Global Business Dialogue
Email Archives Of
 The Global Business Dialogue
The Global Business Dialogue (GBD) is an association devoted to highlighting perspectives on issues of trade and investment of interest to our members and others.  Some of these perspectives can be found in GBD's (almost) Daily TTALK Quotes and in our newsletter, The GBD Notebook, both of which are initially published as broadcast emails.  Recent editions of the TTALK Quotes and The Notebook are catalogued here with links to the originals. 
 
Please visit our website, www.gbdinc.org, for more information on The Global Business Dialogue.  Thank you.
 
  • TTALK QUOTES FOR 2016 (And Some Earlier)
  • OCT 5 - MEXICO: THE CHINA CONNECTION  (10/5/2016)
  • The head of the Trade and NAFTA Office at the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC, Kenneth Smith Ramos, talks about Mexico's strong and growing trade and investment ties to China.
  • SEP 30 - AUTO PARTS AND A CANADA-CHINA TRADE DEAL  (9/30/2016)
  • Flavio Volpe of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers' Assoc. of Canada talks about the potential benefits to Canada -- and his industry -- from a Canada-China free-trade agreement.
  • SEP 29 - GROSER URGES ACTION   (9/29/2016)
  • New Zealand's ambassador to the United States, Tim Groser, highlights the central role of the Asia Pacific in global growth and innovation and urges Congressional approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
  • SEP 22 - Trudeau on an FTA with China  (9/22/2016)
  • Sharing an Ottawa stage with Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces the launch of exploratory talks towards a Canada-China free trade agreement.
  • JULY 22 - TRADE AND THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM  (7/22/2016)
  • Excerpts from the Republican Platform's statement on trade policy.
  • JULY 20 - PUSH FOR A CANADA-CHINA DEAL  (7/20/2016)
  • Maxime Bernier, a candidate for Conservative Party leadership in Canada, urges the Trudeau government to move ahead with the negotiations for a Canada-China free trade agreement.
  • JULY 15 - FROM THE BREXIT EVENT   (7/15/2016)
  • In a discussion of EU Member State attitudes, Bruce Stokes notes that, while most citizens of EU countries saw waning global influence for their countries over the past ten years, the Germans saw it the other way.
  • JULY 15 - ON THE ATTACK IN NICE   (7/15/2016)
  • The motto of Quebec serves as a starting point for a discussion of the Bastille Day terror attack in Nice.
  • JULY 13 - OSBORNE ON THE NEW UK   (7/13/2016)
  • Writing in The Wall Street Journal, the UK's then Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, set out a vision for the new, post-Brexit Britain.
  • JULY 4 - FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE  (7/4/2016)
  • The text of the opening paragraphs of the American Declaration of Independence, with a note on personalities -- Jefferson and Mason -- and a comment on governance.
  • JULY 2 - A RECIPE FOR THE FOURTH   (7/2/2016)
  • IBM's Christopher Padilla talks about openness as "the special sauce in America's recipe."
  • JULY 1 - A POST BREXIT BILL   (7/1/2016)
  • The "United Kingdom Trade Continuity Act" was introduced by on June 29 by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) and cosponsored by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR). This provides a brief summary of that bill.
  • JUNE 29 - A POST-BREXIT PROPOSAL   (6/29/2016)
  • Trade lawyer Alan Wolff urges President and Obama and Congress to answer the UK's recent referendum with a new proposal for tariff-free trans-Atlantic trade.
  • JUNE 24 - CAMERON AFTER THE REFERENDUM   (6/24/2016)
  • In the wake of a clear decision by the British people to leave the EU, UK Prime Minister David Cameron discusses the June 23 referendum, the fact that it must be respected, and his plan to step down in about three months time.
  • JUNE 22 - PADILLA ON TPP   (6/22/2016)
  • IBM Vice President Chris Padilla notes that the strong business and policy case for TPP may not be able to overcome the obstacle of the current political climate, at least not in the near term.
  • JUNE 21 - BRZYTWA ON TPP AND DATA   (6/21/2016)
  • Ed Brzytwa of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) underscores the importance of unfettered data flows, the danger of data localization requirements, and the great value of TPP.
  • JUNE 15 - AZEVEDO AT THE WORLD TRADE SYMPOSIUM  (6/15/2016)
  • The Director-General of the WTO highlights the challenges of anti-trade rhetoric with a wry reference to irregular verbs.
  • JUNE 13 - WALMART AND TPP  (6/13/2016)
  • Walmart's Sarah Thorn explains Walmart's strong support for TPP with reference to imports of shoes, exports of UHT milk to China, and Walmart's role as a marketer for women-owned enterprises in Africa.
  • JUNE 10 - PORK AND TPP   (6/10/2016)
  • Nick Giordano of the National Pork Producers Council highlights the export success of his industry, the importance of FTAs to America's pork producers, and the enormous potential of TPP. He also points out the high cost of "falling behind" if American does not ratify TPP.
  • JUNE 8 - NEW ZEALAND AND PACIFIC TRADE  (6/8/2016)
  • Philip Houlding of the New Zealand Embassy in Washington begins a discussion of Pacific trade agreements with observations about his country's special circumstances, its small population and remote geography.
  • JUNE 3 - China, FTAs, and Asia  (6/3/2016)
  • Erin Ennis of the U.S.-China Business Council puts a spotlight on China's non-FTA projects heightened engagement in Asia, particularly "One Belt, One Road."
  • MAY 31 - JAPAN AND FTA'S   (5/31/2016)
  • Kunihiko Kawazu from the Embassy of Japan discusses Japan's involvement in TPP, RCEP and other regional and bilateral trade agreement negotiations.
  • MAY 26 - JOLENE TAN OF SINGAPORE   (5/26/2016)
  • Speaking at a GBD event, Jolene Tan, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Singapore described free trade as "a no-brainerr" for Singapore "because trade is our lifeline."
  • May 24 - Australia and Asia  (5/24/2016)
  • Ambassador Joe Hockey of Australia underscores the link between Asia and Australia's economic prosperity.
  • MAY 6 - CLINTON, TPP, AND HE LAME DUCK  (5/6/2016)
  • Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton argues against a vote on the TPP agreement in a post-election, lame duck session of Congress.
  • MAY 5 - RCEP AND A DEMAND FROM INDIA  (5/5/2016)
  • India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Nirmala Sitharaman, underscores the importance to India of services in the RCEP negotiations, including greater scope for movement persons.
  • MAY 4 - RCEP MOVING FORWARD   (5/4/2016)
  • New Zealand Trade Minister Todd McClay discusses his country's interest in RCEP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
  • APRIL 26 - A SAFEGUARDS CASE ON ALUMINUM  (4/26/2016)
  • In its Section 201/safeguards petition of April 18, 2016, the United Steel Workers warn that America's "primary aluminum industry is collapsing."
  • APRIL 1 - TATA, UK STEEL, AND BREXIT   (4/1/2016)
  • Following their March 29 meeting in Mumbai, the Board of Tata Steel makes an announcement that signals the likely sale of the Tata Steel facilities in the UK and triggers a steel crisis that quickly becomes enmeshed in the Brexit issue.
  • MARCH 29 - CHINA AND THE MARKET ECON. DEADLINE  (3/29/2016)
  • Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) urges both Europe and the United States not to grant China market economy status this year as doing so "would not reflect current economic reality" and is the wrong choice. Senator Wyden is the Ranking Member on the Senate Finance Committee.
  • MARCH 24 - BREXIT AND THE CBI  (3/24/2016)
  • Carolyn Fairbairn, the Director-General of the CBI, speaking at the London Business School, talks about the great unlikelihood of the UK getting a better deal on trade -- from the EU and from the rest of the world -- as a country apart than the one that it has now as a member of the European Union.
  • MARCH 22 - FEDEX AND DE MINIMIS   (3/22/2016)
  • David Short of FedEx puts a question to the EU Trade Commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, expressing the hope that the EU will raise the de minimis level for low-value shipments into the EU. At present only shipments valued at 22 euros or less can escape EU duties and customs procedures.
  • MARCH 21 - MALMSTROM ON TPP   (3/21/2016)
  • In a speech at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom talks about the global benefits of trade liberalization, even to those who may not be party to the liberalizing agreement, and she states clearly that TPP is in the EU's interest.
  • MARCH 17 - FROM PRES. PARK TO NATIONAL ASSEMBLY  (3/17/2016)
  • In a defiant speech to South Korea's National Assembly on February 16, President Park Geun-hye declares that South Korea can no longer afford to be pushed around by North Korea.
  • MARCH 15 - CHINA, ASEAN AND RCEP  (3/15/2016)
  • China's foreign minister, WANG Yi, says ASEAN -- a group of 10 countries -- is China's "preferred partner if FTA cooperation" and says he wants to try to wrap up the RCEP negotiations by the end of this year.
  • MARCH 11 - BILL REINSCH ON TRADE AND TRADE POLITICS  (3/11/2016)
  • With his retirement from the National Foreign Trade Council just over a month away, Bill Reinsch, the Council's president, talks about the changes in trade patterns over the last several decades and the practical limitations governments face when they seek to coerce corporations into a particular course of action.
  • MARCH 9 - BREXIT AND THE ROLLS-ROYCE LETTER  (3/9/2016)
  • The CEO of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, writes to the company's employees in support of the UK staying in the EU. The issue will be decided by a referendum in the UK scheduled for June 23, 2016.
  • MARCH 7 - A SERVICES PERSPECTIVE ON TRADE   (3/7/2016)
  • Peter Allgeier, (former) president of the Coalition of Service Industries, begins a discussion of services and trade policy by highlighting two revolutions: the services revolution and the digital revolution and notes that both are American strong suits.
  • MARCH 3 - CHINA'S OVERCAPACITY - ALUMINUM  (3/3/2016)
  • In testimony before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Terence Stewart of Stewart & Stewart highlights the challenges for the U.S. from China's tremendous overcapacity in aluminum and steel.
  • MARCH 1 - ON THE BREXIT VOTE  (3/1/2016)
  • Peter Allgeier, then president of the Coalition of Service Industries, shares an anecdote on the upcoming Brexit vote in the UK at the GBD Breakfast of Champions II session on February 24.
  • FEB 3 - TPP, CUNNINGHAM ON NON-MEMBERS  (2/3/2016)
  • Richard Cunningham of Steptoe & Johnson highlights for the International Trade Commission the many major countries which are not likely to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement and urges the Commission to consider in its forthcoming report the on TPP and the U.S. economy the effects the agreement will have on America's relationships with those countries as well as TPP's like implications for the WTO.
  • JAN 13 - FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION  (1/13/2016)
  • In his January 12 State of the Union Address, President Obama urges Congress to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.
  • JAN 12 - TPP AND APPAREL  (1/12/2016)
  • Julia Hughes, president of the United States Fashion Industry Association, discusses her industry's disappointment with the yarn forward rule of origin and certain other elements of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in a pre-hearing statement for the U.S. International Trade Commission. The statement also expresses the U.S. fashion industry's long-standing support for the TPP negotiations and the fact that its members expect to gain from TPP's implementation.
  • JAN 7 - TPP: THE UPS AND DOWNS  (1/7/2016)
  • Alan Wolff, testifying for the National Foreign Trade Council, expresses strong support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement while urging Congress and the Administration to achieve improvements in certain areas.
  • JAN 6 - COOL REPEAL, DONE  (1/6/2016)
  • On the eve of the repeal of U.S. country of origin legislation for beef and pork -- COOL -- Canada's trade minister, Chrystia Freeland, says that, if it goes through, which it did, there will be no need for retaliation.
  • JAN 4 - A TRADE THREAT FROM TURKEY  (1/4/2016)
  • Shane Stephens of the National Cotton Council highlights a threat from Turkey to pursue "unfair trade cases" -- 3 to 1 -- against countries that open investigations against Turkey's exports. This was in testimony Mr. Stephens gave before the Subcommittee on General Commodities and Risk Management of the House Committee on Agriculture.
  • DEC 23 - AZEVEDO FROM NAIROBI   (12/23/2015)
  • The WTO Director-General declares there is a new habit at the WTO: success.
  • DEC 18 - WAITING FOR NAIROBI   (12/18/2015)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom anticipates the deadline extension for the WTO's 10th Ministerial Conference in Nairobi and the eventual successful outcome.
  • DEC 11 - TRADE FACILITATION AND CUSTOMS HOLDS   (12/11/2015)
  • Leslie Griffin of UPS talks about the trade enhancing potential of the Trade Facilitation Agreement and highlights some of the current problems the agreement is meant to address, including customs holds.
  • DEC 10 - THE COOL DECISION AND REACTIONS  (12/10/2015)
  • The WTO Arbitrator's report authorizes Canada and Mexico to retaliate against some $1.01 billion in U.S. exports to compensate for the harm done to those two countries by America's country of origin labeling requirements.
  • Dec 8 - THE WTO, ANTICIPATING NAIROBI   (12/8/2015)
  • Looking ahead to the WTO Ministerial meeting in Nairobi, Kenya, Mark Linscott of USTR suggests it could be an historic turning point for the organization.
  • NOV 20 - STEEL, FROM NAFTA TO CHINA   (11/20/2015)
  • Kevin Dempsey of the American Iron and Steel Institute highlights the challenges for U.S. producers from China's huge overcapacity in steel in testimony before the U.S. International Trade Commission.
  • NOV 18 - LAGARDE ON THE RMB (AND PARIS)  (11/18/2015)
  • Speaking at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Turkey -- and with a bow of sympathy and solidarity to the victims of the Paris attacks -- the IMF Managing Director expresses her support for the IMF staff recommendation that the Chinese yuan be included in the SDR basket.
  • NOV 10 - TPP, THE BIOLOGICS ISSUE   (11/10/2015)
  • Senator Orrin Hatch, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, while reserving final judgment, warns in a November 6 speech that TPP may need to be renegotiated. Expressing particular concern over the treatment of data protection for biologic medicines, he suggests that the votes may not be there to get the current version of TPP through the Congress.
  • NOV 6 - TPP, THE BIG BANG   (11/6/2015)
  • In a November 5 letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate, President Obama announces his intention to sign the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, once the 90-day layover period triggered by his letter has elapsed.
  • Nov 3 - SCIENCE, SUSHI, AND TPP  (11/3/2015)
  • Kathleen Mary Drew-Baker (1901-1957) was a British scientist. Her study of algae, more specifically seaweed, led to the rejuvenation of nori cultivation and harvest in Japan. In this entry her son, John Rendle Baker, talks about his mother's work and its appreciation in Japan.,
  • OCT 23 - DAIRY GROUPS ON COOL  (10/24/2015)
  • In a letter to the U.S. Senate, the leaders of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the International Dairy Foods Association urge action to amend U.S. law on the labeling of meats -- especially beef and pork -- so as to forestall threatened retaliation from Canada and Mexico against U.S. exports.
  • OCT 19 - CANADA & TPP, TODAY AND TOMORROW  (10/19/2015)
  • In a pre-election appearance in Vancouver, Canada's then trade minister, Ed Fast, highlights the advantages that TPP will create for Canada.
  • OCT 16 - TPP: A SENATOR'S CONCERN   (10/16/2015)
  • Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch says he is worried about TPP, worried that, at the end of the day, there might not be enough support for it in Congress to make it law.
  • OCT 13 - NEW ZEALAND AND TPP   (10/13/2015)
  • New Zealand's top officials underscore the potential benefits of TPP for their country.
  • OCT 8 - CO-EXISTING, THE WTO AND OTHERE RULES SYSTSM  (10/8/2015)
  • WTO DirectorGeneral Roberto Azev�do cautions against overstating the potential conflict between the WTO and other trade agreements.
  • OCT 6 - THE TPP ANNOUNCEMENT   (10/6/2015)
  • Trade Ministers from the 12 TPP countries wind up their meeting in Atlanta, Georgia, with the announcement that they have a deal.
  • OCT 2 - BILL LANE - CUBA, AND THE ISOLATION IRONY  (10/2/2015)
  • Caterpillar's Bill Lane talks about the irony of the U.S. "islolating" Cuba, while markets for Caterpillar equipment in Cuba are won by rivals in Europe and Asia.
  • OCT 1 - CUBA, FIRST THINGS FIRST  (10/1/2015)
  • John Magnus of TRADEWINS notes that the first step in normalizing the trade relationship between the United States and Cuba must be to make trade legal. He then discusses the obstacles both to that first step of legalization and to the more ambitious goal of a genuinely normal trading relationship.
  • SEP 25 - TPP AND NORTH AMERICA   (9/25/2015)
  • Peter Clark, a Canadian trade analyst, anticipates that a successful TPP agreement could mean the end of NAFTA.
  • SEP 18 - BETSY ROSS AND THE JONES ACT   (9/18/2015)
  • Paul Jaenichen, Administrator of the Maritime Administration, attacks as myths certain criticisms of the Jones Act and argues the merits of this 95-year-old law.
  • SEP 17 - THE FARM BUREAU AND AG EXPORTS TO CUBA  (9/17/2015)
  • In remarks at a GBD event, David Salmonsen of the American Farm Bureau Federation contrasts current U.S. agricultural sales to Cuba with the much larger potential of the Cuban market.
  • SEP 14 - SEN FLAKE AT GBD   (9/14/2015)
  • Speaking at a GBD event, Senator Jeff lake (R-AZ) argues that the fate of his "Freedom to Travel to Cuba Act" as well as changes to Helms-Burton will depend as much on developments on the ground in Cuba as on actions in Washington.
  • SEP 2 - SEN FLAKE ON CUBA AND AMERICAN FREEDOM   (9/2/2015)
  • Sen. Jeff Flake (R AZ) highlights the fact that dismantling the U.S. embargo against Cub will mean more freedom --- for Americans.
  • AUG 28 - TPP, NAFTA, JAPAN AND AUTOS  (8/28/2015)
  • Steven Chase of The Globe and Mail describes the surprise auto and auto parts deal between the U.S. and Japan that greeted Canada and Mexico at the last TPP ministerial in Maui.
  • AUGUST 20 - REP RANGEL ON CUBA  (8/20/2015)
  • Former Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel talks about the U.S.-Cuba relationship -- the importance to the Cuban people of President Obama's announcement in December 2014 to move toward normal relations with Cuba and the importance of that initiative to the United States.
  • AUGUST 18 - STANGARONE ON KOREA AND CHINA   (8/18/2015)
  • Troy Stangarone of the Korea Economic Institute discusses Korea's economic relationship with China, including the use of the RMB and participation in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
  • AUG 13 - ACTION ON COOL AWAITS  (8/13/2015)
  • In a statement directed at the U.S. Senate, Canada's Minister for Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, explains what it will take to avoid Canadian retaliation against U.S. exports: like the House, the Senate must enact a simple repeal of the country of origin labeling (COOL) requirements for beef and pork.
  • AUGUST 11 - THE RMB-DOLLAR ALIGNMENT  (8/11/2015)
  • Cornell professor and former IMF official Eswar Prasad comments on the People's Bank of China's August 11 move to both lower the value of the yuan and increase the role of the market in determining the yuan-dollar exchange rate.
  • AUG 5 - AZEVEDO LOOKS TO SEPTEMBER  (8/5/2015)
  • Roberto Azev�do, the Director-General of the WTO, gives the members a candid assessment of where things stand, as they depart for the August break.
  • AUGUST 4 - LUNDSAGER ON IMF AND RMB  (8/4/2015)
  • China has asked the IMF to include the RMB in the basket of currencies that define the IMF's Special Drawing Rights or SDRs. Meg Lundsager, a former Executive Director of the IMF, talks about the criteria the IMF will look at in deciding how to respond to that request.
  • CORRECTED: JULY 30 - ITA, A TRADE WIN AT THE WTO   (7/30/2015)
  • WTO Director-General Roberto Azev�do praises the agreement to expand the product coverage of the Information Technology Agreement as the first major tariff-cutting deal at the WTO in 18 years.
  • JULY 28 - CHINA, THE YUAN, AND THE IMF   (7/28/2015)
  • Leading off a GBD colloquium on Finance an China's soft power, Stuart Mackintosh discusses the internationalization of the RMB and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
  • JULY 20 - CANADA, AIIB -- AND EXIM   (7/20/2015)
  • Canada's Finance Minister, Joe Oliver, talks about the considerations that will guide Canada's decision to join -- or not to join - the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.
  • JULY 16 - SEN. MORAN ON THE US. & CUBA  (7/16/2015)
  • Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas makes the case for normal trade relations with Cuba.
  • JULY 9 - CONNECTIONS: B.C. AND JAPAN  (7/9/2015)
  • A Japanese fisherman learns that his boat, lost in the 2011 tsunami, turned up in British Columbia in 2013, where it is now in use.
  • JULY 7 - JUNCKER ON GREXIT  (7/7/2015)
  • EU Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, addresses the European Parliament on the Greek crisis and that country's possible exit from the eurozone.
  • JULY 4 - THE 4TH, THE UNION, AND U.S. GRANT   (7/4/2015)
  • Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general -- and later president -- who accepted Robert E. Lee's surrender in April 11865, talks about the "right" of secession, which may have existed at some point for some states but never for those added after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
  • JULY 1 - OBAMA AND THE TRADE BILLS   (7/1/2015)
  • JUNE 26 - SEN. ROBERTS' QUESTION  (6/26/2015)
  • The Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, asks a panels of witnesses if they are willing to risk trade retaliation "to test another version of COOL."
  • JUNE 23 - MEXICO, COOL, AND SUBSTANTIAL TRANSFORMATION  (6/23/2015)
  • Kenneth Smith Ramos of the Mexican Embassy in Washington highlights the gulf between the normal trade test of "substantial transformation" and the requirements of America's COOL regulations.
  • JUNE 17 - GROSER, THE DEMOCRATS AND TRADE  (6/17/2015)
  • New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser, reacting to the U.S. House of Representatives initial rejecting of TAA -- and so effectively Trade Promotion Authority -- on June 12, focused on the deep skepticism of trade liberalization in the Democratic party.
  • JUNE 16 - CANADIAN CATTLEMEN ON COOL  (6/16/2015)
  • John Masswohl of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association urges repeal of the U.S. country of origin labeling--COOL--regulations for beef and pork and underscores that Canada will need to retaliate if this is not done.
  • JUNE 13 - PELOSI ON TPA  (6/13/2015)
  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) talks about the need to slow down the fast track of trade promotion authority.
  • JUNE 11 - COOL AND CALIFORNIA WINE  (6/11/2015)
  • Rep. Jim Costa of California highlights the threat to California wine producers if the current U.S. rule on country of origin labeling for meats is not repealed.
  • JUNE 9 - COLLIN PETERSON ON CANADA'S SUPPLY MANAGEMENT  (6/9/2015)
  • In the course of explaining why he is "on the fence" where Trade Promotion Authority is concerned, Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN) sets out key goals for U.S. agriculture in the TPP negotiations.
  • JUNE 5 - MEAT LABELING, RETALIATION LOOMS  (6/5/2015)
  • The trade and agriculture ministers of Canada and Mexico outline the retaliation authority they will be seeking from the WTO if America's country of origin labeling requirements for beef and pork -- COOL -- are not eliminated. The total is over $3 billion.
  • JUNE 3 - EXIM AND IDEOLOGY  (6/3/2015)
  • Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) highlights the ideological component of the fight over renewing the charter of the Export-Import Bank of the United States.
  • JUNE 1 - EXIM'S LAST MONTH?   (6/2/2015)
  • Writing in Foreign Affairs, Ex-Im Bank president Fred Hochberg describes the intensely competitive global environment in which the Export-Import Bank of the United States operates and notes its significant contributions to U.S. exports and to the U.S. budget.
  • MAY 26 - TPA IN THE SENATE   (5/26/2015)
  • Prior to the Senate vote on TPA legislation, Senator Hatch underscores the close connection between TPA and TPP, namely this: no TPA no further progress on TPP.
  • MAY 21 - COOL, THE CASE FOR REPEAL   (5/21/2015)
  • In the wake of a fourth WTO decision against the U.S. labeling regulations for beef and pork -- COOL - Canada's agriculture minister, Gerry Ritz, calls for repeal and threatens retaliation.
  • MAY 6 - TRUMKA ON TPA   (5/6/2015)
  • AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka argues that the idea that TPA will enable Congress to set the objectives for trade deals is a fiction, given that negotiators have been working on the largest deal, TPP, for years and are just about done.
  • APRIL 30 - ABE ON AMERICA   (4/30/2015)
  • In a speech to a joint session of Congress, Prime Minister Abe of Japan emphasizes America's gift of hope.
  • APRIL 27 - A NORTHWEST SENATOR AND AEROSPACE  (4/27/2015)
  • Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington State underscores the value to the United States of being a producer of a high, high value products like Boeing airplanes.
  • APRIL 23 - ISAKSON ON DEALS AND TRADE  (4/23/2015)
  • Senator Isakson from Georgia underscores the importance of trade to his state and notes that in 33 years of selling houses he never saw "the perfect deal."
  • APRIL 22 - DONOHUE AT SENATE FINANCE   (4/22/2015)
  • Tom Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, says failure to move forward on TPA and TPP would be equivalent to "resigning from the rest of the world."
  • APRIL 13 - BRILLIANT ON TPA  (4/13/2015)
  • Myron Brilliant of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce makes the case for Trade Promotion Authority in a widely published op-ed article.
  • APRIL 10 - POSEN ON CURRENCY AND TRADE  (4/10/2015)
  • Adam Posen of the Peterson Institute for International Economics sets out the case against including currency provisions in trade bills, describing them as poison pills for trade agreeements -- TPP and others.
  • APRIL 8 - A METAPHOR FROM YESTERDAY  (4/8/2015)
  • At the battle of Shiloh in 1862, a Confederate officers uses the metaphor of a saturated sugar cube in an effort to convince his boss, General P. G. T. Beauregard, to withdraw.
  • APRIL 7 - ASH CARTER IN ARIZONA   (4/7/2015)
  • Defense Secretary Ash Carter talks about the American security umbrella in the Asia-Pacific and the essential contribution it made to the economic progress of that region.
  • MARCH 31 - LAGARDE IN CHINA  (3/31/2015)
  • IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde comments on the rapid internationalization of China's currency, the Renminbi (RMB), and the possibility of the RMB being included in the basket of currencies behind SDRs or Special Drawing Rights.
  • MARCH 27 - USTR, GIs, AND WIPO   (3/27/2015)
  • George York of USTR talks about opportunities for bridging the U.S-EU divide over geographical indications, with a particular focus on upcoming diplomatic conference on the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin.
  • MARCH 23 - GIs AND THE CONSUMER   (3/23/2015)
  • Shawna Morris of the Consortium for Common Food Names talks about the ambience of packaging and the practical understanding of consumers.
  • MARCH 18 - TPA TESTIMONIALS   (3/18/2015)
  • Trevor Bell, a marketing executive with Oregon Berry Packing, Inc., explains the importance of TPA. His comments are part of a collection published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • MARCH 13 - MALAYSIA LOOKS AT TPP   (3/13/2015)
  • Cassey Lee, a scholar with a think tank in Singapore, assesses the potential benefits of a TPP agreement for Malaysia and looks as well at some of the domestic opposition.
  • MARCH 12 - GIs AND THE WIPO CONTROVERSY  (3/12/2015)
  • Writing to the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Chairmen and Ranking Members of four Congressional committees
    express their concerns over the current plans to include geographical indications in the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin.
  • MAR 10 - Trade and National Security  (3/10/2015)
  • In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Michele Flournoy and Ely Ratner underscore the potential national security benefits of a Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.
  • MARCH 7 - ABE, ENERGY, AND NATIONAL INTERESTS  (3/7/2015)
  • In his February 12 address to Japan's Diet, Prime Minister Abe underscores the importance of "inexpensive and stable power" to the Japanese economy.
  • MARCH 4 - PORK PUSHES FOR TPA   (3/4/2015)
  • The National Pork Producers Council and 39 state affiliates urge Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority.
  • MARCH 3 - ABE ON AGRICULTURE   (3/3/2015)
  • In a February 12 address to the Diet, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urges sweeping reforms in agricultural policy.
  • FEB 13 - GOVERNOR CHRISTIE ON BUY AMERICAN IN N. J.   (2/16/2015)
  • New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoes a state Buy America bill.
  • FEB 11 - PORTS AND THE CHALLENGE OF LOST MARKETS  (2/11/2015)
  • Norman Bessac of Cargill, testifying on the consequences of the slowdown at the West Coast Ports, tells a Senate committee it takes time to win trust back once you have disappointed a customer.
  • FEB 9 - BUY AMERICA AND THE TERMINAL AT PRINCE RUPERT, BC  (2/9/2015)
  • Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast acts to block adherence to U.S. Buy America in the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, while urging the Alaskan authorities to seek a Buy America waiver for that project.
  • FEB 4 - CONGRESS, GIs & TRADE AGREEMENTS  (2/4/2015)
  • Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas questions the U.S. Trade Representative on Geographical Indications at a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
  • FEB 3 - CHICKENS AND AMERICAN TRADE   (2/3/2015)
  • Senator Tom Carper of Delaware talks about chickens, trade, and the Delmarva Peninsula at a Senate Finance Committee hearing.
  • JAN 30 - CURRENCY, A LESSON FROM SWITZERLAND  (1/30/2015)
  • Joanne Thornton of GBD and Policy Connections International highlights a lesson from the recent, dramatic rise of the Swiss franc.
  • JAN 29 - TPA, THREE VIEWS  (1/29/2015)
  • USTR Michael Froman, Ways and Means Committee Paul Ryan, and Ways and Means Ranking Member Sander Levin offer their respective views on Trade Promotion Authority at the Ways and Means hearing on January 27.
  • JAN 28 - PORTS - WAYS AND MEANS MEMBERS WEIGH IN  (1/28/2015)
  • Rep. Dave Reichert from the State of Washington highlights the harm being done to the apple and pear growers of Washington by the disruption in the West Coast ports.
  • JAN 26 - UPS AND U.S. PORTS  (1/26/2015)
  • Tom Jensen of UPS underscores the relationship between the operational effectiveness of U.S. ports on the one hand and the global trade and global supply chaines on the other.
  • JAN 21 - OBAMA ASKS FOR TPA   (1/21/2015)
  • In his state of the Union Message on January 20, President Obama asked Congress to send him legislation granting him Trade Promotion Authority.
  • JAN 13 - RYAN ON TPA  (1/13/2015)
  • In the House Ways and Means Committee's first hearing of the 114th Congress, Chairman Paul Ryan says passing a Trade Promotion Authority bill is the first thing they need to do.
  • JAN 8 - ON TRADE & COOPERATION IN WASHINGTON  (1/8/2015)
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell expresses the hope that Congress and the White House will be able to cooperate effectively on major trade issues.
  • JAN 6 - TIPPING POINT FOR WEST COAST PORTS?  (1/6/2015)
  • Days before the naming of a Federal mediator on January 5, Wade Gates of the Pacific Maritime Association offered a bleak assessment of the situation at the West Coast ports.
  • DEC 31 - PUNKE AND THE WTO'S REVIEW OF U.S. TRADE POLICY  (12/31/2014)
  • America's ambassador to the WTO, Michael Punke, responds to the numerous interventions by other WTO members during the WTO's 2014 biennial Trade Policy Review of the United States.
  • DEC 30 - GE AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS AGREEMENT  (12/30/2014)
  • GE's Orit Frenkel talks about the significance of the EGA negotiations for General Electric. In doing so, she links the hoped-for Environmental Goods Agreement with GE's company-wide environmental action program, Ecomagination.
  • DEC 16 - THE RMB AND COMMODITIES  (12/16/2014)
  • An executive at the French bank BNP Paribas speculates that, "when China starts paying for commodities in RMB," that will be "the real game changer in the internationalization of the RMB."
  • DEC 12 - INJURY AND U.S. SOLAR IMPORTS FROM CHINA  (12/12/2014)
  • At the International Trade Commission, Oregon's senior senator, Ron Wyden, urges a finding of injury from made-in-China solar imports and a continuation of the AD and CVD tariffs now in place.
  • DEC 8 - THE EGA AND CORNING'S VIRTUOUS CYCLE  (12/8/2014)
  • Corning's Debra Waggoner talks about the company's substrate for catalytic converters, the product success in cutting air pollution and the export potential for it -- potential that has a greater chance of being realized if the effort to craft an Environmental Goods Agreement is successful.
  • DEC 4 - LONDON AND CHINA'S RMB   (12/4/2014)
  • British MP Andrea Leadsom discusses the rise of China's currency, the renminbi, and London's role in that development.
  • DEC 2 - THE EGA, NEWNHAM   (12/2/2014)
  • In a presentation on the Environmental Goods Agreement being negotiated in Geneva, Simon Newnham of the Australian Embassy in Washington takes note of Australia's challenge as the "driest inhabited continent" and heavy user of water.
  • Revised NOV 26 - FROM BILL FRENZEL   (11/30/2014)
  • Former Minnesota Congressman Bill Frenzel died on November 27, 2014. A global leader on trade, he was honored on October 20 by the Mexican Government with the Order of the Aztec Eagle. Here is his acceptance speech.
  • NOV 25 - CHOOSING ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS  (11/25/2014)
  • USTR's Jennifer Prescott discusses the criteria for selecting products to be included in the negotiations for an environmental goods agreement, with specific reference to both the need for the products to have environmental credibility and the value of trade liberalization in its own right.
  • NOV 14 - TPP AND PROCUREMENT   (11/14/2014)
  • Government Procurement is one of the issues highlighted by TPP trade ministers in their November 10 report to the leaders of the 12 TPP countries.
  • NOV 11 - IN CHINA, AN ITA BREAKTHROUGH  (11/11/2014)
  • In China, President Obama announces a breakthrough in the WTO negotiations to expand the scope of the Information Technology Agreement, specifically a new understanding between the United States and China on product coverage.
  • NOV 7 -- TPA, CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENT   (11/7/2014)
  • President Obama called for Trade Promotion Authority in his State of the Union Message in January 2014. This entry looks at that request in light of an up-coming, post-election meeting between the President and Congressional leaders.
  • NOV 5 - ITA: APEC (AND CHINA'S) OPPORTUNITY  (11/5/2014)
  • John Neuffer of the Information Technology Industry Council is in China, working for an APEC breakthrough in the talks to expand the Information Technology Agreement. In a blog from Beijing, he highlights the advantages China would reap from putting more on the table and moving those negotiations forward.
  • NOV 4 - APEC IN CHINA AND THE OPEN FTAs  (11/4/2014)
  • Australian economist Peter Drysdale highlights the potential importance of RCEP - the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership -- currently being negotiations by the ten countries of ASEAN plus six other countries, namely, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand.
  • OCT 31 - NOVEMBER AND THE RMB IN CANADA   (10/31/2014)
  • Perrin Beatty and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce make the case for an RMB hub in Canada, so that Canadian companies can more easily use renminbi in trading with China, thereby increasing both sales and profitability.
  • OCT 29 - ON TRADE AND NATIONAL SECURITY  (10/29/2014)
  • With an opening quote from economist Thomas Schelling, USTR Michael Froman highlights the link between trade and national security in an article in the current issue of "Foreign Affairs" and discusses major trade initiatives, including TPP, T-TIP, AGOA, and Trade Promotion Authority.
  • OCTOBER 27 - GROSER ON TPP AND DAIRY  (10/27/2014)
  • New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser warns against a"sweetheart" deal on dairy between the United States and Japan.
  • OCTOBER 23 - TAIWAN'S TPP ASPIRATIONS  (10/23/2014)
  • Lyushun Shen, Taiwan's representative in the United States, underscores the importance to his country of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
  • OCTOBER 21 - AZEVEDO ON THE IMPASSE  (10/21/2014)
  • The Director-General of the World Trade Organization tells the members that the impasse over trade facilitation and "food security" has put the organization in a "dangerous situation."
  • OCT 8 - FROM CECILIA MALMSTROM  (10/8/2014)
  • The incoming Trade Commissioner of the European Union talks about "a trade policy inspired by democratic values" at her hearing before the European Parliament in Brussels.
  • OCT 3 - FROM THE CONSCIENCE OF HONG KONG   (10/4/2014)
  • Anson Chan, chief secretary of Hong Kong at the time of the 1997 sovereignty handover from Britain to China, talks about the Occupy Central movement, the promise of democracy for Hong Kong, and Beijing's reactions.
  • OCT 3 - FROM THE CONSCIENCE OF HONG KONG   (10/3/2014)
  • Anson Chan, chief secretary of Hong Kong before and immediately after the 1997 handover of sovereignty, talks about the Occupy Central movement, the promise of democracy for and to Hong Kong, and Beijing's response.
  • OCT 2 - CONGRESS ON TPP, JAPAN (AND CANADA)  (10/2/2014)
  • Representative Devin Nunes (R CA) and 139 other members of Congress -- both Democrat and Republican -- write to President Obama, urging the Administration to move on in the TPP negotiations without Japan, and possibly without Canada, if those countries are not prepared to open up key markets.
  • SEP 30 - A TPP MESSAGE FOR JAPAN  (9/30/2014)
  • The National Pork Producers Council insists that Japan must go to zero tariffs on pork and other agricultural commodities and abolish its Gate Price system for pork imports. Otherwise, the group argues, the other eleven TPP countries should close a deal without Japan.
  • SEP 26 - TRADE IN ENVIRONMENTAL GOODS  (9/26/2014)
  • The NAM's Jessica Lemos highlights the potential benefits of a successful outcome in the WTO negotiations on an Environmental Goods Agreement, which would lower or eliminate tariffs on qualifying products.
  • SEP 24 - CANADA'S FTA WITH KOREA  (9/24/2014)
  • The president of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association, Dave Solverson, looks forward to more exports to Korea as a result of the new Canada-Korea free-trade agreement.
  • SEP 22 - EXIM IN AFRICA  (9/22/2014)
  • Benjamin Todd, a business development officers with the Export-Import Bank of the United States, talks about the Bank's role in sub-Saharan Africa.
  • SEP 18 - CAMERON IN SCOTLAND  (9/18/2014)
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron expresses his hope that Scottish voters will say "No" to independence. They did.
  • SEP 17 - LISER ON AGOA AND THE LEADERS SUMMIT  (9/17/2014)
  • Florizelle Liser, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, comments on the need for America to think about "where we want to go" with the dynamic countries of sub-Saharan Africa.
  • SEP 8 - REP. BUCHANAN ON AGOA  (9/8/2014)
  • Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) questions Ways and Means witnesses about U.S. standing in Africa vis-a-vis China and other competitor countries.
  • SEP 5 - AGOA PROPOSALS FROM STEVE LANDE  (9/5/2014)
  • Stephen Lande of Manchester Trade offers suggesting for improving the African Growth and Opportunity Act, now up for renewal.
  • AUG 27 - MILLARD ARNOLD ON AFRICA AND TRADE  (8/27/2014)
  • Representing the South Africa-based law firm of Bowman Gilfillan, Millard Arnold talks about sub-Saharan Africa's skepticism with respect to the "Washington Consensus," especially the notion that trade liberalization promotes development.
  • AUG 13- CUNNINGHAM ON TRADE AND DEVELOPING COUNTRIES  (8/13/2014)
  • Richard Cunningham of Steptoe & Johnson and the Cordell Hull Institute discusses the trade policy challenges of Africa against the background of the stalled and unrealized Doha agenda and the rise of mega-regional negotiations like TPP and TTIP.
  • AUG 1 - TFA, A WTO DISAPPOINTMENT  (8/1/2014)
  • The WTO Director-General comments on the WTO's failure to give final approval to the Bali deal on Trade Facilitation by the agreed deadline of July 31, 2014.
  • JULY 31 - FROMAN AT BROOKINGS   (7/31/2014)
  • In a speech to the Brookings Institution, USTR Michael Froman talks about trade, development and the future of AGOA, the African Growth and Opportunity Act.
  • July 28 - The WTO, A Froman Tweet  (7/28/2014)
  • In a tweet, USTR Michael Froman underscores one big downside of blocking the Bali deal on trade facilitation.
  • JULY 23 - AN AWARD FOR CLAYTON YEUTTER  (7/23/2014)
  • At WITA's 2014 annual awards dinner, former USTR Clayton Yeutter is given the Lifetime Achievement Award.
  • JULY 21 - DEREK SCISSORS ON TPP   (7/21/2014)
  • In a TPP debate on July 16, Derek Scissors of the American Enterprise Institute underscores the importance of avoiding "a weak" TPP agreement.
  • JULY 11 - TPP, CANADA, AND TRANSPARENCY  (7/11/2014)
  • Canada's opposition spokesman on trade urges the Canadian government to be more transparent where TPP is concerned.
  • JULY 9 - WALLACH ON TPP AND PROCUREMENT  (7/9/2014)
  • In a 4th of July op-ed, Lori Wallach argues that TPP is on track to "gut" the Buy American act and related U.S. preference provisions.
  • JULY 7 - INDIA'S EMPLOYMENT CHALLENGE  (7/7/2014)
  • William T. Wilson of the Heritage Foundation observes that, if India seriously intends to address her employment challenge, she will make the policy changes necessary "to become a global hub for labor-intensive manufacturing."
  • July 4, 2014 - TEXT FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY  (7/4/2014)
  • These excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, together with a few comments, is GBD contribution to the larger world of Fourth of July traditions.
  • JULY - SOEs: RULES FOR TPP AND BEYOND  (7/1/2014)
  • In a paper for the OECD, Alan Wolff of McKenna Long and Aldridge notes that the global trading system -- the GATT the WTO etc. -- assumes that most trade is carried out by private entities and argues that governments should explain and justify their actions when they create SOEs to compete in global markets.
  • JUNE 24 - FROMAN ON T-TIP   (6/24/2014)
  • In a June 23 speech in Denver Colorado, USTR Michael Froman sets for the essence of the challenge in the negotiations with the European Union toward a Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership agreement.
  • JUNE 20 - CAMP ON TPA   (6/20/2014)
  • In a June 19 speech at the Global Business Dialogue, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Dave Camp, insists that TPA must come before TPP or neither will have his support.
  • JUNE 13 - DAIRY AND TPP   (6/13/2014)
  • Jaime Castaneda, representing the National Milk Producers Federation and the US Dairy Export Council, sets out goals and requirements for a TPP agreement that U.S. dairy producers would support.
  • MAY 29 - TPP WITHOUT JAPAN?  (5/30/2014)
  • Five agricultural groups call for suspending TPP negotiations with Japan unless that country is willing to open its market in key agricultural sectors.
  • MAY 27 - FROM NEW ZEALAND'S PM, A TPP CONCERN  (5/27/2014)
  • New Zealand Prime Minister John Key questions the value of a TPP agreement that doesn't include dairy.
  • MAY 26 - FROM THE 1936 OLYMPICS  (5/26/2014)
  • George Pocock - Craftsman, builder of racing shells at the University of Washington, and unofficial coach, offers a thought on the sport of competitive rowing.
  • MAY 22 - COAL AND THE OREGON SENATE RACE  (5/22/2014)
  • Oregon's Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, Monica Wehby, cautiously supports coal exports through Oregon ports.
  • MAY 19 - CANADA, DAIRY, AND TPP  (5/19/2014)
  • A New Zealand agricultural expert reviews a Canadian report on the potential benefits of reforming Canada's supply management system for dairy.
  • MAY 14 - SHELTON ON TPP  (5/14/2014)
  • Writer and former trade official, Joanna Shelton suggests that TPP should just fade away.
  • MAY 12 - STALLED: CANADA-EU TRADE DEAL  (5/12/2014)
  • In the Canadian House of Commons, the official opposition spokesman for international trade is Don Davies of Vancouver, British Columbia. There had been some speculation that Canada and the EU would conclude their FTA negotiations during the week of May 5. When they didn't, Mr. Davies weighed in with a strong critique of the Harper government.
  • MAY 8 - ABE FOCUSES ON A DEAL WITH EU  (5/8/2014)
  • In Brussels, Prime Minister Abe points to 2015 as the year in which Japan and the EU will complete their FTA negotiations.
  • MAY 6 - WYDEN, TRANSPARENCY, AND TPP  (5/6/2014)
  • With a focus on increased transparency for trade policy, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden says he will insist on the text of a TPP agreement being made public before the President signs the agreement.
  • APRIL 28 - SENATOR LANDRIEU AND THE JONES ACT   (4/28/2014)
  • Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana signals her strong support for the Jones Act.
  • APRIL 25 - PROFESSOR BHAGWATI'S QUESTION  (4/25/2014)
  • Columnbia University's most famous economics professor, Jaddish Bhagwati, asks a simple question.
  • APRIL 23 - JAPAN, PORK AND COMPETING FTAs  (4/23/2014)
  • A Japanese analyst highlights the potential cost to the U.S. of the advantages that Australia's pork producers will gain from the new Japan-Australia FTA.
  • APRIL21 - CARS TRADE AND THE JAPAN PARADOX  (4/21/2014)
  • Early in his presidency, and aided by an observation from Vice President Bush, Ronald Reagan embraces the idea that Japan should "voluntarily" restrain its exports of cars to the United States.
  • APRIL 18 - Wyden on Trade Policy and Jobs  (4/19/2014)
  • In describing his trade policy priorities, the new chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Ron Wyden, D, of Oregon, puts the emphasis on the link between policy and good jobs for Americans.
  • APRIL 14 - SCOTT MILLER ON INVESTMENT AND THE RULE OF LAW  (4/14/2014)
  • Investor-state dispute settlement means different things to different people. Scott Miller of CSIS explains that, for investors, it means being able to operate in a system characterized by the rule of law.
  • APRIL 10 - THORNTON ON RUSSIA'S RELIANCE ON OIL AND GAS   (4/10/2014)
  • Joanne Thornton highlights Russia's dependence on oil and gas exports in short paper based on her presentation at GBD's members' lunch on March 28.
  • APRIL 8 - AUSTRALIA-JAPAN DEAL ANNOUNCED  (4/8/2014)
  • Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott announces his country new trade agreement with Japan.
  • APRIL 7 - FROMAN ON GOOD AGREEMENTS, CONGRESS AND TPA  (4/7/2014)
  • In his April 3 appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee, USTR Michael Froman argues that the only guarantee of Congressional approval for [TPP or T-TIP] is a good agreement.
  • APRIL 4 - A RANGEL-FROMAN EXCHANGE  (4/4/2014)
  • Quoting European business leaders and others who have met with him, USTR Michael Froman tells the House Ways and Means Committee that completing the big trade deals on the table -- T-TIP and TPP -- will help to make the U.S. "the production platform of choice."
  • APRIL 2 - ROCKWELL "BEYOND BALI"  (4/2/2014)
  • WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell identifies the WTO's twin goals for 2014 -- implementing the Bali package and drafting a roadmap for completing the Doha Round -- and discusses the challenges to meeting them.
  • MARCH 31 - UKRAINE CRISIS AND THE WTO  (3/31/2014)
  • Terence Stewart talks about Ukraine's membership in the WTO -- the process of getting in, the subsequent issues, and the relevance (or not) of the WTO to the crisis that has led to the loss of the Crimea and concerns about other potential difficulties with Russia.
  • MARCH 21 - UKRAINE SIGNS ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT, PART I  (3/21/2014)
  • Ukraine's interim prime minister Aseniy Yatsenyuk signs the political component of the Association Agreement with the EU talks about his country's desire to be "part of the big European family."
  • MARCH 20 - CRIDLAND AT GBD   (3/20/2014)
  • At GBD's March 11 event, the Director-General of the Confederation of British Industry, John Cridland, highlights the importance of T-TIP to the UK and importance of the UK's EU membership as a path to more trade opportunities with the U.S. and with others around the globe.
  • MARCH 7 - INVESTOR-STATE, DEMPSEY WEIGHS IN  (3/7/2014)
  • NAM Vice President Linda Dempsey highlights the value of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and urges ISDS be included in the major new trade agreements, namely, TPP and T-TIP.
  • MARCH 5 - MERKEL IN LONDON  (3/5/2014)
  • German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the British Parliament, urging continued British membership in the EU and underscoring the importance of T-TIP.
  • MARCH 4 - UKRAINE AND THE DEAL ON THE TABLE  (3/4/2014)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht tells the press that the Accession Agreement with Ukraine is still on the table, and when Ukraine is ready to sign, the EU will be too.
  • FEB 27 - TPP AND MARKET ACCESS  (2/27/2014)
  • Discussing the recent round of TPP negotiations in Singapore, New Zealand's trade minister, Tim Groser, notes that "market access" is the "heart and soul" of any trade deal.
  • FEB 21 - DE GUCHT ON T-TIP AND REGULATION - REVISED  (2/22/2014)
  • In a February 18 speech in Washington, EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht highlighted the need for regulators to be deeply involved in the T-TIP negotiations.
  • FEB 14 - MARK LEONARD ON THE U.S. AND CHINA  (2/14/2014)
  • Writing in Foreign Affairs, Mark Leonard advances the thesis that, as the similarities grow between the United States and China, so will their rivalry.
  • FEB 13 - IKENSON ON TPA AND INVESTOR-STATE  (2/13/2014)
  • Daniel Ikenson of the Cato Institute suggests that dropping the investor-state dispute settlement objectives from the Trade Promotion Authority legislation may be necessary to get a TPA bill passed.
  • FEB 7 - TPP, TPA, AND THE WAY TO LOOK AT TRADE  (2/7/2014)
  • Phil O'Reilly of BusinessNZ, citing OECD research, argues that it is trade, not imports or exports, but trade that matters.
  • FEB 6 - A CAUTION ON CURRENCY  (2/6/2014)
  • Phil O'Reilly, who heads New Zealand's largest business association, offers a word of caution on the proposals for putting exchange rate disciplines in trade agreements.
  • FEB 4 - WOLFF AND THE NECESSITY OF TPA  (2/4/2014)
  • Alan Wolff of McKenna Long and Aldridge explains why there is "no workable alternative" to Trade Promotion Authority if the U.S. is to approve any major new trade agreements.
  • JAN 29 - OBAMA AND REID ON TPA  (1/29/2014)
  • In his State of the Union address on January 28, President Obama talked about the need for "tools like bipartisan trade promotion authority." On the Senate floor the following day, Majority Leader Harry Reid also talked about trade promotion authority.
  • JAN 24 - APPLES AND TRADE   (1/24/2014)
  • The president of the New York Apple Association talks about U.S. apple exports to Europe, which are facing a new regulatory hurdle.
  • JAN 22 - FROM A FORMER NEGOTIATOR  (1/22/2014)
  • ITC Commissioner Meredith Broadbent , participating in CSIS program on digital trade, talked about the the value of a domestic consensus for trade negotiators.
  • JAN 16 - PORTMAN AT THE TPA HEARING  (1/16/2014)
  • Senator Rob Portman (R) of Ohio uses his time and the January 16 Finance Committee hearing to take note of America's very low ratio of exports to GDP and to stress that new trade agreements will be impossible without trade promotion authority.
  • JAN 15 - TPA - A BILL FROM THE CHAIRMEN  (1/15/2014)
  • Remarks of Senator Max Baucus, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, on the introduction of the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities Act of 2014."
  • JAN 10 - ADVICE FOR DEVELOPING COUNTRIES   (1/10/2014)
  • Selina Jackson, the World Bank's special representative to the UN and the WTO, talks about Aid for Trade and other development initiatives since the launch of the Doha Round. In process, she offers some advice to the WTO's developing country members.
  • JAN 6 - CANADA'S EU DEAL - A PROVINCIAL CONCERN  (1/6/2014)
  • Quebec's premier, Pauline Marois, puts Ottawa on notice. If the Government of Canada -- the federal government -- wants Quebec's approval for the recently announced FTA with Europe, they are going to have to compensate Quebec's cheese makers first.
  • Jan 3 - HEALTHCARE & TRADE   (1/3/2014)
  • With healthcare the largest segment of the global economy, Craig Kramer of Johnson and Johnson sets out a trade policy agenda for healthcare.
  • New Year's Greeting for 2014  (12/30/2013)
  • A New Year's Greeting from the Global Business Dialogue.
  • Dec 20 Valuing Trade Facilitation   (12/20/2013)
  • Walmart's Sarah Thorn highlights the centrality of Trade Facilitation to Trade.
  • DEC 12 - ON THE BALI HIGHLIGHTS   (12/12/2013)
  • Indonesia's trade minister, Gita Wirjawan, comments on the main elements of the Bali package.
  • DEC 11 - PRAISE FOR AZEVEDO  (12/12/2013)
  • Indonesia's trade minister praises Roberto Azevedo for the success of the WTO Ministerial Conference in Bali.
  • DEC 7 - TIME AND THE WTO  (12/7/2013)
  • WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell describes time as a "flexible concept" in the World Trade Organization.
  • DEC 5 - IMPLEMENTING BALI   (12/4/2013)
  • John Magnus of TradeWins discusses the relationships between the elements of a possible Bali package and U.S. trade law.
  • NOV 29 - AZEVEDO CONTINUES TO PUSH  (11/29/2013)
  • Before leaving Geneva for the WTO's 9th Ministerial Conference, Roberto Azevedo assures delegates that he will continue working toward a Bali package.
  • NOV 27 - A GENEVA DISAPPOINTMENT   (11/27/2013)
  • Speaking at the WTO Ceneral Council meeting on November 26, Director-General Roberto Azevedo announces that negotiations in Geneva have failed to produce an agreed package for the Bali Ministerial.
  • NOV 13 - FROM THE COTTON FOUR   (11/13/2013)
  • John Adank,New Zealand's ambassador to the WTO and chairman of the negotiations on agriculture, notes that the Bali proposal from the Cotton Four has arrived quite late in the process.
  • NOV 12 - AZEVEDO PRESSES ON   (11/12/2013)
  • Despite the passing of a self-imposed deadline, WTO Director-General Robert Azevedo urges his colleagues to continue to work toward a package of agreements for the Bali Ministerial. He insists, however, that the deal must be done in Geneva, that Bali will not be a negotiating Ministerial.
  • NOV 6 - RARE EARTHS PANEL REPORT   (11/6/2013)
  • An analyst with China's Ministry of Commerce says he expects China will appeal the ruling in the rare earths case -- once it is out -- and further that, at the Appellate Body level, China will win.
  • NOV 1 - FARNSWORTH ON CHINA AND MEXICO  (11/1/2013)
  • After noting that the presidents of China and Mexico have met four times in just six months, Eric Farnsworth discusses the dynamics of the growing relationship between America's southern neighbor and Asia's colossus.
  • OCT 31 - CHINA IN LATIN AMERICA - FARNSWORTH  (10/31/2013)
  • Eric Farnsworth from the Council of the Americas focuses on China's strong and growing trade and investment relationships with the countries of Latin America and Washington's apparent indifference to these developments.
  • OCTOBER 29 - FREEMAN ON CHINA'S GROWTH & IMPORTS  (10/29/2013)
  • After noting that China is running up against serious limits with respect to labor and other factors, Charles Freeman focuses on productivity and innovation as the logical drivers of China's future growth.
  • OCT 18 - CANADIAN BUSINESS ON PROCUREMENT  (10/18/2013)
  • In a letter to the responsible ministers, the presidents of three Canadian business associations urge the government to hire Canadian firms for Canadian infrastructure projects, consistent with Canada's international obligations.
  • OCT 17 - Harper Tweets on CETA  (10/17/2013)
  • With an entry on Twitter, Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper signals that his country and the European Union may soon be announcing a trade deal.
  • OCT 16 - FARNSWORTH ON CHINA IN LATIN AMERICA  (10/16/2013)
  • Writing in "Current History," Eric Farnsworth discusses China's trade with Latin America as well as China's growing investments in the region.
  • OCT 10 - NEUFFER ON ITA   (10/10/2013)
  • John Neuffer of the Information Technology Industry Council reports that the negotiations to update and expand the Information Technology Agreement are now back on track.
  • OCT 9 - FROM BALI, AUSTRALIA'S ABBOTT TALKS ABOUT CHINA  (10/9/2013)
  • Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott takes a pragmatic approach toward his country's FTA negotiations with China.
  • OCT 4 - FROMAN AT THE PUBLIC FORUM  (10/4/2013)
  • Speaking at the WTO's Public Forum in Geneva, USTR Michael Froman underscores how important it is for the WTO to get a deal at the Bali Ministerial on Trade Facilitation and other issues.
  • OCT 3 - AZEVEDO ON TRADE AND INNOVATION  (10/3/2013)
  • In opening the WTO's 2013 Public Forum, Director General Roberto Azevedo observes that not all innovations are flashy, high-tech items, noting that the humble (intermodal) shipping container has revolutionized global trade.
  • OCT 1 - ELON MUSK ON ROCKETS AND COMPANIES  (10/1/2013)
  • SpaceX founder Elon Musk talks about rockets, energy, and companies.
  • SEP 27 - LINSCOTT ON BALI  (9/27/2013)
  • USTR's Mark Linscott tells a GBD audience that a Doha package for December's ministerial meeting in Bali is "doable," though whether it will be done or not is still an open question.
  • SEP 23 - THE WTO, BALI, AND THE PEACE CLAUSE  (9/23/2013)
  • A diplomat in Geneva suggests that a new "peace clause" may be the only hope for resolving the agricultural issues facing the Bali Ministerial.
  • SEP 20 - HUNTSMAN AT THE BAUCUS SUMMIT  (9/20/2013)
  • Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman praises Senator Max Baucus for the success of the 2013 Montana Economic Development Summit and talks about the tension between China and Japan.
  • SEP 19 - BARROSO ON THE UKRAINE AND THE EU  (9/19/2013)
  • EU Commission President Barroso looks forward to the signing of an association agreement between the Ukraine and the EU and protests Russia's effort to derail it.
  • SEPT 13 - BARROSO'S STATE OF THE UNION  (9/13/2013)
  • The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, highlights three major EU trade negotiations in his State of the Union address to the European Parliament.
  • SEP 9 - AZEVEDO TO THE WTO's GENERAL COUNCIL  (9/9/2013)
  • The WTO's new Director-General, Roberto Azevedo, tells the WTO ambassadors that a successful Bali Ministerial must be the organization's first priority, emphasizing the high cost of failure as well as the potential rewards that would flow from success.
  • SEPT 5 - DOHA AND THE G20   (9/5/2013)
  • Mark Thirlwell of the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, urges the G20 leaders "to help save the WTO from the Doha Round."
  • SEP 3 - T-TIP, SWEDEN, AND THE G20  (9/3/2013)
  • Looking ahead to President Obama's visit to Sweden, Prime Reinfeldt expresses his strong support for T-TIP.
  • AUGUST 28 - PROSEK & GIs, AN UPDATE, REVISED  (8/28/2013)
  • Responding to an earlier discussions of geographical indications (GIs) in the European Union, the Counselor for Agriculture at the EU Delegation in Washington, Giulio Menato, uses examples of the treatment of wines in Croatia, Hungary, and Slovakia to explain the process for assigning and/or restricting GIs within the EU.
  • AUGUST 27 - SONIA GANDHI ON FOOD SECURITY  (8/27/2013)
  • Congress Party leader Sonia Gandhi argues for the Food Security Bill in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
  • AUGUST 22 - WTO APPOINTMENTS   (8/22/2013)
  • Roberto Azevedo, the incoming Director-General of the World Trade Organization, announces the names of four new Deputy Directors-General, all slated to take up their posts on October 1. In addition, Mr. Azevedo announces that Australia's Tim Yeend will serve as his Chef de Cabinet or chief of staff.
  • AUGUST 17 - SINGH ON INDEPENDENCE DAY  (8/17/2013)
  • From Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Independence Day (August 15) address, including references to the Uttarakhand floods, the sinking of the Sindhurakshak, and the government's policies on food security, both the ordinance and the pending legislation.
  • AUGUST 14 - GARFIELD ON INDIA   (8/14/2013)
  • India's PMA policies -- the acronym stands for preferential market access -- are the subject of these two quotes: the first from Dean Garfield of the Information Technology Industry Council in the U.S. and the second from E.M. Sudarsana Natchippan, India's Minister of State for Commerce and Industry.
  • A CORRECTION FOR: AUGUST 12 - INDIA AND A REQUEST TO THE ITC  (8/13/2013)
  • The chairmen and ranking members of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee formally ask the International Trade Commission for a study on India's trade and investment policies.
  • AUGUST 9 - FROM PONY, MONTANA  (8/9/2013)
  • Mrs. Johanna Flint of Pony, Montana, protests a common characterization of her town.
  • AUGUST 8 - KEYSTONE AND THE LABORERS' UNION  (8/8/2013)
  • Daviid Mallino of the Laborers' International Union of North America expresses his union's frustration at President Obama's disparaging rhetoric vis-a-vis the Keystone XL pipeline.
  • JULY 30 - ABE IN SINGAPORE  (7/30/2013)
  • Fresh from a significant electoral victory -- LDB control of the House of Councilors -- Japan's Shinzo Abe gives this year's Singapore Lecture, highlighting a new, stronger Japan and the importance of a Japan-ASEAN partnership.
  • JULY 26 - SMITHFIELD SCENARIOS   (7/26/2013)
  • Against the background of the pending sale of Smithfield Foods to China's Shuanghui International, Eric Emerson of Steptoe & Johnson talks about China's view of U.S. investment decisions.
  • JULY 24 - LAMY'S FAREWELL   (7/24/2013)
  • In his farewell speech to the WTO General Council, Director-General Pascal Lamy reflects on the successes of the past eight years, the disappointments -- Doha -- and offers some advice for the future.
  • JULY 23 - FROMAN AT WAYS AND MEANS  (7/23/2013)
  • In Congressional testimony, USTR Michael Froman talks about what success in America's current trade negotiations could mean.
  • JULY 15 - STABENOW ON SMITHFIELD  (7/15/2013)
  • Opening a hearing on the proposed purchase of Smithfield Foods, Senator Stabenow asks, "Could this sale happen if it were the other way around?"
  • JULY 12 - BOUSTANY ON LNG EXPROTS  (7/12/2013)
  • Congressman Charles Boustany, a Republican, represents South Louisiana, "the heart of Cajun Country." Participating in a CSIS discussion of LNG exports, he highlighted the large -- $50 billion -- investment associated with LNG in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
  • JULY 10 - FRISBIE PUTS INVESTMENT ON THE TOP FOR THE U.S. AND CHINA  (7/10/2013)
  • John Frisbie is the president of the U.S.-China Business Council. In an interview with Fox\Business, Mr. Frisbie put investment at the top of the list of issues in the U.S.-China relationship that his members are concerned about.
  • July 3-4 - TEXT FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY  (7/3/2013)
  • For Independence Day, a short quote from the Declaration of Independence.
  • JULY 1 - CANADA DAY 2013  (7/1/2013)
  • On Canada Day, Alison Redford, the premier of Alberta, thanks the people of Canada for their support in responding to the June floods that devastated cities and towns throughout the province, including Alberta, its largest city.
  • JUNE 28 - ECUADOR AND GSP   (6/28/2013)
  • The Ranking Member on the Senate Finance , Committee, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, advises the Administration to take Ecuador at its word and drop the country from the ATPA and GSP preference programs.
  • JUNE 27 - STABENOW ET AL. ON SMITHFIELD   (6/27/2013)
  • The Chairwoman, Sen. Stabenow, and 14 other members of the Senate Agriculture Committee ask Treasury Secretary Lew to include USDA and FDA on the CFIUS panel that reviews the sale of Smithfield Foods to China's Shanghui Holdings.
  • JUNE 24 - CROATIA "PROSEK" TO GO   (6/24/2013)
  • A Croatian maker of the dessert wine "prosek" laments the EU's insistence that the name be dropped in deference to the Italian wine "prosecco".
  • JUNE 20 - PUNKE ON TISA   (6/20/2013)
  • With a focus on trade in services, America's WTO ambassador, Michael Punke, notes that all of the negotiating successes in the WTO have been plurilaterals. A WTO multilateral, all-member deal is yet to be achieved.
  • JUNE 18 - TTIP LAUNCH IN LOUGH ERNE  (6/18/2013)
  • The UK's David Cameron opens an event announcing the launch of negotiations for an FTA between the European Union and the United States -- the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership.
  • JUNE 4 - A GI FOR STORNOWAY - RI  (6/5/2013)
  • Rhoda Grant, the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Highlands and Islands, responds to the news that the EU Commission has granted Stornoway Black Pudding the status of a Protected Geographical Indication.
  • MAY 30 - TTIP AND TPA - AN EXCHANGE  (5/30/2013)
  • On May 16, the Trade Subcommittee of House Ways and Means held a hearing on TTIP - the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. The need for Congress to pass Trade Promotion Authority first came up several times, including in this exchange between Rep. Charles Boustancy (R-LA), a member of the Subcommittee, and former U.S. Ambassador to the EU Stuart Eizenstat, who was one of the witnesses.
  • MAY 28 - TPP AND JAPAN'S HOPES  (5/28/2013)
  • Satohiro Akimoto of Mitsubishi Corporation discusses Japan's prospective participation in TPP from the perspective of Japanese business and that of the Japanese public at large.
  • MAY 21 - AZEVEDO AND THE ROUND - R1  (5/23/2013)
  • Roberto Azevedo, the WTO's new Director-General designate, makes a plea for pragmatism vis-a-vis the Doha Round and the upcoming Bali Ministerial.
  • May 23 - Yeutter and TPP's Timetable  (5/23/2013)
  • Former USTR Clayton Yeutter suggests an optimistic but doable timetable for a TPP agreement.
  • FIRST CUP - MAY 20, 2013-R2  (5/22/2013)
  • In this issue of GBD's regular newsletter for members, the focus is on the events of early May -- notably the May 1 program on Japan and TPP -- as well as recent TTALK Quotes.
  • MAY 21 - AZEVEDO AND THE ROUND   (5/21/2013)
  • Roberto Azevedo of Brazil, the WTO's new Director-General designate, makes a plea for pragmatism vis-a-vis the Doha Round and the upcoming Bali Ministerial.
  • MAY 11 - LAMAR ON YARN FORWARD  (5/11/2013)
  • Steve Lamar of the American Apparel and Footwear Association argues, in essence, that the yarn forward rules are something of a poison pill in America's FTAs, at least for trade in apparel.
  • May 10 - COOK ON VIETNAM AND TPP  (5/10/2013)
  • Jerry Cook of Hanesbrands Inc. explains at a GBD colloquium that the "yarn forward" rule the U.S Government is proposing for TPP will have the effect of denying TPP benefits for U.S. apparel exports.
  • MAY 6 - ZOELLICK ON TPP  (5/6/2013)
  • Former USTR and World Bank president Robert Zoellick talks about the importance of TPP to the United States and the importance of finishing the deal.
  • APRIL 26 - HUFBAUER ON BLANCO  (4/26/2013)
  • Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics highlights the strengths of Mexico's Herminio Blanco. Mr. Blanco is one of the two finalists in the competition to succeed Pascal Lamy as the Director-General of the WTO.
  • APRIL 24 - BAUCUS ON TPP AND TPA  (4/24/2013)
  • At a hearing on TPP, Senator Baucus states he would like to see a Trade Promotion Authority bill introduced by June.
  • APRIL 22 - CLEARING THE PATH FOR JAPAN   (4/22/2013)
  • In a joint statement from Indonesia, the TPP trade ministers announce that all of their countries have concluded negotiations with Japan, preparatory to Japan formally joining the TTP talks.
  • APRIL 18 -- FROM THE GBD'S SEMINAR ON THE NEXT DG  (4/18/2013)
  • In a series of comments on the process for selecting the WTO's next Director-General, Terence Stewart made the point that the "caliber and competence" of people leading negotiations matters a great deal.
  • APRIL 12 - DOWN TO FIVE AT THE WTO  (4/12/2013)
  • The chair of the WTO's General Council, Ambassador Shahid Bashir of Pakistan, announces the results of the first round of consultations in the process for selecting the WTO's next Director-General: the five who are still in the race and the four who are being asked to withdraw.
  • APRIL 10 - CANADA'S CRITIERIA FOR THE NEXT DG  (4/10/2013)
  • In a statement issued Monday, April 8, Canada's trade minister, Ed Fast, set out principles that should guide the selection of the WTO's next Director-General. One was that the successful candidate should have the ability to "marshal common cause against ... protectionism ... ."
  • APRIL 1 - WOLFF SPEAKS UP FOR GROSER   (4/1/2013)
  • Alan Wolff of McKenna Long and Aldrich argues for the selection of Tim Groser, New Zealand's trade minister, as the next Director-General of the WTO.
  • MARCH 27 -- Azevedo of Brazil at the WTO   (3/27/2013)
  • Brazil's ambassador to the WTO presents himself to the WTO General Council as a candidate for the position of Director-General and explains that his candidacy was born, not in Brasilia, but in conversations with colleagues in Geneva.
  • March 26 - WTO Candidate Bark   (3/26/2013)
  • Taeho Bark, South Korea's Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and a candidate for the top spot a the WTO, takes note of the dramatic changes in the Korean economy from the Korean War to present. For him those changes demonstrate the power of trade as a driver of development.
  • MARCH 25 - HERMINO BLANCO'S PRESS CONFERENCE  (3/25/2013)
  • Mexico's former trade minister and NAFTA negotiator, Herminio Blanco, tells the trade press in Geneva what how would proceed if selected as the WTO's next Director-General.
  • March 22 -- Marantis on TPA  (3/22/2013)
  • Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis tells the Senate Finance Committee he is ready to begin work with them on a renewal of Trade Promotion Authority.
  • MARCH 21 - HINDAWI'S CANDIDACY   (3/21/2013)
  • In support of his candidacy to be the next Director-General of the WTO, Ahmad Hindawi of Jordan set out a series of institutional improvements he would seek to implement if chosen to lead the organization.
  • MARCH 20 - UPGRADING THE ITA   (3/20/2013)
  • John Neuffer of the Information Technology Industry Council reports from Geneva on the negotiations there to upgrade the 1996 Information Technology Agreement.
  • KENYA'S AMINA MOHAMED AT THE WTO  (3/18/2013)
  • Amina Mohamed of Kenya, a former ambassador to the WTO and senior U.N. official, talks about her bid to become the next Director-General of the WTO.
  • MARCH 15 - ABE'S TPP DECISION  (3/15/2013)
  • Prime Minister Abe announces Japan's decision to seek to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.
  • March 14 - TIM GROSER MAKES HIS CASE  (3/14/2013)
  • New Zealand's trade minister Tim Groser tells the WTO's General Council about the vision, perspective, and skills that he would bring to the office of WTO Director-General if selected to fill it.
  • March 11 - Robin West on Price and Product  (3/11/2013)
  • The CEO and founder of PFC Energy talks about price and production in oil and gas at a GBD colloquium.
  • March 5 - LNG - WINDING DOWN IN ALASKA  (3/5/2013)
  • A spokeswoman for ConocoPhillips explains that there may not be enough gas available for export to justify keeping the company's LNG facility on the Kenai Peninsula running.
  • March 1 - Toyotas to Russia and the Ukraine  (3/5/2013)
  • Toyota's top executive in North America talks about the companies plan to ship Toyota Venzas to Russia and the Ukraine, beginning next month.
  • February 28 - Mari Pangestu at the WTO  (2/28/2013)
  • Former Indonesian trade minister Mari Pangetsu tells reporters what she would bring to the job she now seeks: Director-General of the World Trade Organization.
  • FEB 26 - NATURAL GAS, PERMITS, AND EXPORTS   (2/26/2013)
  • Ross Eisenberg of the National Association of Manufacturers walks senators through the various permits necessary for building and operating and LNG export facility.
  • Feb 22 - DG Candidate Gonzalez  (2/22/2013)
  • Costa Rica's minister of foreign trade, Anabel Gonzalez, talks about the WTO and the goals and principles that would guide her if she is chosen to lead the organization as the WTO's next Director-General.
  • February 20 - Dow on Energy and LNG Exports  (2/20/2013)
  • Dow's CEO Andrew Liveris, testifying at a Senate hearing, discusses the importance of energy to an economy and the importance of natural gas to Dow and American manufacturing.
  • Feb 13 - Green Light for U.S.-EU Talks  (2/13/2013)
  • In his State of the Union address on February 12, President Obama announced that the United States will enter negotiations for a free trade agreement with the European Union.
  • Feb 8 - From WTO Candidate Kyerematen  (2/8/2013)
  • Alan Kyerematen of Ghana is the choice of the African Union for the next Director-General of the World Trade Organization. Speaking at a recent event in Geneva, Mr. Kyerematen emphasized that the Director-General needs to be seen as an honest broker by the members of the WTO. For that reason, he declined to state his personal opinion on a particularly contentious issue within the organization.
  • Feb 6 - On Regulations and Trade Agreements  (2/6/2013)
  • In announcing America's intention to enter negotiations toward an International Services Agreement, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk took note of the work of regulatory agencies in the context of such agreements.
  • Feb 5 - Yergin on LNG Exports  (2/5/2013)
  • Daniel Yergin talked about natural gas at a February 5 hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives. His argument was that the U.S. Government should not stand in the way of LNG exports. Economically, America needs the exports to encourage the development of the resource. Geopolitically, blocking such exports would undermine U.S. credibility and play havoc with specific initiatives, such as the U.S. effort to convince its allies not to buy Iranian oil.
  • Feb 1 - Tracking Value Added in Trade  (2/2/2013)
  • Participating in a high-level panel at the OECD on January 16, Pascal Lamy took note of how much larger trade in services appears when measured through the lens of valued added trade statistics.
  • Jan 29 - Keyston, Senators Urge Action - Revised  (1/31/2013)
  • On January 23, 53 U.S. senators -- including John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Max Baucus (D-MT) -- wrote to President Obama, urging him to approve without the Keystone XL Pipeline without further delay.
  • Jan 25 - Canada, Procurement, and TPP  (1/25/2013)
  • Birgit Matthiesen of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters offers a suggestion for the Government Procurement Chapter of the TPP negotiations.
  • Jan 24 - Wyden on LNG and Exports  (1/24/2013)
  • Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, tells a hometown, Portland, audience that he sees natural gas as a strategic resource for America.
  • Jan 15 - Nunes in the Chair - Trade Sub  (1/15/2013)
  • Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) responds to being named Chairman of the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  • Jan 11 - Cameron's G8 Trade Goal  (1/11/2013)
  • British Prime Minister David Cameron will host the 2013 G8 Summit this June in Northern Ireland. He plans to use the occasion to press for the early and successful conclusion of a negotiation that (as this point) has yet to be launched, namely the one for a U.S.-EU FTA.
  • Jan 10 - AFTER LAMY AT THE WTO  (1/10/2013)
  • The Jamaica Observer urges countries in the Caribbean Community to get behind one of the nine candidates now in the running to succeed Pascal Lamy as the Director-General of the WTO. They seem to favor Alan Kyerematen of Ghana.
  • Jan 9 - HARPER, NEXEN, AND SOEs  (1/9/2013)
  • After announcing the Government of Canada's decision to allow CNOOC to buy the Canadian energy company Nexen Inc., Prime Minister Stephen Harper discusses the special nature of investments made by state-owned enterprises and how is government will respond to investment bids from SOEs.
  • DEC 22 - ALDONAS ON TPA  (12/22/2012)
  • Former Under Secretary of Commerce Grant Aldonas talks about the essence of Trade Promotion Authority and the political consensus on trade that should precede its renewal.
  • DEC 20 - SHAPIRO ON TPA  (12/20/2012)
  • Hal Shapiro, author of "Fast Track: A Legal, Historical, and Political Analysis," talks about the give and take that is necessary to make the TPA process successful.
  • DEC 15 - TPP, AFTER AUCKLAND   (12/15/2012)
  • David Walker, New Zealand's chief negotiator for TPP, looks back on the December 2012 round of talks in Auckland.
  • DEC 12 - HATCH ON TPA   (12/12/2012)
  • Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, urges the Administration to start negotiating with Congress now over a new grant of Trade Promotion Authority.
  • Dec 6 - Taiwan's Fishermen and the Senkakus.   (12/6/2012)
  • Though Taiwan too makes a claim to the Japanese controlled islands -- the ones the Japanese call the Senkakus -- Taiwanese fisherman are putting pragmatism above geopolitics and negotiating with Japan over fishing rights in Senkaku waters.
  • DEC 5 - REGARDING TPA  (12/5/2012)
  • A quote from the introductory section of the Library of Congress report "Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and the Role of Congress in Trade Policy," by J.F. Hornbeck and William Cooper, both specialists at the Congressional Research Service.
  • Nov 29 - SOUTH KOREA AND THE IMF  (11/29/2012)
  • In one chapter of his new book, "Breakout Nations," Ruchir Sharma talks about the response of the people of South Korea to what they saw as the humiliation of a large loan from the IMF in the midst of the Asian Financial crisis.
  • Nov 27 - Mike Moore on Asia and the U.S.   (11/27/2012)
  • New Zealand's ambassador to the United States talks about America and the Asia Pacific region - the trade flows, the opportunities, and the negotiations.
  • Nov. 26 - Chilcott's Challenge  (11/26/2012)
  • Rhian Chilcott from CBI laid out a skeptical view of U.S.-EU trade negotations as a challenge to the panel she was moderating. That was at the GBD colloquium on November 16, 2012
  • Nov. 21 - Brady: Go Big, Go Smart.   (11/21/2012)
  • In his "Fresh Start" speech on Nov. 16, Chairman Kevin Brady reviewed the issues affecting trade relations between the United States and several of world's major trading nations.
  • Nov. 19 - Brady, Trade, and the Lame-Duck  (11/19/2012)
  • Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady tells a GBD audience that the House will insist on an ambitious new trade agenda and comments on trade legislation in the current lame-duck session.
  • Nov. 13 - From a BRIC Skeptic  (11/13/2012)
  • Ruchir Sharma talks about the utility of the BRICs as concept or distinct phenomenon and about some bad habits in contemporary economic forecasting.
  • Nov. 8 - New Zealand, Japan, and Trade  (11/8/2012)
  • New Zealand Prime Minister John Key gently encourages Japan to move forward with further trade liberalization, either in TPP or through other mechanisms.
  • Nov 6 - A ECHO FROM COLERIDGE  (11/6/2012)
  • A line from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner foreshadows the results of the U.S. 2012 election.
  • FIRST CUP - NOVEMBER 7, 2012  (11/7/2012)
  • This week's letter focuses on the November 6 election and its aftermath.
  • NOV 2 - AT THE WTO, CANDIDATES FOR DG  (11/2/2012)
  • WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy says his successor should be chosen on the basis of merit, not geography..
  • OCT 31 - DE GUCHT AND THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH CANADA  (10/31/2012)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht discusses the status and outlook for the EU's free trade agreement with Canada.
  • FIRST CUP - October 30, 2012  (10/31/2012)
  • GBD's weekly report to members for October 30, 2012.
  • OCT 29 - TERPSTRA ON FOOD AND EXPORT RESTRAINTS  (10/29/2012)
  • Ellen Terpstra of IPC talks about the global shift to demand-driven agriculture, export restraints on agriculture, and the WTO disciplines that address them.
  • OCT 24 - MURPHY, LNG, AND THE CONSTITUTION  (10/24/2012)
  • In a presentation focused on the arguments for moving forward with LNG exports from the United States, John Murphy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce takes note of the ban on export taxes in Article 1, Section 9, of the U.S. Constitution.
  • OCT 23 - WYDEN AND MARKEY ON ENERGY EXPORTS   (10/23/2012)
  • In a May 31, 2012, letter to President Obama, Oregon's Senator Ron Wyden and Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts urge caution and restraint when it comes to exporting America's natural gas and other energy resources.
  • FIRST CUP - October 22, 2012  (10/22/2012)
  • GBD report to members with highlights from the previous week's activities.
  • OCT 18 - WHERE THE COAL IS  (10/19/2012)
  • Pete Obermueller, legislative director for Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), talks about Wyoming's abundance of coal and the regulatory obstacles to exporting it through ports in Washington and Oregon.
  • Jan 28 -- OBAMA'S EXPORT GOAL  (1/28/2010)
  • In his State of the Union message in 2010, President Obama established the goal of doubling U.S. exports in five years.
  • OCT 10 - COAL EXPORTS, 58 MEMBERS WRITE  (10/10/2012)
  • In a June 21 letter to the Army, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior, and the Bureau of Land Management, 58 Members of Congress urge the Administration not to change the rules when it comes to reviewing plans for coal exports through West Coast ports.
  • OCT 9 - ALFALFA (WATER) TO CHINA   (10/9/2012)
  • China's growing demand for American alfalfa means implicitly that America's arid West is now shipping huge quantities of water to China.
  • SEP 28 - THE UKRAINE TARIFF ANNOUCEMENT  (9/28/2012)
  • A former Deputy Director-General of the WTO looks with alarm at the Ukraine's proposal to raise it's MFN tariff rates on 350 products.
  • SEP 27 - A NEW WORLD IN AGRICULTURE  (9/27/2012)
  • Where once trade experts worried about what to do with all the surplus food -- especially in Europe and the U.S. -- now the concern is, Will there be enough to meet demand. In these circumstances, Stanford Professor Emeritus and agricultural expert Tim Josling notes that some long standing issues are effectively now passe.
  • SEP 26 - SENKAKU (DIAOYU) PROTESTS  (9/26/2012)
  • After a flight from China to Japan, a Japanese businessman talks about China's mid-September protests against Japan's possession of the Senkaku (Diaoyu) Islands.
  • SEP 6 - NEXEN REVIEWS  (9/6/2012)
  • An announcement by Canada's Ministry for Industry opens a discussion of the reviews now being conducted by the Canadian and U.S. Governments of CNOOC's proposed acquisition of Nexen.
  • AUG 30 - CONDOLEEZZA RICE ON TRADE  (8/31/2012)
  • In here speech at the Republican National Convention, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice argued that the U.S. "must work for an open, global economy, and pursue free and fair trade."
  • AUG 28 - JAPANESE BEEF EXPORTS, RESTART  (8/28/2012)
  • A quote about cattle from an 8th Century history text leads to a discussion of America's recent decision to lift the ban on beef imports from Japan.
  • AUG 22 - RUSSIA IS NOW IN THE WTO  (8/22/2012)
  • The World Trade Organization welcomes the Russian Federation as its 156th member.
  • AUG 21 - MONTANA COAL EXPORTS   (8/21/2012)
  • Montana State Senator Ed Walker points out why denying China U.S. coal will have zero impact on China's CO2 emissions.
  • AUG 16 - DOE & LNG EXPORTS   (8/16/2012)
  • In a letter to Secretary Chu, 44 Members of Congress urge the Department of Energy to act (favorably) on pending applications for the export of liquid natural gas (LNG).
  • AUG 14 - MEXICO'S GOLD IN FOOTBALL  (8/14/2012)
  • With a victory over favored Brazil, the Mexican football/soccer team gets the gold medal at the London Olympics, and, thanks to television, Matt McGrath saw it all.
  • AUG 10 - LIGHTHOUSE FOR HENNIG   (8/10/2012)
  • Jutta Hennig of Inside U.S. Trade accepts the 2012 Lighthouse Award.
  • AUG 9 - CANADA LOOKS TO CHINA   (8/9/2012)
  • Jayson Myers from Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters describes Prime Minister Harper's reaction to the decision by President Obama last January not to move forward with the Keystone XL Pipeline.
  • FEB 2 R - HARPER ON PIPELINES AND REGULATION  (2/2/2012)
  • AUG 8 - CII ON FDI IN RETAIL   (8/8/2012)
  • Thomas Varghese with Aditya Birla Group and CII makes the case for FDI in India's multi-brand retail sector.
  • AUG 3 - EHRENHAFT ON FORCE MAJEURE  (8/3/2012)
  • An observation from a post-Katrina presentation at a GBD event in September 2005 opens this remembrance of Peter Ehrenhaft.
  • AUG 1 - THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR ON PNTR  (8/2/2012)
  • In an article on the U.S. legislation giving permanent normal trade status to Russia, Sergey Kislyak, Russia's ambassador, describes the Magnitsky bill as "unacceptable" and says "it is not going to be accepted."
  • THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR ON U.S.-EU TRADE  (7/30/2012)
  • Sir Peter Westmacott, the UK's ambassador to the U.S., talks to a WITA audience about the potential benefits of a trade deal between the EU and the United States.
  • JULY 27 - MURPHY ON CANADA'S CLEAR-EYED TRADE  (7/27/2012)
  • John Murphy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce praises areas of Canadian trade policy that the U.S. might do well to imitated -- including unilateral tariff cuts on selected industrial inputs.
  • JULY 26 - MYERS ON CANADIAN AMBITION IN TRADE TALKS  (7/26/2012)
  • Jayson Myers, president & CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, talks about Canada's "ambition" in TPP and in other trade talks, notably Canada's FTA negotiations with the European Union.
  • JULY 20 - TOWARDS EU-JAPAN NEGOTIATIONS  (7/20/2012)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht announces his intention to seek authority for FTA negotiations with Japan.
  • JULY 19 - MERKLEY AND THE COAL QUANDARY  (7/19/2012)
  • In a letter to the key Administration officials, Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) urges a thorough and expeditious Environmental Impact Statement on proposed new port facilities for coal exports.
  • JULY 17 - NYET TO MAGNITSKY   (7/17/2012)
  • During a visit to Washington, a member of the Russian Senate warns Congress against passing the Magnitsky bill.
  • JULY 13 - AMERICANS IN PARIS   (7/13/2012)
  • Mary Cassatt, captivated by Degas pastels, becomes a convert to Impressionism.
  • JULY 12 - ADVICE FROM FRANK VARGO   (7/12/2012)
  • Reflections from Frank Vargo, who retired last month after twelve years of service to NAM and more than four decades in trade policy.
  • JULY 10 - CANADA AND TPP   (7/10/2012)
  • Rep. Kevin Brady welcomes the news that Canada will be joining the TPP negotiations. Mr. Brady, a Texas Republican, is the chairman of the Trade Subcommittee of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  • JULY 9 - PNTR FOR RUSSIA, TARIFFS ETC.   (7/10/2012)
  • Amb. Kirk discusses the ability of U.S. firms to benefit from the tariff concessions Russia agreed to in the course of her negotiations to join the WTO.
  • JULY 5 - TOWARD A SERVICES AGREEMENT  (7/5/2012)
  • Bob Vastine of the Coalition for Service Industries argues for an International Services Agreement, a new plurilateral in the WTO.
  • JULY 2 - URGING A TRADE FACILITATION DEAL   (7/2/2012)
  • Emphasizing the dramatic gains countries can reap from streamlining customs procedures, six development bank presidents urge action on the Trade Facilitation component of the Doha Round.
  • JUNE 27 - VARGO ON THE WTO  (6/27/2012)
  • NAM's retiring vice president for international economic affairs, Frank Vargo, talks about the challenges facing the WTO, the "stillborn" Doha Round, and what he sees as the necessary next steps for the Geneva-based World Trade Organization.
  • JUNE 21 - TOWARD A U.S.-EU AGREEMENT  (6/21/2012)
  • Jessica Lemos of NAM urges the Obama Administration to launch negotiations with the EU toward a Transatlantic Partnership by the end of this year (2012).
  • JUNE 20 - CANADA JOINS TPP  (6/20/2012)
  • Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper reacts to President Obama's invitation to Canada to join the TPP negotiations.
  • JUNE14 - EXPANDING TPP  (6/14/2012)
  • Jamie Strawbridge of Inside U.S. Trade, speaking on June 12, did not anticipate countries being added to the TPP talks at the June G-20 meeting in Los Cabos, Mexico. In this entry, his comments serve as a starting point for the surprising
    string of events which changed that picture.
  • JUNE 12 - BAUCUS BILL ON PNTR FOR RUSSIA  (6/12/2012)
  • A quote from legislation introduced by Senator Baucus on Tuesday, June 12, granting Permanent Normal Trade status to Russia and removing the Russian Federation from the conditions of the 1974 Jackson-Vanik amendment. On the same day, Senator Baucus said that, when the Finance Committee marks this legislation up, he will see to add to it the so-called Magnitsky bill on human rights in Russia.
  • JUNE 8 - LOOKING BACK AT NAFTA  (6/8/2012)
  • Canada's trade minister, Ed Fast, tells the Canadian Chamber of Commerce that NAFTA "vaulted Canada into a new age of prosperity."
  • JUNE 7 - TPP AND NZ DAIRY   (6/7/2012)
  • New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser tells New Zealand radio he won't sign a TPP deal that doesn't open markets for dairy products, the country's leading exports.
  • JUNE 6 - TOWARD A U.S.-EU FTA   (6/6/2012)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht discusses the EU's goal for a new U.S.-EU commercial agreement.
  • JUNE 4 - A CANADA-CHINA FTA?  (6/4/2012)
  • Canadian consultant Peter Clark takes note of the fundamentals of the trade that could drive a Canada-China FTA.
  • JUNE 1 - EU ARGENTINA TRADE CASE   (6/1/2012)
  • EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht explains the European Union's decision to formally challenge Argentina's restrictive import licenses and other policies in the WTO.
  • May 31 - WORKING FOR A US-INDIA BIT  (5/31/2012)
  • Anku Nath of the US India Business Council argues for a U.S.-India investment treaty but also highlights some of the difficulties such an effort faces in the current environment.
  • MAY 29 - TAXING MEDICAL DEVICES   (5/30/2012)
  • Utah Governor Gary Herbert urges Congressional leaders to repeal Obamacare's tax on medical devices.
  • FRIDAY SUPPLEMENT - THE AUSTRALIA FTA   (5/25/2012)
  • Part of the TTALK Quote series, we will publish this supplement on those Fridays when corrections or amplifications to previous TTALK Quotes are in order or when we have on-the-record comments from GBD members to share with a wider group.
  • MAY 24 - THE NORTHEAST ASIA FTA   (5/24/2012)
  • This is an expression of concern from a Taiwanese trade official regarding the potential adverse affects on Taiwan of the anticipated China-Japan-South Korea FTA.
  • MAY 23 - AUSTRALIA AND INVESTOR-STATE  (5/23/2012)
  • In April 2011, the Australian government issued a trade policy report that included a significant change with respect to investment. It announced that Australia would no longer include investor-state dispute settlement provisions in its trade agreements, including such agreement with developing countries.
  • MAY 21 - A TPP FOCUS ON TOBACCO  (5/21/2012)
  • USTR's description of its TPP tobacco proposal, described in a May 18 release, looks to "normal" treatment of tobacco on tariffs but special treatment otherwise.
  • MAY 18 - MENGHETTI ON THE CHINA BIT TALKS  (5/18/2012)
  • ECAT Vice President Linda Menghetti offers some advice for dealing with the new demands that are likely to arise in the context of the U.S. negotiations with China over a bilateral investment treaty.
  • MAY 16 - FDI BEYOND THE NUMBERS   (5/16/2012)
  • Gary Hufbauer of the Peterson Institute for International Economics highlights American foreign investment and the role of US. companies abroad as a major, global strength of the United States.
  • MAY 15 - THE U.S.-COLOMBIA FTA CELEBRATED  (5/15/2012)
  • USTR Ron Kirk, Ambassador Gabriel Silva of Colombia, and House Trade Subcommittee Chairman Kevin Brady (R TX) were the featured speakers at a May 15 Chamber of Commerce lunch celebrating the entry into force of the U.S.-Colombia free trade agreement.
  • MAY 11 - A NEW REPORT ON RARE EARTHS  (5/11/2012)
  • Wen Jiabao's defense of China's rare earths policies -- just sustainable development -- is one of the many notable elements in the new report on rare earths from Wayne Morrison and Rachel Tang at the Congressional Research Service.
  • MAY 9 - CAMP WANTS A U.S.-CHINA BIT  (5/9/2012)
  • In a major trade speech at CSIS, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) urged the Obama Administration to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with China.
  • MAY 8 - IMPORTS WORK   (5/8/2012)
  • John Murphy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce puts a spotlight on the millions of Americans whose jobs depend on imports.
  • MAY 7 -- DUELING LETTERS ON TPP  (5/8/2012)
  • A May 1 letter from 76 Members of the House of Representatives urged USTR Ron Kirk to include a strict yarn-forward rule in the TPP negotiations. On the same day, 15 U.S. Senators sent the President a letter urging flexibility where textiles, apparel and the yarn forward rule are concerned.
  • SOEs AND THE CHAMBER   (5/4/2012)
  • Sean Heather of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce talks about the challenges posed by state-owned enterprises and the tools for addressing them.
  • MNI STATESMAN EVENT FLYER   (5/3/2012)
  • On Monday, May 7, Market News International, will host a discussion of statesmanship and politics at the National Press Club. Though not a GBD event, GBD members and friends are welcome at no charge.
  • MAY 2 - HONORED BY CHILE  (5/2/2012)
  • Selina Jackson, now with the World Bank in Geneva, talks about her role, as a vice president for UPS, in getting vital equipment to the site of the 2010 mine disaster in Chile.
  • MAY 1 - WOLFF ON SOEs  (5/1/2012)
  • State-owned enterprise have motivations beyond profit. That simple observation led to a rich discussion of such companies by trade lawyer Alan Wolff of the role of SOEs in various markets.
  • APRIL 20 - RICE FOR COLOMBIA   (4/20/2012)
  • Jackie Loewer, chairman of the USA Rice Federation, highlights the "good news" for U.S. rice growers in the implementation of the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
  • APRIL 19 - COLOMBIA FTA ANNOUNCEMENT  (4/19/2012)
  • In Cartagena, Colombia, on April 15, Presidents Santos and Obama announce that the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on May 15, 2012.
  • APRIL 18 - TPP AND JAPANESE ANXIETY  (4/18/2012)
  • Two popular books in Japan argue that TPP would ruin the country. Today's quote is an advertising blurb from one of those books.
  • APRIL 17 - "PLAIN" PACKAGING FOR CIGARETTES   (4/17/2012)
  • With Australia's plain packaging law for tobacco products due to take effect in December, a lawyer for British American Tobacco argues in Australia's High Court for his company's right to continue using its trademark.
  • APRIL 16 - SOEs and Competitive Neutrality   (4/16/2012)
  • Under Secretary of State Robert Hormats argues that China's state-owned enterprises need to operate within a system of global rules.
  • APRIL 12 - INDIA AND U.S. SHALE GAS   (4/12/2012)
  • Sudhir Vasudeva, the chairman of India's Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, talks about his company's interest in U.S. shale gas.
  • APRIL 11 - EXIM 2012   (4/11/2012)
  • In a March 28 letter to Congressional leaders, NAM and 325 other companies and associations urge reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.
  • April 7 - MARIAN ANDERSON'S TRAVELS   (4/7/2012)
  • Excerpts from contralto Marian Anderson's memoir "My Lord, What a Morning," including observations on her return to the United States and her famous 1939 Easter Concert at the Lincoln Memorial.
  • April 4 - TPP AND AMERICAN APPAREL   (4/4/2012)
  • A representative of California apparel producers urges higher U.S. tariffs.
  • April 3 - OKUYA ON RARE EARTHS   (4/3/2012)
  • Toshikazu OKUYA from METI, Japan, talks about rare earths and the global supply chain for the production of personal computers.
  • April 2 - TPP, MEXICO BELIEVES IT COULD HELP  (4/2/2012)
  • Mexican President Felipe Calderon talks about the advantages to the TPP negotiations of having Mexico participate.
  • MARCH 23 - AG. & U.S.-EU TRADE  (3/23/2012)
  • In an open letter, issued on March 21, 2012, 40 U.S. agricultural groups urge the U.S. and the EU to base the negotiations of a U.S.-EU FTA on the principle of a "single undertaking."
  • MARCH 22 -- PRESSING CHINA ON RARE EARTHS  (3/22/2012)
  • Yukio Edano, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, talks about the need to press China on her export policies, particularly the restraints on the export of rare earths.
  • MARCH 16 - BAUCUS URGES PNTR FOR RUSSIA  (3/16/2012)
  • Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) observes that granting PNTR for Russia is solely about U.S. economic interests, as on this issue the U.S. has no leverage vis-a-vis Russia, which has already been voted into the WTO.
  • MARCH 14 - MURKOWSKI ON MINERALS  (3/14/2012)
  • Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, urges development of America's mineral resources -- including rare earths -- in a March 13 speech to the Technology and Rare Earth Metals Center.
  • A TPP UPDATE FROM AUSTRALIA  (3/13/2012)
  • Australia's lead negotiator for TPP offers an assessment at the conclusion the 11th round of negotiations.
  • STEVE JOBS TO LARRY ELLISON  (3/9/2012)
  • While talking about his plan to return to Apple, Steve Jobs gives his friend Larry Ellison some advice.
  • March 8 - Nelson on KORUS.  (3/8/2012)
  • Chris Nelson, editor of The Nelson Report, talks about tensions in the U.S. relationship with South Korea, both in trade in the larger military-geopolitical sphere.
  • MARCH 6 - INTEL'S MARKETS  (3/6/2012)
  • In testimony before the House Ways and Means Committee, Intel's Brian Krzanich explains that Intel's manufacturing is mostly here in the United States and its customers are mostly abroad.
  • MARCH 1 - DELOITTE AND THE TRANS-ATLANTIC MARKET  (3/1/2012)
  • James Quigley of Deloitte makes the case for a new, barrier-free trans-Atlantic marketplace at a Ways and Means Committee hearing.
  • FEB 29 - REIF ON FTA IMPLEMENTATION  (2/29/2012)
  • USTR General Counsel Tim Reif explains the FTA implementation process, including USTR's commitment to a quick turnaround of materials submitted by Colombia, Panama, and Korea. With KORUS set to enter into force on March 15, the emphasis now is on the first two.
  • FEB 24 - MURPHY ON TRADE REGORGANIZATION  (2/24/2012)
  • In discussing the Obama administration's plans for reorganizing the trade functions of the federal government, John Murphy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce draws a distinction between the administration's approach to "trade liberalization" on the one hand and "trade promotion" on the other.
  • FEB 21 - IMPLEMENTING KORUS  (2/21/2012)
  • U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announces that the U.S.-Korea free trade agreement will enter into force on March 15, 2012.
  • HARPER TALKS ENERGY IN CHINA   (2/17/2012)
  • Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper tells an audience in Guangzhou, China, that Canada is an energy superpower that wants to sell its energy to people, countries, who want to buy it.
  • FEB 16 - MAX (AND MIKE) ON FLOWERS  (2/16/2012)
  • Writing in The Atlantic and focusing on Valentine's Day flowers -- virtually all imported -- Max Fisher contrasts the prevalence of child labor in the flower industry in Ecuador and its elimination from the same sector in Colombia, crediting the U.S. free trade agreement with Colombia for the difference.
  • FEB 14 - FOR A TRANS-ATLANTIC TRADE PACT  (2/14/2012)
  • U.S. Chamber of Commerce VP John Murphy assesses the history and outlook for the Chamber's proposal for a Transatlantic Economic and Trade Pact.
  • FEB 10 - COLOMBIA, IMPLEMENTING THE FTA  (2/10/2012)
  • Richard Trumka of the AFL-CIO urges President Obama "to postpone indefinitely" the implementation of the U.S. FTA with Colombia.
  • FEB 6 - JAPAN, CARS, AND TPP  (2/6/2012)
  • The frustration Henry Ford II expressed about trade with Japan in 1969 is recalled with effect in the comments on TPP that the American Automotive Policy Council submitted to USTR on January 13, 2012.
  • FEB 3 - EXCHANGE RATES, CHINA AND THE WTO  (2/3/2012)
  • The chairmen of the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees urge the Administration to press China on her exchange rate policies at the WTO's March symposium on exchange rates and trade.
  • FEB 2 - HARPER ON PIPELINES AND REGULATION  (2/2/2012)
  • Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada talks about the need for a regulatory process that produces decisions "on a timely basis" in a January interview.
  • FEB 1 - VIETNAM, THE U.S., AND TPP  (2/1/2012)
  • Gary Horlick describes the special opportunities of the TPP negotiations for the United States and Vietnam.
  • JAN 30 - CHINA RAW MATERIALS CASE  (1/30/2012)
  • U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht react to the WTO Appellate Body's decision in the China raw materials case.
  • JAN 12 - FISHERIES ISSUES, FROM DOHA TO TPP  (null)
  • Oceana's Eric Bilsky talks about the importance of addressing fishing subsid
  • GBD NOTEBOOKS
  • Notebook of May 6 2010
  • With highlights from the March 22 presentation of Amb. Alan Larson at the symposium "Up A Level in Asia."
  • Notebook of April 14, 2010
  • With summaries of the March 22 speeches by WASHIO Tomoharu of the Japan Economic Foundation and Murray Hiebert of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
  • Notebook April 1 2010
  • This GBD Notebook of April 1 includes an overview of our March 22 symposium "Up a Level in Asia," and the start of the PowerPoint essay from that session presented by Professor HAMAMOTO Shotaro of Kyoto University.
Global Business Dialogue
1140 Connecticut Ave., NW,
Washington,, District of Columbia 20036
202-463-5074
Get The TTALK Quotes In Your InBox.