Category: Press Releases and Statements

NFTC Urges Swift Ratification of UN Convention Against Corruption

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Calls corruption highly detrimental to global trading system

Washington, DC – In testimony delivered today before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, National Foreign Trade Council President and USA*Engage Co-Chair Bill Reinsch called on the Senate to quickly ratify the UN Convention on Corruption as recommended by the Administration.

“This is the first truly global anticorruption effort.  It empowers those committed to reform with tools to root out corruption.  At the same time, by recognizing the high standard to which we already hold U.S. firms, it raises the bar for other countries without imposing new obligations on us,” Reinsch said in his testimony, which focused on the need for quick ratification by the Senate.

“In order for this treaty to be implemented in a way that will truly root out corruption and benefit American companies, the United States must play a leadership role,” said Reinsch.  “And that means that the Senate must act now to ensure that the United States speaks with the strongest possible voice in international forums.”

Detailed language for the Convention was negotiated by the Administration in consultation with the business community.  In his testimony, Reinsch commended the skills of the negotiators and praised the Convention, which he pointed out:

  • Levels the playing field for U.S. businesses;
  • Imposes no domestic costs or obligations on America; and
  • Benefits trade and improves investment climates worldwide.

“Corruption in the trading system hurts people around the world and impedes growth by siphoning money from productive uses,” stated Reinsch.  “It also disadvantages U.S. firms who are held to a higher standard than are many of their international competitors. Senate ratification of this Convention will be an important step forward to ensure that this treaty is implemented and monitored in a way that benefits both U.S. companies and investment regimes around the world.”

Indicating the business community’s strong support for the Convention, NFTC and nine other organizations, including the Business Roundtable, National Association of Manufacturers, and U.S. Chamber have issued a letter calling for timely Senate action.  This letter and Mr. Reinsch’s testimony can be found on the NFTC and USA*Engage websites at http://nftc.org/newsflash/newsflash.asp?Mode=View&articleid=1796&Category=All

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 policy-makers, 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 world wide.

 

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.

USA*Engage Commends Senate Rejection of Iran Sanctions Language

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Applauds bipartisan leadership against amendment that would have jeopardized U.S.-Iran talks

Washington, DC – USA*Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) today applauded the U.S. Senate for action taken yesterday to vote down an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2007. The amendment, which would have imposed tougher unilateral sanctions on Iran, was defeated by a vote of 45-54.

“Imposing tougher sanctions at this time would undermine important and delicate multilateral diplomacy. Yesterday’s vote provides some assurance that the Senate understands that unilateral sanctions can be counterproductive,” said Bill Reinsch, President of the NFTC and USA*Engage Co-Chair. “The constructive stance taken today in the Senate will allow the Administration the best opportunity to negotiate and engage in talks with Iran.”


The vote came days after Administration officials met with a group of Senators to discuss policy towards Iran. Following the defeat of Senator Santorum’s amendment, the Senate approved a resolution sponsored by Senator Biden, supporting the State Department’s diplomatic initiative regarding Iran to end the current impasse over Iran‘s nuclear program.


“Senators Warner, Biden, Hagel and Levin displayed strong leadership on this issue, and we appreciate the efforts of Secretary Rice for making a good case that engagement must be given a chance to work,” said Jake Colvin, Director of USA*Engage. “It is encouraging to see policies and proposals aimed at engaging Iran diplomatically and economically emerge after years of unilateral sanctions, which have failed to achieve our foreign policy goals.”

 

 

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 policy-makers, 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 world wide.

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.

 

NFTC & USA*Engage Praise U.S. Announcement on Libya

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Restoration of diplomatic relations is a positive step forward for both sides

 

Washington DC – USA*Engage and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) welcomed today’s announcement by the U.S. State Department that the United States would renew diplomatic relations with Libya and remove the country from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.

William A. Reinsch, NFTC President and Co-Chair of USA*Engage, said “This is another positive step in the U.S.-Libya relationship which was achieved as the result of dialogue between the two governments. When the United States is engaged in a country, we have a better idea of what is happening on the ground and much more of an opportunity to influence ideas and behavior in positive ways. We hope today’s decision will lead to further improvements in our relationship.”

USA*Engage and NFTC worked closely with the State Department during the first phases of our improved relationship with Libya and for some time have urged the completion of the process by removing Libya from the list of state sponsors of terrorism.

“This announcement,” said Reinsch, “should put our two countries on the road to closer diplomatic and commercial ties, including the potential to be part of the Middle East Free Trade Area.”

NFTC is the secretariat for the Middle East Free Trade Area initiative aimed at developing a free trade agreement between the United States and the countries of the region.

 

 

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 policy-makers, 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 world wide.

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.

 

USA*Engage Announces Honorees for Annual Meeting

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Group will Honor Congressmen Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
for Their Support of U.S. global Engagement

Washington DC – USA Engage today honored Representatives Jim Kolbe (R-AZ) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) for their strong records of achievement in pursuit of pro-engagement policies on behalf of the United States. Both Kolbe and Meeks have voted consistently in favor of opportunities for expanded U.S. international trade and cultural and humanitarian assistance, and have opposed efforts to either impose or continue counterproductive and ineffective unilateral U.S. sanctions.

“Representatives Kolbe and Meeks share a common belief that America’s values and interests are best advanced by sustained involvement in world affairs by both public and private sectors,” said USA*Engage Co-Chair and National Foreign Trade Council President William Reinsch. “We applaud their leadership in Congress and their ongoing efforts to encourage U.S. global engagement at all levels.”

Among his current duties, Representative Kolbe serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs, which maintains oversight and funding of most U.S. foreign aid programs, including the Agency for International Development; the Peace Corps; development banks including the North American Development Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Kolbe, who has served in Congress since 1985, will retire at the end of the 109th Congress.

A Member of Congress since 1998, Representative Meeks includes among his duties a position on the House International Relations Committee where he is a Member of the Subcommittee on Africa, and the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. With a real interest in the development of small economies, he has made strides toward using trade and international relations as tools of both diplomacy and development.

“Jim Kolbe and Gregory Meeks are superb examples of how Republicans and Democrats can work together to advance the best interests of our country. Engagement abroad, at all levels – economic, diplomatic, educational and humanitarian – help advance America’s economic and strategic interests throughout the world. We commend these two leaders, and encourage other Members of Congress to join in the task of building a stronger America through engagement,” concluded Jake Colvin, Director of 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 policy-makers, 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 world wide.

NFTC Calls on Congress to Look at Real Port Security Threats, Not Ownership Issues

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Bill Reinsch offers testimony before the House Committee on Financial Services, Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.
 

WASHINGTON, DC – National Foreign Trade Council President Bill Reinsch today again expressed the group’s support for the Administration decision to allow United Arab Emirate-owned Dubai Ports World to acquire a company responsible for operations in six American ports.

Emphasizing the importance the American business community places on port security, Reinsch drew the Subcommittee’s attention to the historic role of foreign-owned businesses in American port operations. 
“Port terminal operations have been substantially foreign-owned for some time without complaint.  It appears that the problem this time is not with foreigners in general but with specific foreigners,” Reinsch stated.  He then characterized this differentiation as a very negative message to U.S. allies in the Middle East.

“Those who oppose this acquisition are implying that it doesn’t matter if you cooperate with us on fighting terrorism and on other matters; it doesn’t matter if you are negotiating a free trade agreement with us; it doesn’t even matter if you have donated $100 million to Katrina relief as the UAE has; we’re going to treat you as a terrorist-supporting nation anyway.”

Shifting his focus to CFIUS reform proposals, Reinsch described the current system as both effective and appropriate.  “The United States has historically followed – and benefited greatly from – an open investment policy.  The CFIUS process was created to permit government intervention for compelling national security reasons.  Congress wisely chose to insulate the process from politics and publicity both because of the sensitivity of the data about an acquisition the government would be obtaining and because of the sensitivity surrounding any national security issues that were identified and any solutions proposed to address them.”  He went on to discuss the merit of individual reform proposals and concluded by cautioning that changing the CFIUS approach should only be undertaken with the greatest care.

A copy of Bill Reinsch’s full testimony is available on the NFTC website at http://www.nftc.org/default/tCFIUS.doc.


 

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.

 

USA*Engage Commends Strong European Response to Iranians

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Urges Multilateral Action in Response to Iran’s Nuclear Program

Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) and USA*Engage today commended the response of the United States and our European allies to the threat posed by Iran’s resumption of its nuclear program.

“It is tremendously important for the United States and all of our allies to take a firm and unified stand against a nuclear Iran,” said USA*Engage Director Jake Colvin. “We applaud the efforts of the United States, together with Britain, France and Germany, to refer this matter to the United Nations Security Council.”

USA*Engage continues to advocate for a multilateral solution to the current impasse, and urges all UN Security Council Members to establish an appropriate response to Iran.

While encouraged by current multilateral efforts, USA*Engage Co-Chair and NFTC President William A. Reinsch cautioned that unilateral moves by the United States would not help the situation. “Time and time again we have seen that unilateral economic sanctions by the United States do not work,” Reinsch said. “Unilateral measures – including some bills pending in the U.S. Congress – would harm relations with our allies without achieving the results we all desire.”

USA*Engage opposes legislation pending in Congress that would severely restrict the Administration’s flexibility to conduct foreign policy with respect to Iran. The organization has urged the Administration and Congress to redouble its efforts to achieve a multilateral resolution.

 

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.

USA*Engage (www.usaengage.org) is a broad-based coalition representing Americans from all regions, sectors and segments of our society concerned about the proliferation of unilateral economic sanctions at the federal, state, and local level. Established in 1997, USA*Engage leads a campaign to inform policy-makers, 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 world wide. USA*Engage promotes responsible alternatives to unilateral sanctions that advance U.S. humanitarian and foreign policy goals, such as intensified U.S. diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.