Category: Press Releases and Statements
NFTC Statement on Airbnb Entering the Cuban Marketplace
Washington DC – National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin released the following statement in response to today’s news that Airbnb will enter the Cuban marketplace:
“Today’s announcement will encourage people-to-people exchanges between Cubans and Americans, help meet soaring demand for rooms, and support and further encourage entrepreneurship and private enterprise in Cuba.
“Airbnb’s entry into Cuba is a prime example of the mutual benefit to Cubans and Americans that can come from relaxing U.S. sanctions.
“Their entry provides a high-profile, global technology platform to highlight and support a long history of hospitality and entrepreneurship by Cuban citizens through Casa Particulares. Casa Particulares date back to the late 1990s in Cuba, when government officials began letting private citizens rent out their rooms.
“We applaud Airbnb for its leadership in supporting American travelers and Cuban entrepreneurs.”
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About the NFTC
Serving America’s Global Businesses Since 1914. 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 Blog Post: “The New Status Quo and U.S.-Cuba Relations”
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.
Miller & Chevalier Chartered and the National Foreign Trade Council Announce Results of the Ninth Annual Tax Policy Forecast Survey
Miller & Chevalier Chartered and National Foreign Trade Council 2015 Tax Policy Forecast Survey
In Letter to Senate Leadership, Business Strongly Supports Senate Action on the Pending Tax Treaties
Business Community Urges Senate Action on Pending Tax Treaties
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
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
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
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.
