Policy Areas Archives

Business Coalition Pushes for Ambitious Trans-Pacific Partnership

Published on April 19, 2012

USCIB participated in an April 18 event on Capitol Hill event, organized by the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP, highlighting the importance of the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations to promote competitiveness, job creation and higher living standards across all the TPP countries.  Speakers at the event included U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, House Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, House Ways and Means Ranking Member Sandy Levin and ambassadors or their representatives from all the TPP countries.

“The TPP negotiations are at an important crossroads,” stated Rick Johnston, co-chair of the TPP coalition and senior vice president with Citi.  “With the 12th TPP negotiating round set to begin in Dallas in less than three weeks, it is critical for all TPP countries to redouble efforts to achieve the type of comprehensive, high-standard and commercially meaningful agreement across all sectors that the Leaders of all of the TPP countries called for last November.  Only by achieving such a high-quality agreement will the benefits to our economies and our industries, workers and consumers be realized.  And such an outcome requires U.S. leadership.”

Staff contact: Rob Mulligan

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

Green Economies Dialogue Sessions Held in Japan and Brazil

Published on April 18, 2012
At the Tokyo dialogue (L-R): Hiroyuki Tezuka (JFE Steel Co.), Prof. James Sweeney (Stanford University), Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC), Amb. Kenji Hiramatsu (Japanese foreign ministry), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Brian Flannery (ExxonMobil [ret]).
At the Tokyo dialogue (L-R): Hiroyuki Tezuka (JFE Steel Co.), Prof. James Sweeney (Stanford University), Hanni Rosenbaum (BIAC), Amb. Kenji Hiramatsu (Japanese foreign ministry), Norine Kennedy (USCIB), Brian Flannery (ExxonMobil [ret]).

The Green Economies Dialogue, an innovative effort launched by USCIB to spur discussion and consensus around green growth policies in the run-up to this June’s UN Rio+20 conference, rolled into two more national capitals in April.

Working closely with BIAC, the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, and its network, as it has in previous dialogue sessions, USCIB organized high-level discussions among business and other stakeholders in Tokyo on April 4, hosted by Keidanren, and in Brasilia on April 16, hosted by the Brazilian industry federation CNI.

The objective of the Green Economy Dialogue (www.green-dialogue.org) is to foster a productive approach to greener growth, with due recognition for both opportunities and challenges.  In particular, it is intended to increase dialogue before, during and after the Rio+20 conference, by engaging the private sector and informing international policy discussions.  In addition, the project involves commissioning a number of peer-reviewed, academic papers on various aspects of green growth and the green economy, to be published in the journal Energy Economics just prior to Rio+20.

At the Brasilia dialogue, Brian Flannery listens as Shelley Carneiro (CNI) makes a point.
At the Brasilia dialogue, Brian Flannery listens as Shelley Carneiro (CNI) makes a point.

The Tokyo Dialogue, which took place at Keidanren’s headquarters, brought together over 80 participants from international business and government, as well as key academic experts, in a constructive discussion on opportunities and challenges in realizing a green economy. The conference highlighted a series of business initiatives that make a pro-active contribution to sustainable development, including on the role of innovation and technology in building a sustainable society on a global scale.

A prominent part of the discussion was the improvement of energy efficiency as well as the development and global deployment of innovative technologies to promote a low-carbon society. The meeting also highlighted promising approaches to foster more efficient use of resources, the role of sustainable consumption and production, the importance of involving consumers as well as public-private partnerships, highlighting both challenges and opportunities for the business community.

The Brasilia day-long dialogue session, hosted by CNI, engaged over 70 participants from Brazil along with international participation from government, industry, academia and the UN.  Sessions focused on green growth issues of importance to Brazil and developing countries, including: perspectives on the upcoming Rio +20 Conference, green growth in emerging, developing countries, sustainable use of tropical forests, and implications of a low-carbon economy for food, fuels and forests.

USCIB and the partners and sponsors of the Green Economies Dialogue project are planning outreach and further discussions during the Rio+20 events in June. The Dialogue project will also publish its peer-reviewed academic “Green perspectives” papers in the journal Energy Economics contemporaneous with Rio+20.

For further information, please contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org).

Staff Contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

Published on April 13, 2012
APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers
APEC Regulators Forum Looks at Challenges Faced by Manufacturers

USCIB members took part in a panel discussion at the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) Regulators Forum on March 30 in Singapore, drawing attention to some of the challenges manufacturers face in many countries with respect to chemicals regulation, which is having an increasing impact on downstream users of chemicals.

For the past several years the APEC Chemical Dialogue has discussed how best to contribute to APEC’s overarching goals of trade liberalization and business facilitation throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Moderating the discussion and speaking on behalf of USCIB was Sophia Danenberg (Boeing)¸ who said the panel was intended to gauge the interest of APEC economies on this topic and elicit thoughts for next steps, if any, for region-wide action.

The discussion was productive, with a consensus among participants that regulating chemicals in articles is a complicated matter, and that further discussion on the topic is needed. It revolved around how various industries are dealing with the need to communicate substances in articles along the supply chain.

Timo Unger (Hyundai) described how complex supply chain communication can be for the automotive industry. A single vehicle, he said, can contain hundreds of thousands of articles, most of which are pre-manufactured, which makes understanding what substances they contain and communicating that information throughout the supply chain a major challenge.  As a result, auto companies have created an international database for original equipment manufacturers to manage environmentally relevant aspects of the different parts used in vehicles.

Andrea Fava (Intel), representing the Information Technology Industry Council, shared the electronics industry’s experiences and approach to materials declaration. She said the industry has its own database on material declaration, which is meant to harmonize requirements across the supply chain and improve economic efficiencies. Komei Kimura (Japanese Environmental Management Association for Industry) noted a joint article management consortium established in 2006 by 17 member companies across various industries to develop a system for exchanging information on chemicals in articles across various supply chains.

Matthew Gredley, from the Australian health department, gave a regulator’s perspective on the challenges faced in obtaining information about chemicals in articles.  He specifically noted the Australian government’s assessment of diethylhexyl phthalate, a plasticizer used in industrial and consumer products, and the challenges that Australia had in obtaining information on the level of that chemical in articles.

It is clear that both industry and APEC member economies share the goal of the sound management of chemicals throughout their life-cycles. There is a need to share and have access to relevant information regarding the chemicals in articles for a variety of reasons, including to allow economies to assess and mitigate risks to human health and the environment, enable industry to demonstrate compliance to regulatory requirements and inform environmentally conscious design.

Furthermore, while information sharing is crucial, a balanced approach is required that recognizes and respects the important concept of intellectual property and protection of confidential information, as well as consumers need to know.

Staff contact: Helen Medina

More on USCIB’s Product Policy Working Group

Hague Meeting Maps Out Private Sector’s Role Ahead of Rio+20

Published on April 11, 2012
Business and industry has the expertise and tools to accelerate progress toward a green economy
Business and industry has the expertise and tools to accelerate progress toward a green economy

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) provided business input for the UN’s upcoming Rio+20 Conference at a two-day consultation in The Hague, the Netherlands, with the aim of further mapping out the private sector’s role in the transition to a green economy.

Some 300 business people, government and non-governmental organization representatives, attended this Business and Industry Consultation with Government and Civil Society, organized by the government of the Netherlands, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and the Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD).

Through ICC, USCIB members and other business participants have been shaping recommendations ahead of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 20-22.

In a parallel effort, USCIB members and other stakeholders are actively involved in the Green Economies Dialogue initiative, which was launched last year to provide a forum for discussion of green growth topics among multiple stakeholders in the lead-up to Rio+20. Dialogue sessions have been held in Washington, Paris and Beijing, and two additional sessions were scheduled to take place this month in Tokyo and Brasilia. USCIB members are invited to contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org) for additional information.

At the Hague meeting, ICC outlined the requirements to accelerate progress toward a green economy and presented its 10 Conditions for a Transition toward a Green Economy and its voluntary code for companies, the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development. The ICC Business Charter, is already being used by thousands of large and small companies around the world as the basis for sound environmental management.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff Contact: Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

ICC Gathering Assesses Digital Economy Business Priorities+

Published on April 11, 2012
The meeting also included remote participation
The meeting also included remote participation

Over 40 digital economy experts from 14 countries gathered at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) headquarters in Paris to discuss business priorities relating to the information and communication technologies (ICT) and Internet policy landscape.

The two-day meeting of the ICC Commission on the Digital Economy, included discussion on topics ranging from the development of new technologies and business models, to the full expanse of Internet-related policy matters.

A number of USCIB members actively participated in the ICC commission, whose members are drawn from ICC national committees (like USCIB) around the world.

Herbert Heitman, executive vice president of external communications at Royal Dutch Shell and chair of the Digital Economy Commission led the meeting and stressed the importance of business engagement in ICT and Internet issues.

During a status report on ICC input to a European Commission communication on “a comprehensive approach to personal data protection in the European Union,” Christopher Kuner, chair of the ICC Task Force on Privacy and the Protection of Personal Data, explained how the directive would extend beyond the boundaries of the EU to impact businesses around the world. Joe Alhadeff, chief privacy strategist and vice president for global public policy at Oracle Corporation (and vice chair of USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Policy Committee), supported Mr. Kuner’s remarks and added: “Every industry one way or another will be affected by this regulation. ICC must make every effort to communicate to businesses worldwide how this regulation will impact them.”

In an afternoon session dedicated to the work of the ICC Task Force on Internet and Telecommunications, Eric Loeb, vice president, international external affairs at AT&T, led discussions relating to the development of ICC policy recommendations on the modernization of Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) – agreements between two countries for the purpose of exchanging information in an effort to enforce public or criminal laws. These agreements have not been updated to reflect the contemporary communications environment, and this creates legal uncertainty for industry and governments. ICC has recognized as a top priority the need for governments and the private sector both to establish a responsible balance of interests on law enforcement assistance requests, and to minimize situations where industry is in the middle of a conflict of laws between two countries. Modernized MLATs could support both goals.

“The ICC work on this would be an unprecedented effort by industry to identify specific best practices for both government and private sector, and aims to help avert the trend of government local infrastructure/storage mandates, and to preserve cross-border data flows,” Mr. Loeb said.

Click here to read more on ICC’s website.

Staff Contact: Barbara Wanner

More on USCIB’s Information, Communications and Technology Policy (ICT) Committee

Anthony Barone Appointed Chair of ICC Customs and Trade Regulations Committee

Published on April 10, 2012
Anthony Barone, chair of the ICC Committee on Customs and Trade Regulations, is set to advance the committee’s work program
Anthony Barone, chair of the ICC Committee on Customs and Trade Regulations, is set to advance the committee’s work program

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has appointed the Director of Global Logistics Policy at Pfizer, Anthony Barone, as chair of its Committee on Customs and Trade Regulations. Having served as vice-chair of the Committee for one year, Mr. Barone will be able to further facilitate the committee’s advancement with his newly appointed title.

In his new role, Mr. Barone is set to advance the committee’s work program and expedite the advancement of new policies. The committee’s work focuses on customs reform, with the aim of simplifying and harmonizing customs policies and procedures so as to overcome barriers to trade.

Mr. Barone draws on extensive experience in the field of customs and trade. He was a consultant in international logistics and trade finance before joining Pfizer, the world’s largest research based bio-pharmaceutical firm, in 2001. He also held senior positions in third party logistics industry and with supply chain IT providers. Mr. Barone is currently a member of the New Jersey Export District Council of the US Department of Commerce. He graduated from Columbia University with an MBA in Management.

With Mr. Barone’s leadership, ICC is hosting a Symposium on Trade Facilitation June 13-14 in Mexico City, Mexico.  The symposium aims to bring together representatives of the private sector and customs administrations to discuss the most significant and practical issues related to trade facilitation, such as challenges of global supply chains, globally networked customs, balancing security and trade facilitation, trusted trader programs, resolving the conflict between tax and customs valuations, counterfeiting and piracy in customs, integrated border management, and emerging market issues, to name a few.  Several members of the USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee, including Mr. Barone, will be speakers at the symposium including John Bescec (Microsoft), Eugene Laney (DHL), William Methenitis (Ernst & Young), and Todd R. Smith (KPMG).

In addition to the work of the ICC Customs and Trade Regulations Committee, the USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee has been tracking recent developments in Argentina, particularly the implementation of measures taken by the Government of Argentina to limit the entry of U.S. and other foreign-sourced products and services into that market. USCIB, along with several other organizations, sent a letter to USTR Ron Kirk and Deputy Assistant to President Obama Michael Froman, expressing concerns over the gravity of these measures, and pledging support to the U.S. government and partners in their effort to address the issues that are being faced in Argentina. ICC also recently sent a letter to the Government of Argentina requesting reconsideration of General Resolution 3252/2012, the Advance Import Affidavit that went into effect on February 1, 2012. USCIB has also continued engaging with the U.S. and Canadian governments on the U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Action Plan, released by President Obama and Prime Minister Harper on December 7, 2011.  USCIB has shared its priorities on the trade facilitation aspects of the Action Plan with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Canadian Border Services Agency, Canadian Trade Minister Ed Fast, and Special Assistant to President Obama, Patty Cogswell.

Staff Contact: Kristin Isabelli

U.S. Association Letter to Ron Kirk and Michael Froman

ICC Letter to the Government of Argentina

U.S.-Canada Beyond the Border Action Plan

USCIB Trade Facilitation Priorities

More on USCIB’s Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee

USCIB Applauds U.S.-EU Investment Principles

Published on April 10, 2012

US_EU_Flags

New York, N.Y., April 10, 2012 – The United States Council for International Business (USCIB) welcomes the joint statement of the United States and the European Union on “Shared Principles for International Investment,” issued today in Washington and Brussels.

The statement constitutes “a high-level, concise endorsement of the key role of international investment in the global economy,” said  USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson.

USCIB has represented U.S. business in a parallel and mutually-supportive effort by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) to update its own private-sector Guidelines for International Investment.  The ICC Guidelines are in the final stages of preparation and will be rolled out later this month.

“We are particularly pleased to see the strong emphasis on a ‘level playing field,’ including for private firms in competition with state-owned or state-championed enterprises around the world,” said Robinson.  USCIB also endorses the emphasis on strong protections for investors and investments and on effective dispute settlement provisions, including Investor-to-state arbitration.  The call for transparency and responsible business conduct highlights important areas where the U.S. and EU companies can help set high standards for other nations around the world.

USCIB has long been a strong advocate for open and competitive international investment, both inward and outbound, as important vehicles for promoting economic growth, jobs and competitiveness.   Business hopes that the U.S. and the EU will now move to bring other nations on board in adopting and acting upon these important concepts, which will benefit of businesses, workers and consumers in the U.S. and around the world.”

About USCIB:

USCIB promotes open markets, competitiveness and innovation, sustainable development and corporate responsibility, supported by international engagement and prudent regulation.  Its members include top U.S.-based global companies and professional services firms from every sector of our economy, with operations in every region of the world.  With a unique global network encompassing leading international business organizations, including ICC, USCIB provides business views to policy makers and regulatory authorities worldwide, and works to facilitate international trade and investment.  More information is available at www.uscib.org.

Contact:
Jonathan Huneke, VP communications, USCIB
(212) 703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

More on USCIB’s Trade and Investment Committee

USCIB China Mission Focuses on Green Growth

Published on April 3, 2012
Jianmei Feng of General Electric, co-chair of USCIB’s China Committee, addresses the Green Economies Dialogue session; USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson is at right.
Jianmei Feng of General Electric, co-chair of USCIB’s China Committee, addresses the Green Economies Dialogue session; USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson is at right.

USCIB members and staff were in China last month in a visit that focused on green growth topics and engaged with USCIB members in-country.

A highlight of the visit, which was led by USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson and USCIB China Committee Co-Chair Tad Ferris (Holland and Knight), was a session of USCIB’s Green Economies Dialogue initiative that included Chinese business and government representatives.

Also involved in the mission were Jianmei Feng, the China-based co-chair of the China Committee, Justine Badimon, USCIB’s manager of China and APEC affairs, and Anna Zhang, USCIB’s director of Carnet claims administration.

USCIB launched the Green Economies Dialogue initiative last year to provide a forum for discussion of green growth topics among multiple stakeholders in the lead-up to the UN’s Rio+20 conference and beyond.  In addition to Beijing, dialogue sessions have been held in Washington and Paris, and two additional sessions are planned for April in Tokyo and Brasilia.

At the headquarters of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), ICC’s China affiliate. L-R: USCIB China Committee Co-Chair Tad Ferris (Holland and Knight), Nicole Wang (CCOIC), CCOIC Deputy Secretary General Lin Shunjie, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, Justine Badimon (USCIB).
At the headquarters of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), ICC’s China affiliate. L-R: USCIB China Committee Co-Chair Tad Ferris (Holland and Knight), Nicole Wang (CCOIC), CCOIC Deputy Secretary General Lin Shunjie, USCIB President and CEO Peter Robinson, Justine Badimon (USCIB).

The Beijing Dialogue, jointly organized with USCIB’s China Committee and with strong input from the Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the OECD, assessed conditions to promote a greener economy in China, key opportunities for industry to enhance China’s efforts, and issues related to competitiveness in global markets.  The meeting also served as a platform to discuss areas for improvement and cooperation within the private sector, and private/public partnerships.

The event was highlighted by a keynote address from Zhou Hongchun, one of the Chinese government’s leading advisors and experts on green industry development policy, including structural adjustment, “circular economy” promotion, and industrial energy efficiency.  The event also featured a panel of industry experts and representatives, including Joerg Wuttke (BASF), chair of BIAC’s China Committee.

USCIB representatives also took advantage of the visit to meet with representatives of the China Chamber of International Commerce (CCOIC), our Chinese sister organization in the International Chamber of Commerce and the ATA Carnet system, which enables duty-free, tax-free temporary exports to some 80 countries and customs territories around the world.

For more information about the upcoming Green Economies Dialogue sessions, please contact Kira Yevtukhova (kyevtukhova@uscib.org).

Staff contact: Justine Badimon and Norine Kennedy

More on USCIB’s China Committee

More on USCIB’s Environment Committee

Green Economies Dialogue website

India’s Retroactive Tax Proposal Assailed by Business

Published on April 2, 2012

Faced with an Indian proposal to retroactively tax mergers and acquisitions as far back as a half-century, USCIB joined with other top business groups from North America, Europe and Japan in a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh protesting the move.

The proposal, contained in India’s 2012 finance bill, could upend numerous previously decided, could have a major dampening effect on foreign investment in the country.  In their letter, the business groups wrote: “The sudden and unprecedented move in the Bill has undermined confidence in the policies of the Government of India toward foreign investment and taxation and has called into question the very rule of law, due process, and fair treatment in India. This is now prompting a widespread reconsideration of the costs and benefits of investing in India.”

The letter was timed to coincide with the visit to India by U.K. Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who was expected to raise the issue with his Indian hosts.  In addition to USCIB, the letter was signed by the Business Roundtable, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters, Capital Markets Tax Committee of Asia, the Confederation of British Industry, the Japan Foreign Trade Council and the National Foreign Trade Council.

Staff contact: Carol Doran Klein

More on USCIB’s annual tax conference (June 4-5, 2012, Washington, D.C.)

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee

ICC Tackles the Application of Anti-Avoidance Rules in the Field of Taxation

Published on April 2, 2012
ICC upholds that the use of anti-avoidance rules of taxation that establish barriers to cross-border business transactions is counterproductive and should be stopped
ICC upholds that the use of anti-avoidance rules of taxation that establish barriers to cross-border business transactions is counterproductive and should be stopped

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has recently adopted a policy statement, produced by the ICC Commission on Taxation, on the application of anti-avoidance rules in the field of taxation.

It is critical that tax authorities understand that in order for businesses to be competitive, they must seek out the most efficient ways of carrying out business transactions. This is especially crucial in the context of the increasing globalization of businesses and the world economy.

In recent observations, there is a growing trend for tax authorities to disregard transactions relating to tax assessment based on their interpretations of anti-avoidance rules, which are at times quite extensive.
ICC upholds that the use of anti-avoidance rules of taxation that establish barriers to cross-border business transactions is counterproductive and should be stopped.

“These anti-avoidance rules are destructive to countries themselves, when other countries impose them on a home country multinational in a way that diminishes the home country tax base and produces a bilateral controversy,” said ICC Commission on Taxation Vice-Chair Cym Lowell.

Read the policy statement on anti-avoidance
rules

Staff Contact: Carol Doran Klein

More on USCIB’s Taxation Committee