Category: Press Releases and Statements

USA*Engage Blog Post: “The New Status Quo and U.S.-Cuba Relations”

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Washington, DC –Today in a blog post, titled “The New Status Quo and U.S.-Cuba Relations,”Richard Sawaya, Vice President of USA*Engage,wrote:

“The position of those in high dudgeon about President Obama’s negotiated change of policy with the Cuban regime can be summed up by former Texas governor Rick Perry’s declaration: ‘We got a bad deal. This administration basically empowered the Castro regime with no thought of the Cuban people.’ While this may work as an applause-seeking sound bite, does it stand up to reason?

“The U.S. embargo and its bilateral appurtenances are more than a half-century old. Brothers Fidel and Raul have seen nine U.S. presidents from both political parties come and go. During that time, the challenges born by the Cuban people are inarguable. But the embargo has compounded the problem.”

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About USA*Engage
USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a coalition of small and large businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations working to seek alternatives to the proliferation of unilateral U.S. foreign policy sanctions and to promote the benefits of U.S. engagement abroad. Established in 1997 and organized under the National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org), USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public about the counterproductive nature of unilateral sanctions, the importance of exports and overseas investment for American competitiveness and jobs, and the role of American companies in promoting human rights and democracy worldwide.

Business Community Urges Senate Action on Pending Tax Treaties

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Washington DC – Today, the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and other leading business organizations sent a letter to Senate leadership urging expeditious action on and support for the bilateral income tax treaties and protocols pending before the Senate.

The groups wrote:

“The bilateral income tax treaties and protocols pending before the Senate are important to U.S. economic growth and U.S. trade and tax policy. We ask for your support for these treaties and protocols and also ask for expeditious action on them by the United States Senate.

“Many of these agreements were signed by the U.S. Department of Treasury several years ago. The protracted period of ratification could send a signal, inadvertently, to all U.S. tax treaty partners that the U.S. does not value the benefits of tax treaties and that the expansion, improvement and modernization of the U.S. bilateral tax treaty network is not a priority. Given the unilateral actions that many foreign governments are considering as a consequence of issues raised in the OECD Base Erosion and Profit Shifting process, this sends the wrong signal at the wrong time.

“…Treaties and protocols such as these have routinely been approved by unanimous consent. These treaties promote good business and financial decisions based on free-market principles rather than government influence. They incorporate reforms that foster robust economic growth and build on long-term investment partnerships between the U.S. and our tax treaty partners.”

Click here to read the letter.

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About the NFTC

NFTC is Celebrating our New Century in 2014! Details at www.nftc.org 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 hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York. Follow us on:

 

 

Legislation to Lift Cuba Embargo Is Key Step Toward Advancing Bilateral Relations

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Washington, DC – Today, USA*Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) welcomed the bipartisan introduction of legislation that would lift the Cuba trade embargo – the Freedom to Export to Cuba Act.

“The Freedom to Export to Cuba Act introduced today is positive news for all sectors of the U.S. economy, as it would make all legal U.S. agricultural products and all other U.S. products and services available for export,” said Richard Sawaya, USA*Engage Vice President. “We are encouraged to see the new Congress taking steps that will create new economic opportunities for U.S. businesses so soon after the President’s announcement on Cuba policy changes.”

“We applaud the leadership of the bipartisan coalition of senators who introduced legislation today to lift the Cuba trade embargo – a policy move that is long overdue,” said Jake Colvin, NFTC Vice President for Global Trade Issues. “Removing self-imposed restrictions to a closer commercial relationship with Cuba will benefit American businesses and the Cuban people.”

NFTC and USA*Engage are members of the recently-launched U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba. USA*Engage has worked for nearly twenty years to encourage a shift in America’s outdated policy toward Cuba, with the ultimate goal of lifting the embargo.

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About USA*Engage
USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a coalition of small and large businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations working to seek alternatives to the proliferation of unilateral U.S. foreign policy sanctions and to promote the benefits of U.S. engagement abroad. Established in 1997 and organized under the National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org), USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public about the counterproductive nature of unilateral sanctions, the importance of exports and overseas investment for American competitiveness and jobs, and the role of American companies in promoting human rights and democracy worldwide.

 

About NFTC
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 hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

NFTC Welcomes Introduction of Sugar Reform Act

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Washington, DC – Today, National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) President Bill Reinsch released the following statement welcoming the introduction of the Sugar Reform Act of 2015 as a positive step toward reforming one of the oldest and most protectionist programs mandated by Congress.

“The NFTC commends the cosponsors – Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), Bob Corker (R-TN), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Rob Portman (R-OH), Dan Coats (R-IN), John McCain (R-AZ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Mark Warner (D-VA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Dean Heller (R-NV) and Ron Johnson (R-WI) – for their ongoing efforts to reform the Depression-era U.S. sugar program.

“Defined by import restrictions and marketing allotments, the U.S. sugar program has distorted U.S. trade policy for far too long at the expense of U.S. consumers, taxpayers and businesses – costing consumers up to $3.5 billion annually and putting at unnecessary risk 600,000 American manufacturing jobs across the country.

“The U.S. sugar program is bad for American consumers, bad for the U.S. economy and bad for our global trading system. It’s time to end the instability that has plagued the sugar market over the years by enacting comprehensive reform, as proposed in the Sugar Reform Act.

“We urge the Senate to pass this legislation without delay.”


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About the NFTC

NFTC is Celebrating our New Century in 2014! Details at www.nftc.org 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 hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York. Follow us on:

 

 

USA*Engage and NFTC Statement on Senate Banking Committee Passage of Iran Sanctions Legislation

Posted on by dcadmin

Washington, DC – Today USA*Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) released the following statement on the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee’s passage of the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015.

“Any action by the U.S. Congress to enact additional unilateral Iran sanctions in the near future will harm the nuclear negotiations between the P5plus1 and the government of Iran. While the Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act of 2015 provides some additional time for negotiations to continue before new sanctions would be implemented, we urge Congress to defer any further action until the conclusion or failure of negotiations.

“Congress should give the United States and its allies room to reach a constructive and substantive agreement. We commend the Senators who voted against the bill in the Banking Committee.”

Click here to read a letter sent by USA*Engage Vice President Richard Sawaya and NFTC President Bill Reinsch to the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate last week.

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About USA*Engage
USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a coalition of small and large businesses, agriculture groups and trade associations working to seek alternatives to the proliferation of unilateral U.S. foreign policy sanctions and to promote the benefits of U.S. engagement abroad. Established in 1997 and organized under the National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org), USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policymakers, opinion leaders, and the public about the counterproductive nature of unilateral sanctions, the importance of exports and overseas investment for American competitiveness and jobs, and the role of American companies in promoting human rights and democracy worldwide.

About NFTC
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 hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

 

NFTC Urges Governor Christie to Veto Buy America Legislation

Posted on by dcadmin
Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) yesterday sent the following letter to New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, urging him to veto A. 3059 – Buy America legislation. NFTC President Bill Reinsch wrote:
 
“The National Foreign Trade Council, an association of some 250 American companies engaged in international trade and investment, has written you in the past to urge you to veto Buy America legislation, A.3059, which has reached your desk. The bill would require New Jersey government agencies to certify that products procured are ‘mined, produced or manufactured in the United States.’

“A.3059 contains a sweeping procurement mandate for all New Jersey agencies ‘including contracts for public works for which the State pays any part of the cost, that only products that are manufactured or farm products of the United States, will be used to fulfill those contracts.’

“If enacted A. 3059 would substantially increase the cost to New Jersey taxpayers of vital infrastructure projects by requiring a preference for domestic manufactured goods. This is because the global supply chains involved in the production of many manufactured goods involves foreign assembly and components. Not only does exclusion of foreign content for procurement inevitably require the state to purchase products at a higher cost, the disclosure requirement for companies bidding on contracts could cause competitive suppliers to forego bidding.

“A.3059 is in conflict with the commitment of the U.S. government to nondiscriminatory public procurement under the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). Although New Jersey has not acceded to the GPA and is consequently technically not bound by its provisions, A.3059 is clearly at odds with the international commitments of the United States.

“I urge you to veto A.3059 because of the negative impact on the economy of New Jersey, the cumbersome disclosure requirements for contractors and its conflict with national policy on public procurement.”

 

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NFTC is Celebrating our New Century in 2014! Details at www.nftc.org 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 hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York. Follow us on: