Recently in AACCLA Category

As the first major hemispheric business event of 2012, AACCLA's ''Outlook on the Americas'' provides an opportunity for an open dialogue on the economic and political issues that will have the greatest impact on hemispheric trade and investment in the coming year. The luncheon will attract business executives and political leaders, as well as the leadership of the 23 American Chambers of Commerce throughout the hemisphere.

 For more information about the AACCLA conference and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Allison Parmiter at aparmiter@uschamber.com.

Estimados Socios,

Compartimos con ustedes un importante y útil reporte elaborado por el CEPAL (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe - ECLAC) titulado "The United States and Latin America and the Caribbean Highlights of economics and trade", el mismo que hace un análisis de las relaciones comerciales y de inversión entre los Estados unidos, América Latina y el Caribe.

Este documento también esta disponible en la página web del CEPAL http://www.cepal.org/comercio.  Si tuviesen alguna inquietud o preguntas acerca del presente reporte, puede contactar al Sr. Osvaldo Rosales Villavicencio, Director de la División de Comercio Internacional e Integración, via mail a osvaldo.ROSALES@cepal.org

Ver Documento:
USA-AL-2011-Highlights of economics and trade.pdf

U.S. Chamber's International Policy Update (December 10, 2010)

International Policy Update

In this Newsletter...

House Approves Trade Omnibus, Senate Snags Remain
Brilliant Weighs in on U.S.-China Commercial Relations
Panama's President Visits Washington, Pushes FTA
Foreign Aid Reform Takes Major Step Forward
Incoming Freshman Class: Views on Trade
ChamberPost: The Week in Trade

On December 15, the Chamber sent a letter to all Members of the U.S. House of Representatives urging them to support H.R. 6517, the "Omnibus Trade Act of 2010," which would enact pending miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) provisions, and extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and the Andean Trade Preference Act (ATPA), both of which will expire December 31. It would also extend the Trade and Globalization Adjustment Assistance Act of 2009, known as Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). Later that evening, the House passed the bill by a voice vote. The Chamber sent a similar letter to the Senate the following day.

As the Chamber's letter points out, "Tens of thousands of American workers and hundreds of American companies depend on the MTB for relief from tariffs that serve only to raise costs for U.S. manufacturers and other U.S. businesses... GSP provides duty-free treatment to selected goods imported from more than 130 developing countries. Approximately three-quarters of U.S. imports using GSP are raw materials, components, or equipment used by U.S. companies to manufacture goods in the United States for domestic consumption or for export... Similarly, ATPA has a proven record generating trade, growth, and jobs." The letter also noted the Chamber's significant concerns about Ecuador's lack of respect for the rule of law. The Chamber is following the Senate action closely and is communicating with a number of Senate offices in an effort to secure approval before the conclusion of the 111th Congress.

Myron Brilliant, the Chamber's senior vice president for International Affairs, wrote an op-ed on U.S.-China relations which was published during Vice Premier Wang Qishan's visit this week to Washington for the annual Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade dialogue. The piece was carried in the Washington Times. Brilliant notes that commercial ties have long been the bedrock of U.S.-China relations and emphasizes the need for more confidence-building measures in the commercial sphere to steer the relationship towards a positive path.

On December 16, Chamber President Tom Donohue hosted Panamanian President Ricardo Martinelli for a private luncheon meeting at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  President Martinelli was in town for the first of several anticipated visits, as the president launched what he described as a newly "aggressive" campaign for U.S. congressional approval of the U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement.  Panama recently signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement with the United States, and has signed a number of bilateral tax treaties in the last year, in a move that analysts believe removes the last obstacle to consideration of the trade agreement.

U.S. Chamber's International Policy Update (December 10, 2010)

International Policy Update

In this Newsletter...

Trade Items Await Action As Congress Winds Down
Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations Held in New Zealand
President's Export Council Meets
Brady: FTAs in First Half of 2011
Update on Administration and Hill Export Controls Efforts
Incoming Freshman Class: Views on Trade
ChamberPost: The Week in Trade

On December 15, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton unveiled the much anticipated Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review (QDDR). The QDDR is a broad assessment of how U.S. foreign aid can be made more effective and accountable. Many analysts agree this is a major step towards foreign aid reform, and it will put a new focus on results and transparency. Key goals emphasized in the report include:

• Build America's civilian power, bringing together the contributions of civilians across the federal government to advance U.S. interests.
• Elevate and transform development to deliver results by focusing our investments, supporting innovation, and measuring results.
• Build a civilian capacity to prevent and respond to crisis and conflict and give our military the partner it needs and deserves.
• Change the way we do business by working smarter to save money, planning and budgeting to accomplish our priorities, and measuring the results of our investments.

In addition, the State Department and USAID launched the Foreign Assistance Dashboard. This website provides a visual presentation of and access to key foreign assistance budget and appropriation data. The goal of the Foreign Assistance Dashboard is to give a wide variety of stakeholders the ability to examine, research, and track U.S. foreign aid investments in an accessible and easy-to-understand format.