Category: Press Releases and Statements

NFTC Urges Senators to Support Bipartisan Sugar Reform Amendment to 2013 Farm Bill

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Washington DC – National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) President Bill Reinsch today sent a letter to all Senators, urging them to support Senate Amendment 925 to the 2013 Farm Bill, which was introduced by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Pat Toomey (R-PA), Mark Kirk (R-IL) and 15 other cosponsors.

Reinsch wrote:

“… This bipartisan amendment is aimed at making modest reforms to federal sugar policy that would reduce food costs to every American family as well as stop the distortions of U.S. trade policy caused by the sugar program. These reforms would help to save consumers and businesses up to $3.5 billion every year and protect hundreds of thousands of American jobs in sugar-using industries.

“One of the most significant side effects of the sugar program has been its distorting impact on U.S. trade policy. Maintaining import protections on sugar forces U.S. negotiators to make concessions elsewhere, which means sacrificing export potential for other crops and weakening the position of the United States in nonagricultural areas in negotiations ranging from the Trans-Pacific Partnership to WTO rounds.

“The sugar program has had the effect of increasing domestic sugar prices over the past four years, which have ranged from 64 to 92 percent higher than the average world price. The artificially high prices have greatly affected consumers as well as food and beverage manufacturers in the United States, which must deal with a reduced global competitiveness, less investment, lower sales, and most importantly fewer employment opportunities.

“…The National Foreign Trade Council fully endorses the Shaheen-Toomey-Kirk amendment, which will lower prices for consumers, provide support for a whole host of producers who use sugar, and save taxpayers millions of dollars.”

To read the full letter, click letter


About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC Submits Comments on TTIP Agreement

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Washington, D.C. – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today, in response to a Federal Register request by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, submitted comments regarding the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) agreement.

To follow is an excerpt of the NFTC’s comments. For the full text, click here.

“The United States and the European Union are the world’s largest economies, with each generating over $15 trillion in GDP and together producing half of the world’s output. Each is also the other’s largest trading partner, with more than $1.5 trillion in goods, services, and income receipts annually. Together we lead the world in maintaining and shaping the rules based global trading and investment system that powers growth, prosperity, and jobs at home and in every country on earth.

“As noted in prior comments, NFTC urges the Administration to negotiate an agreement that will:

• Maintain strong political commitment to a successful conclusion and oversight of technical negotiations to assure a timely and ambitious result.

• Set clear criteria to ‘do no harm’ that would backtrack on existing U.S. high standards set in U.S.-Korea (KORUS) free trade agreement and other bilateral or multilateral agreements or result in any new barriers to trade and investment between the US and EU or against third parties.

• Build on groundbreaking disciplines on “21st century” trade and investment issues developed in the context of current Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.

• Bring a “whole of government” commitment to include the range of U.S. and EU independent governmental and sub-federal entities.

• Increase regulatory cooperation to maximize existing and future regulatory compatibility and equivalence wherever possible, recognizing industry developed testing and voluntary consensus standards. …

“… NFTC fully backs an ambitious TTIP that addresses tariff and non-tariff barriers and regulatory issues as appropriate, though the remainder of these comments will focus on several priority areas that we believe are essential to address in the negotiations:
(1) boosting participation in the global digital marketplace;
(2) enhancing the transatlantic framework for Intellectual Property rules and protections and bolstering collaboration vis-à-vis third countries and global forums;
(3) facilitating global mobility; and
(4) improving disciplines on state-owned enterprises. …”

 

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About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC Statement on WTO Director-General Selection Process

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Washington DC – National Foreign Trade Council Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin released the following statement in reaction to the announcement by the World Trade Organization (WTO) that Brazil’s Roberto Azevedo has been identified as the candidate for the next WTO Director-General around whom consensus can be built:

“NFTC congratulates Ambassador Azevedo on today’s announcement. We admire his extensive experience and deep familiarity with international trade institutions and processes on behalf of Brazil and the focus he has placed on consensus-building in Geneva.

“The next head of the WTO faces two critical tasks in steering the membership toward a successful outcome to the ministerial conference this December in Indonesia and building consensus toward a broader agenda to modernize trade rules for the digital age. We look forward to the conclusion of the selection process and working to further the important work of the WTO over the coming months.”

Following this announcement, under WTO rules, a General Council meeting will be convened no later than May 31, when member countries will be asked to formally take a decision to appoint the new Director-General. See the WTO’s outline of the Director-General selection process at: http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/dg_e/dg_selection_process_e.htm

Jake Colvin is available for comment. If you’d like to schedule an interview, please contact Jennifer Cummings at jcummings@fratelli.com or 202-822-9491.

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About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC Welcomes Nomination of Michael Froman as U.S. Trade Representative, Penny Pritzker for Secretary of Commerce

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Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today welcomed President Obama’s announcement that he will nominate Michael Froman as the next U.S. Trade Representative and Penny Pritzker for U.S. Secretary of Commerce.

NFTC President Bill Reinsch released the following statement:

“With Mike Froman’s background and great depth and breadth of knowledge on trade matters, President Obama could not have made a better choice for our next U.S. Trade Representative. The TPP and U.S.-EU trade negotiations are at the forefront of the U.S. trade agenda this year, and it is essential that we have a trade ambassador with experience negotiating and finalizing trade agreements. Mike Froman – who played a critical role in the final stages of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement – is a proven closer of agreements. I have no doubt that he will be a tremendous leader in advancing the U.S. trade agenda.

“We also welcome today’s announcement on the nomination of Penny Pritzker for Secretary of Commerce. This position is vital to U.S. economic growth and job creation and with Pritzker’s extensive business leadership experience, she will be a great fit for the position.”

 


About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC Welcomes Japan’s Participation in TPP Negotiations

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Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today released the following statement in response to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) partners’ announcement that Japan has been accepted as a party to TPP negotiations:

“We welcome Saturday’s announcement and the intensive bilateral consultation that has occurred in the past months between the United States and Japan on a range of seemingly intractable issues,” said NFTC Vice President for Regional Trade Initiatives Chuck Dittrich. “Skepticism over making meaningful progress on a range of key agricultural, manufacturing and services trade and investment barriers now has the potential to give way to real progress, which, in turn, will give greater economic meaning to the TPP.”

“The recent U.S. announcement that its support for Japan entering the TPP negotiations will take place alongside parallel intensive bilateral negotiations of non-tariff measures addressing insurance, autos, transparency investment, IPR, standards, government procurement, competition policy, express delivery and SPS underscores the complexity of opening the Japanese market, but also suggests there is a real window of opportunity to do so,” Dittrich continued. “This parallel process will need to yield concrete positive results to facilitate both conclusion of the TPP and favorable action by Congress to approve the agreement.”

“One of the issues not discussed in the bilateral talks, or in the TPP negotiations, has been the growing concern over policy measures designed to affect exchange rate relationships to alter global terms of trade,” said NFTC President Bill Reinsch. “While the United States has been accused of this because of its quantitative easing policy, U.S. policy has been aimed at stimulating domestic demand – a necessity in view of the global recession and welcomed by our trading partners. Other nations have been guilty of actions that effectively transfer the costs of their growth to other countries. This is a growing global problem that is beyond the capacity of the TPP talks to address, but it must eventually be dealt with, either in the IMF or the WTO, or both.”

“Robust engagement is the only way to increase economic benefits of global trade and investment, and the NFTC welcomes Saturday’s news as a step in the right direction. We will continue working with our member companies and the U.S. government to address the broad range of issues with all the parties to the negotiations,” Reinsch concluded.
 

 

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About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC Welcomes Bipartisan Immigration Reform Legislation

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Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today welcomed the introduction of bipartisan comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

“The bill is an important step forward in recalibrating U.S. immigration policies to allow us to attract and retain the world’s top talent to grow the American economy and create jobs,” said NFTC President Bill Reinsch. “We are encouraged by the bipartisan support for immigration reform and applaud the ‘Gang of Eight’ Senators for their efforts.”

“The draft addresses several issues that affect the ability of the United States to serve as a destination for global innovators, professionals, entrepreneurs, students and researchers,” said NFTC Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin. “It is a welcome development, and we look forward to working with the Administration and Congress as the process unfolds to make certain new policies improve the long-term competitiveness of the United States.”

Over the past several weeks, the NFTC Foundation has held discussions with business and university leaders at the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University on how current U.S. immigration and visa policies impact American innovation and economic competitiveness, which helped underscore the importance of reform. The group will hold a total of four discussions this year, thanks to a grant from the GE Foundation, to provide input into the national conversation about immigration and visa policy.

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About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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NFTC, USA*Engage Welcome Supreme Court’s Decision in Major Alien Tort Statute Case

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Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and USA*Engage today welcomed the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum case. NFTC President and USA*Engage Co-Chair Bill Reinsch released the following statement.

“We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum case, which holds that the Alien Tort Statute (ATS) does not apply to conduct occurring outside the borders of the United States.

“While the Court was silent on the issue of corporate liability, the decision rules out claims in U.S. federal courts against multinational companies for aiding and abetting human rights abuses by governments of countries in which they have operations.

“The Court also provided much-needed clarity on the issue of extraterritoriality, concluding that ‘nothing in the text of the statute suggests that Congress intended causes of action recognized under it to have extraterritorial reach’ and ‘there is no indication that the ATS was passed to make the United States a uniquely hospitable forum for the enforcement of international norms.’

“The Court’s decision is a win for companies’ ability to conduct business globally and critical to other pending ATS cases.”

In October and February 2012, the NFTC filed two amicus briefs with the Supreme Court in support of the defendant in Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum.

To read the Court’s decision, click here.

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 the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- 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.
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