf .  It was signed by the following organizations.

AeA

Aerospace Industries Association

Coalition For Employment Through Exports

Computer Coalition For Responsible Exports

Industry Coalition on Technology Transfer

Information Technology Industry Council

National Defense Industrial Association

National Foreign Trade Council

Satellite Industry Association

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International

Semiconductor Industry Association

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) www.nftc.org  is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC serves its several hundred member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.

 

NFTC Urges Rejection of NDAA Export Control Provisions

Posted on by dcadmin

Industry Groups Line Up Against Return to “Cold War” Policies

Washington DC – In a letter to House and Senate Conferees on the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the National Foreign Trade Council today joined other major business organizations in urging a removal of certain provisions contained in the original House bill (H.R. 4200) that would mandate new unilateral sanctions and export controls.
 

“If the House provisions are adopted, it will be a step backward for U.S. trade and export control policy. Both the Clinton and Bush Administrations have actively sought to modernize our export controls in a way that improves security while protecting our technological leadership. These onerous provisions would reverse that course,” stated Bill Reinsch, President of the National Foreign Trade Council.

The letter stated:

Taken together, these provisions are counterproductive to U.S. trade and foreign policy. They also would harm the competitiveness of American companies at a crucial point in the current business recovery and would only strengthen the position of our overseas competitors. As a result, the jobs of many American workers in these affected industries would be put at risk.

The attempt to turn back the clock to Cold War-era export controls will only damage U.S. technological and industrial leadership. They run counter to the efforts of both Republican and Democratic presidents to make U.S. export controls more targeted, effective and multilateral, while maintaining U.S. technological leadership and promoting defense cooperation with our allies. These provisions should be deleted as the Congress crafts a final version of the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act.

The letter is available at http://www.nftc.org/default/usa%20engage/Conferee%20Ltr%20Final%20NDAA%209-29-4.pdf . It was signed by the following organizations:

AeA

Aerospace Industries Association

Coalition For Employment Through Exports

Computer Coalition For Responsible Exports

Industry Coalition on Technology Transfer

Information Technology Industry Council

National Defense Industrial Association

National Foreign Trade Council

Satellite Industry Association

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International

Semiconductor Industry Association

U.S. Chamber of Commerce

 

The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) www.nftc.org is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC serves its several hundred member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.

 

NFTC Applauds Concrete Progress on Doha Round Talks

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Urges WTO Members to Adopt the Revised Framework Package

Washington, DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) issued the following statement on the revised WTO framework package on the Doha Development Agenda:

“The National Foreign Trade Council and its members urge WTO members to agree to the revised framework package released this morning in Geneva.  Moving forward with the text is vital to achieving concrete progress on the Doha Round.  It will allow the negotiations to evolve to the next level of detail and build momentum for a successful and timely conclusion to the trade talks. It is clear from the ambiguity of some elements of the text that important and difficult decisions have been deferred, but agreement on the text will nonetheless demonstrate the commitment of WTO members to advancing multilateral trade liberalization and a rules-based trading regime that generates growth and opportunity for all its members.

The NFTC attaches great importance to the emerging agreement on a framework for the agriculture negotiations that will allow the negotiation of a final outcome in the Round that is both comprehensive and ambitious. On non-agricultural market access, the NFTC recognizes that difficult negotiations lie ahead but is nevertheless pleased that the text keeps the prospect of a substantial result in view. We are also pleased that the core issue of services is given its due recognition in the text. On trade facilitation, the NFTC welcomes the decision to initiate negotiations in an area so important to economic growth.

Since the launch of the Doha Round, the NFTC has urged WTO member governments to seize hold of the enormous economic promise of this latest round of multilateral trade negotiations by aiming for ambitious results across-the-board.   We firmly believe this objective is ultimately the best win-win outcome for developing and developed countries and for ensuring the WTO remains a solid institution in tune with the realities of today’s global marketplace. We look forward to supporting that objective in the coming weeks and months as the negotiations move to the next stage.” 

The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves 300 member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.

NFTC Urges Congress to Protect American Trademarks In Cuba

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WASHINGTON DC– Today, Bill Reinsch, president of the National Foreign Trade Council, urged the Senate Judiciary Committee to repeal “section 211,” a law that threatens thousands of U.S. trademarks currently registered in Cuba.

“NFTC’s 300 member companies support full repeal of section 211 as embodied in
S. 2002, the U.S. Cuba Trademark Protection Act. Quite simply, it’s the only way to ensure compliance with all U.S. trade and treaty obligations and protect the interests of the more than 400 U.S. companies currently holding 5,000 trademarks in Cuba,” remarked Reinsch.

Reinsch was one of several experts asked to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the issue of section 211 of the 1999 Omnibus Appropriations Act. The law allows for discriminatory treatment of certain Cuban trademarks by prohibiting their renewal and by denying their holders access to legal redress in U.S. courts. 

The WTO has ruled that section 211 violates TRIPS, the global intellectual property protection treaty, and has given Congress until the end of 2004 to bring the U.S. back into compliance. 
Because section 211 is not consistent with long-standing U.S. intellectual-property protection obligations, the 5,000 American trademarks currently registered in Cuba are in jeopardy of infringement and counterfeiting.

“As we saw in South Africa, recovering the rights to trademarks necessitates lengthy and expensive litigation.  The U.S. can avoid a repeat scenario in Cuba by maintaining consistent and predictable intellectual property relations. Step one in this maintenance must be full repeal of section 211,” continued Reinsch.

Despite political hostilities spanning four decades, both the U.S. and Cuba, in a rare act of cooperation, have respected each other’s intellectual property rights by honoring trademarks for nearly 75 years. 

The National Foreign Trade Council is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules-based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves 300 member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.