Customs and Trade Facilitation Archives

USCIB Meets with Interagency Group on Customs E-commerce

Published on June 18, 2018

USCIB and the U.S. Chamber partnered on an industry day with the U.S. Government inter-agency group on the World Customs Organization (WCO) Cross-Border e-Commerce Framework of Standards (FoS) on June 14 in Washington DC, in preparation for upcoming WCO e-Commerce Working Group meetings, as well as WCO Policy Commission and Council meetings that will take place over the next few weeks in Brussels, Belgium. The event included robust representation from the U.S. government, more than 10 agencies, including Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Departments of Commerce and State, the Federal Trade Commission and the National Security Council.

The meeting provided a unique opportunity for industry to express views into the U.S. government position development process on cross-border e-commerce at the WCO. There have been several versions of a draft Cross-Border e-Commerce FoS since early 2018. Several WCO Members have raised concerns with aspects of the draft FoS (e.g., content, scope, transparency, and pace of the process). As a result, at the April WCO meetings, the e-Commerce Working Group convened and made significant changes to the draft FoS. In June, the WCO Policy Commission and Council will consider the 15 standards of the WCO e-Commerce FoS, respective introductions, and Resolution as well as a request for extension to Working Group. This week, the U.S. delegation is participating in e-Commerce Working Group meetings, where they will advance its positions on the definitions, data elements, and Technical Specifications.

“Following this productive exchange, we look forward to continuing our partnership on this matter and look forward to future, productive, engagement with the interagency group,” said USCIB Director for Customs and Trade Facilitation Megan Giblin.

 

Washington Update, April – May 2018

Published on June 11, 2018

Highlighting Key Activities, April – May 2018

During the months of April and May 2018, USCIB Staff met with EU Finance Ministries on draft digital tax directives, participated in a roundtable with OECD Trade staff on digital trade, testified before USTR’s Section 301 Committee, advocated for business as Colombia acceded to the OECD, spoke on NAFTA at the NGA North American Summit, filed comments to the ITC on foreign measures affecting B2B and B2C products and services, met with Kenneth J F Kennedy, DHS, on Forced Labor issues, briefed Tim Skud, Treasury, and Mark McKenzie, DHS, on E-Commerce at the WCO, met with Hill staff Hill on CFIUS reform, and much more. Below are summaries of these and other highlights from the activities of USCIB in Washington, D.C. over the last two months. If you have any questions or comments, or want more information on a specific topic, please contact any of the staff members listed at the end of this brief.

Table of Contents:

  1. Trade and Investment – Opening Global Markets for Trade and Investment
  2. ICT Policy – Promoting Sound Policies for New Technologies
  3. Tax – Advancing Tax Policies that Promote U.S. Competitiveness
  4. Customs and Trade Facilitation – Reducing Barriers and Costs from Customs and Border Control Practices
  5. China – Supporting Policies and Relationships that Enhance U.S.-China Business
  6. Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs – Shaping the Development of CR Principles and Increasing Awareness of Business’s Positive Social Contributions
  7. Creating Global Legal Practices for an Open and Competitive Business Environment
  8. Membership
  9. Upcoming Events
  10. Staff List

Trade and Investment – Opening Global Markets for Trade and Investment

Mulligan Shares USCIB Views at B20/BIAC/OECD/ICC Meetings:  Several meetings took place in Paris the week of May 28 at which Rob Mulligan, USCIB Senior Vice President Policy and Government Affairs, presented member views, starting with the B20 Trade and Investment Taskforce.  He made the point that the trade paper language related to digital trade, especially on IP, should be consistent with language developed by the Digital taskforce.  Since several companies working in the Digital taskforce had developed compromise language on IP, he urged the Trade taskforce to also use that language.  The BIAC General Assembly followed the B20 meeting where Rick Johnston, Citi, was approved for another term on the BIAC Board and they announced the new Secretary General, Russell Mills.  In a meeting with Ken Ash, Director of the OECD Trade Directorate, Rob discussed upcoming OECD work on tariffs, market opening, trade facilitation, non-tariff barriers and services reform.  At the meeting of the ICC Trade and Investment Commission on May 30, Rob provided input on proposed ICC work on unilateral protection measures, the impact of extraterritorial application of national laws, and the intersection of trade and climate change.

USCIB Kicks Off BIAC Roundtable with OECD Trade Staff on Digital Trade:  As part of the BIAC Trade Committee meeting on April 23, 2018, a roundtable discussion was organized with Ken Ash, Director of the OECD Trade Directorate, and his staff on digital trade.  Rob Mulligan started the discussion by highlighting the importance of cross border data flows to business and the negative impact of data localization requirements. He stressed the need for regulators to take approaches that do not end up restricting trade, stifling innovation, and undercutting economic growth.  The OECD staff noted some of the issues they are trying to resolve in their work on digital trade including: the challenges for business in distinguishing personal data from non-personal data; the costs of technological solutions such as encryption; differences of views based on cultural beliefs; and, is there a role for multilateral approaches.  BIAC will continue this dialogue as the OECD trade staff develops its digital trade papers.

USCIB/BIAC Urge OECD Trade Committee to Include Business Priorities in Future Workplan:  Rob Mulligan represented USCIB at the BIAC and OECD Trade Committees in Paris from April 23-25.  The BIAC meeting focused on providing input into the discussions the OECD Trade Committee was having on it Program of Work and Budget (PWB) for 2019-2020.  BIAC supported plans to work on digital trade, customs facilitation, international regulatory cooperation, trade in services and trade and environment.  We noted that the PWB should continue to include work on localization requirements and state-owned enterprises that are still key areas of concern for our members. BIAC also arranged for a lunch meeting with Deputy Secretary General Kiviniemi, which provided a chance for members to hear her thinking on the current global trade environment.  They also organized a dinner with Ana Novik, Head of the OECD Investment Division, John Drummond, Head of the OECD Services Trade Division, and Dermot Nolan, Permanent Representative of Ireland to the OECD.  This provided an opportunity to discuss how they will structure the planned joint committee meeting in October between the trade and investment committees and for us to share suggestions.

USCIB Pushes for Open Investment Climate in CFIUS process: USCIB has been an active advocate on investment issues in the context of the CFIUS legislation on the Hill. On April 19, 2018, Shaun Donnelly, Vice President, Investment and Financial Services, and Eva Hampl, Senior Director, Investment, Trade and Financial Services, met with Hill staff to discuss the Cornyn bill. On April 30, 2018, Donnelly and Hampl joined a group of associations in a meeting with Treasury and Commerce officials for an update on what at the time was the most recent draft of the legislation. USCIB hosted a member meeting on May 8, 2018, to discuss ongoing developments and next steps. Finally, on May 21, 2018, USCIB signed on to a multi-association letter to the House and Senate in support of the most recent updates of the legislation, which importantly no longer included provisions to expand CFIUS jurisdiction to cover outbound investment.

USCIB Pens Multi-Association Letter to Treasury on Investment 301: On April 26, 2018, USCIB, together with the Coalition of Services Industries (CSI) and the National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) hosted a strategy meeting to share intelligence and discuss potential action items on investment issues related to the Administration’s Special 301 investigation. On May 18, 2018, USCIB, together with five other associations, sent a letter to Secretary Mnuchin asking for a more open and consultative process regarding the Administration’s investment restrictions contemplated under Section 301, pursuant to the March 22 presidential memorandum. The letter was sent in anticipation of a report coming out from Treasury no later than May 21, 2018, on the progress in developing measures to address concerns about investment in the U.S directed or facilitated by China in industries or technologies deemed important to the U.S.

Hampl Discusses NAFTA in Politico Roundtable: On April 18, 2018, Eva Hampl, participated in a roundtable conversation hosted by Politico, to discuss NAFTA. The off-the-record discussion addressed what the renegotiated chapters looked like at that time, the major sticking points that remain, and what potential solutions may be. USCIB has been actively advocating for members on NAFTA, traveling to rounds in Canada and Mexico earlier this year, and participating in the Coalition here in D.C., including advocating on the Hill. In support of an open conversation on trade, USCIB co-sponsored a reception on May 17 for Hill staff centered around the China 301 hearing that took place that week, as well as the ongoing NAFTA negotiations, celebrating Great American Jobs Supported by Trade. Representatives from U.S. government, companies, and associations spent the evening discussing various important developments in the trade space.

USCIB Advocates for Business as Colombia Concludes OECD Accession Process in May: Following the conclusion of an accession process that started in 2013, Colombia joined the OECD this month. On May 30, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria signed an accession agreement at the annual ministerial-level council meeting. USCIB, which serves as the U.S. affiliate of Business at OECD, the representative private-sector voice in the OECD, has advocated on behalf of U.S. business throughout this process. Leading up to this conclusion, USCIB joined a meeting with other associations and companies at the White House to discuss Colombia, as well as with USTR, following the most recent meeting of the OECD Trade Committee in April. USCIB welcomes the progress Colombia has made over the past several years in the context of the accession process to the OECD, and we look forward to continued progress and concrete actions being taken on outstanding issues, including on pharmaceuticals and trucking, where the current status does not yet rise to the level of like-mindedness with other OECD countries on open trade and investment. As the OECD considers inviting additional countries to join, USCIB will continue to advocate on behalf of U.S. business to ensure that all OECD countries continue to meet high standards.

Donnelly Defends Business Positions at UNCITRAL Review of ISDS Procedures: USCIB Vice President Shaun Donnelly was the leading advocate for business positions and priorities at a weeklong review of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) provisions to enforce international investment agreements held at the UN in New York April 23-27 under the auspices of “Working Group 3” of the UN Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). ISDS and investment arbitration are under assault from a coalition of developing countries, NGOs, some international organizations and the European Union. The EU is aggressively pushing its “Multilateral Investment Court” proposal as the solution to alleged problems in the long-established ISDS system to afford an independent body to address serious breaches of investment and rule or law commitments by host government. We and many other business groups find the EU proposal deeply flawed and biased against business. Shaun and a handful of invited business and arbitrator representatives spoke up forcefully to provide much-needed real world perspectives of investors. But the UNCITRAL group is a government-dominated process with limited scope for business and other stakeholders. The next week-long semi-annual session of the WG will be in

USCIB at the National Governors Association North American Summit:  Shaun Donnelly represented USCIB at the special North American Summit of the National Governors Association (NGA) in Scottsdale, Arizona May 4-6. U.S. state Governors met with their North American counterparts – Mexican governors and Canadian provincial Premiers – to review common North American challenges and opportunities. Not surprisingly, NAFTA was a primary focus for discussion among the governors and with USCIB and other business stakeholders participating in the session. Several USCIB member companies also participated. Governors from the three nations had remarkably similar pro-business views on NAFTA – keep it strong, do no harm, and update/strengthen it on new issues based on global best practices. Governors seem to “get” NAFTA more than some Washington politicians.

ICT Policy – Promoting Sound Policies for New Technologies

USCIB Files Comments to the U.S. International Trade Commission on Foreign Measures Affecting B2B and B2C Products & Services: Members of USCIB’s Digital Trade Working Group contributed their expertise to USCIB’s April 5, 2018, submission in response to the ITC Federal Register Notice calling for comments on Global Digital Trade 2: The Business-to-Business Market, Key Foreign Trade Restrictions and U.S. Competitiveness (#332-562) and Global Digital Trade 3: The Business-to-Consumer Market, Key Foreign Trade Restrictions and U.S. Competitiveness (#332-563). Evidence of trade barriers that members have been collecting for USCIB’s annual National Trade Estimate/Section 1377 submission to the U.S. Trade Representative’s office (USTR) served as the foundation for the ITC comments, which profiled practices in Brazil, China, European Union, India, Indonesia, and Russia.

USCIB Joins Forces with USITUA to Host Roundtable Discussion Featuring ITU Director Candidate: USCIB and the U.S. International Telecommunication Union Association (USITUA) jointly organized a special roundtable discussion on April 5, 2018, in Washington, D.C. to hear a brief of Doreen Bogdan-Martin’s candidacy for director of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT). The Roundtable attracted nearly 40 participants from both trade associations, as well as from the U.S. Government and the Washington, DC diplomatic community. The U.S. Government will formally deposit Bogdan-Martin’s candidature prior to the ITU Plenipotentiary (PP-18), which will take place in Dubai in October 29-November 16. Senior U.S. Government officials indicated that one of Washington’s leading goals at the PP-18 is to secure Bogdan-Martin’s election to this post, highlighting her impressive track record with the ITU.

UNCTAD E-Commerce Week Provides Opportunity for USCIB Members to Highlight the Importance of Digital Technologies for Sustainable Development: UNCTAD’s E-Commerce Week, April 16-20, in Geneva, Switzerland highlighted progress by emerging economies in developing digital ecosystems to support electronic commerce and digital trade and, in turn, drive sustainable economic development. More than 1,000 participants from government, business, civil society, and international organizations convened for the fourth edition of this conference under the theme “Development Dimensions for Digital Platforms.” USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner was on the ground for the first half of the week and observed enthusiasm for the potential of digital platforms to create commercial and economic benefits. USCIB members from Mastercard, Facebook, and King & Spalding elaborated on effective ways of leveraging digital technologies to address various developmental needs as both workshop and plenary speakers.

USCIB Members Help Develop 2018 Policy Priorities for ICC Digital Economy Commission: The ICC Digital Economy Commission (ICC-DEC) held its first meeting of 2018 on April 19-20 at the ICC’s Paris headquarters. USCIB Vice President for ICT Policy Barbara Wanner contributed to discussions about existing and new policy work as did members from Apple, CenturyLink, Computer & Communications Industry Association, Facebook, Google, Intel, KPMG International, and Microsoft. Existing work that will be taken forward include draft policy papers on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cybersecurity as well as advocacy efforts, supported by the ICC policy paper, “ICT, Policy and Sustainable Economic Development,” at the UN High Level Policy Forum in July 2018. New work includes: (1) an ICC response to the European Union e-privacy regulation, which was created to complement the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); (2) the European Commission’s proposal for cross-border data flows in trade and investment agreements; and (3) a paper that will explore the ICC’s potential role in promoting and preparing self-regulation in the digital economy. The ICC’s ITU Working Group met on the sidelines of the Commission meeting and decided key areas of priority for ICC advocacy in anticipation of the ITU PP-18.

USCIB Members Help to Advance OECD’s Going Digital Project: Barbara Wanner and representatives from AT&T, CCIA, eBay, 21st Century Fox, Mastercard, Microsoft, and Verizon participated in the May 14-18 meetings of the OECD’s Committee on Digital Economy Policy (CDEP) and its Working Parties. The week-long meetings focused on advancing the ambitious horizontal Going Digital project and rolling out plans for a Global Forum on Digital Security for Prosperity. The meeting also featured a special Roundtable discussion on privacy interoperability. USCIB members, participating under the auspices of Business at OECD (BIAC), made numerous interventions focused on elements of the Going Digital Project, such as projects on Artificial Intelligence, Online Platforms, and E-Commerce. The OECD will present an Interim report at the Ministerial Council Meeting, May 28-June 1. The final Going Digital Report will be unveiled at a special Gala event, March 11-12, 2019, in Paris.

Tax – Advancing Tax Policies that Promote U.S. Competitiveness

USCIB Meets with EU Finance Ministries on the EU Draft Directives on Digital Services Tax and Significant Digital Presence: Bill Sample, Chair of the USCIB Taxation Committee and Carol Doran Klein, USCIB VP and International Tax Counsel, along with USCIB member companies participated in a series of meetings with Finance Ministries in European countries concerning the draft directives. The meetings were intended to provide information concerning the potential impact of the draft directives on businesses – both the companies that are targeted by the directives and others that might be “collateral damage” — and discern the countries positions on the proposed directives. USCIB pointed out that the draft directives are deeply flawed and evidence a misunderstanding of the nature of digital economy business models. For example, companies are paid for clicks, rather than displays of advertisements, intermediaries may have very low margins such that a 3% tax would exceed the total profit on the transaction, and companies do not sell data. While many countries expressed concerns with the draft directives and the EU requires unanimity to proceed, it is important that USCIB continue to make its case about the potential damage from these directives. Many countries expressed a willingness to work within the OECD to achieve a long-term solution.

USCIB Joins BIAC Tax Committee Meeting Discussing Digital Taxation: USCIB members attended the BIAC Tax Committee meeting on May 4, 2018 in Paris. The Committee meeting included presentations on the taxation of the digital economy (which is likely to be the main tax topic at the OECD, the EU and the UN this year (and perhaps beyond)); the multilateral instrument, which will enter into force on July 1, 2018 and add new countries and agreements as more countries ratify; MAP and dispute resolution; transfer pricing topics; and U.S. tax reform.

Customs and Trade Facilitation – Reducing Barriers and Costs from Customs and Border Control Practices

USCIB Customs Committee Members Meet with ICE on Forced Labor: On Thursday, May 31, 2018, USCIB Director of Customs and Trade Facilitation, Megan Giblin, along with Jerry Cook, Hanesbrands and USCIB Customs Committee Chair, and several other Committee members met with Kenneth J F Kennedy, Senior Policy Advisor Forced Labor Programs, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Department of Homeland Security to discuss ICE updates on Forced Labor.

USCIB Discusses E-commerce with DHS Trade Policy Staff: The USCIB Customs and Trade Facilitation Committee met on May 22, 2018, where Mark McKenzie of DHS Trade Policy joined the Committee to discuss the HSI ICE E-Commerce strategy, provide views on WCO E-Commerce work given DHS’ leadership role in leading the interagency process, and discuss the joint USCIB – U.S. Chamber Industry day on June 14, 2018. The event will give members the opportunity to provide inputs directly into the U.S. interagency group on the issue of the WCO E-Commerce Cross-Border Framework of Standards (FoS).

USCIB Hosts Discussion with U.S. Government Partners on Waste: Since the early 2000s there has been at the WCO, at the request of the Basel Convention, an effort to create “waste” breakouts for a variety of product categories. Under the process to update the legal text of the 2022 Harmonized System Nomenclature, the WCO has been discussing breakouts related to mechanical and electronic or electrical waste.  On May 17, 2018, the USCIB Customs Committee hosted Ms. Beth Elkins of USITC and lead U.S. delegate to the WCO HS Review Subcommittee to discuss current Basel Convention efforts in preparation for June RSC meetings.

Giblin Supports USCIB Member Companies and the USG at WCO E-Commerce Working Group Meetings: From April 9-12, 2018, Megan Giblin, participated in the WCO E-Commerce Working Group meetings held at World Customs Organization Headquarters in Brussels.  During the meetings, Giblin supported both USG interagency partners (i.e., DHS Trade Policy, CBP, and USTR) and USCIB member companies. In preparation for the meeting, the USCIB Customs Committee submitted formal comments on the Draft Framework of Standards. Following the meeting, the USCIB Customs Committee submitted formal comments on 1) the agreed Standards; 2) Related introductions; 3) additional text that was rapidly reviewed and included in the go-forward draft; 4) Resolution; and 5) Draft Workplan tied to the request to extend the tenure of the Working Group past June 2018.

Giblin Meets with Colombian Trade and Customs Attaches: On March 23, 2018, while in Brussels attending international classification meetings at the World Customs Organization, Megan Giblin, met with the Trade and Customs attaches at the Colombian Embassy to discuss key member issues including, but not limited to: Customs Valuation, Consultation with Industry, WTO TFA, and more. The USCIB Customs Committee is working on a Customs and Trade Facilitation Barriers paper, which will be used to continue to address member concerns in the Customs space.

USCIB Customs Committee Meets with Department of Treasury to Discuss E-Commerce at WCO: On March 27, 2018, Megan Giblin, Jerry Cook, and several members of the Customs Committee met with Tim Skud, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Tax, Trade and Tariff Policy) and others of Department of Treasury representatives to discuss USCIB submissions on WCO E-Commerce Draft FoS, specific concerns related to Draft FoS section on Revenue collection, and expressed views in preparation for April in-person meetings on the Framework.

China – Supporting Policies and Relationships that Enhance U.S.-China Business

USCIB Submits Comments and Testifies on China Tariffs: Following the Trump administration’s proposed Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl testified before the Section 301 Committee, chaired by USTR on May 16 regarding the proposal. Hampl’s testimony reflected USCIB member concerns about potential consequences the proposed tariffs will have on sectors vital to the U.S. economy. Her testimony was drawn from comments USCIB submitted to the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. USCIB also signed on to a multi-association letter on April 11 to the Hill, expressing concern about the tariffs to Chairman Brady and Ranking Member Neal. In addition, USCIB also signed on to a multi-association letter to Amb. Lighthizer in response to the request for comments.

Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs – Shaping the Development of CR Principles and Increasing Awareness of Business’s Positive Social Contributions

USCIB Compares Views/Priorities with State on Responsible Business Conduct in Leadup to OECD Forum in June: USCIB VP for Labor Affairs and Corporate Responsibility Gabriella Rigg Herzog, accompanied by USCIB Investment staffers Shaun Donnelly and Eva Hampl, met with the State Department senior staffers who lead U.S. Government work on Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) at the OECD on May 1, 2018. The OECD’s annual Global Forum on RBC will be held in Paris June 20 and 21 and will include a focus on RBC in the agricultural sector. The OECD’s work on RBC is centered in the Working Party on Responsible Business Conduct, under the general auspices of the OECD Investment Committee. Gabriella will again be attending the June Forum meeting. Unfortunately, some NGO groups and even a few OECD member country delegations seem to view OECD RBC work as simply an open season to criticize business. But our ongoing cooperation with the U.S. Government team continues to yield areas for serious, fact-based work.

Competition – Creating Global Legal Practices for an Open and Competitive Business Environment

USCIB Competition Committee Discusses Recent Supreme Court Case at Spring Meeting: The USCIB Competition Committee held its spring meeting on April 9, 2018. Following welcoming remarks from new Chair Dina Kallay, Ericsson, and Vice-Chair Jennifer Patterson, Arnold & Porter, members received updates on OECD Competition Meetings and BIAC Developments from John Taladay, Baker Botts and Chair of the BIAC Competition Committee, as well as updates on ICC Competition Commission Developments from Jennifer Patterson and Cal Goldman. Brinkley Tappan and William Rinner, Counsels to the Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, provided an update on the activities in their office. The remarks included an extensive discussion of the Vitamin C antitrust legislation that was heard by the Supreme Court on April 24, 2018. The remainder of the agenda included an update on Brazil Antitrust Developments from Ademir Pereira Jr., focusing on the Volkswagen case, and an update on the International Competition Network (ICN) from Paul O’Brien, Counsel for International Antitrust, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

Membership

  • Membership Meetings: The USCIB membership department and policy staff met with representatives from member companies Biotechnology Innovation Organization and Intel to develop our understanding of their policy priorities for the next year and beyond, and to see how USCIB can better serve their policy needs.
  • New Members: USCIB has recently welcomed Winston & Strawn LLP as a new member.

 

Upcoming Events:

  • 2018 OECD International Tax Conference, Washington, D.C. – June 4-5
  • USCIB Digital Trade Working Group Meeting, Washington, D.C. – June 12
  • WCO E-Commerce Framework Industry Day Meeting, Washington, D.C. – June 14
  • OECD Responsible Business Conduct Annual Forum – Paris, June 18-22
  • USCIB Trade and Investment Committee Meeting, Washington, D.C. – June 19
  • USCIB ICT Policy Committee Meeting, Washington, D.C. – June 20
  • ICANN 62, Panama City, Panama – June 25-28
  • Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) High-Level Policy Forum & Ministerial, UN-HQ, New York – July 16-19
  • APEC Senior Officials Meeting (SOM 3), Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – August 4-20
  • Engaging Business Forum on Business and Human Rights, Atlanta, Georgia – September 13-14

USCIB Policy and Program Staff

Rob Mulligan
Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs
202-682-7375 or rmulligan@uscib.org

Erin Breitenbucher
Senior Policy and Program Associate and Office Manager, Washington
202-682-7465 or ebreitenbucher@uscib.org

Norine Kennedy
Vice President, Strategic International Engagement, Energy and Environment
212-703-5052 or nkennedy@uscib.org

Shaun Donnelly
Vice President, Investment and Financial Services
202-682-1221 or sdonnelly@uscib.org

Elizabeth Kim
Policy and Program Assistant, New York
212-703-5095 or ekim@uscib.org

Megan Giblin
Director, Customs and Trade Facilitation
202-371-9235 or mgiblin@uscib.org

Carol Doran Klein
Vice President and International Tax Counsel
202-682-7376 or cdklein@uscib.org

Ronnie Goldberg
Senior Counsel
212-703-5057 or rgoldberg@uscib.org

Mia Lauter
Policy and Program Assistant, New York
212-703-5082 or mlauter@uscib.org

Eva Hampl
Director, Investment, Trade and Financial Services
202-682-0051 or ehampl@uscib.org

Mike Michener
Vice President, Product Policy and Innovation
202-617-3159 or mmichener

Alison Hoiem
Senior Director, Member Services
202-682-1291 or ahoiem@uscib.org

Chris Olsen
Policy and Program Assistant, Washington
202-617-3156 or colsen@uscib.org

Gabriella Rigg Herzog
Vice President, Corporate Responsibility and Labor Affairs
212-703-5056 or gherzog@uscib.org

Barbara Wanner
Vice President, ICT Policy
202-617-3155 or bwanner@uscib.org

Jonathan Huneke
Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs
212-703-5043 or jhuneke@uscib.org

Kira Yevtukhova
Communications Manager
202-617-3160 or kyevtukhova@uscib.org

Top

Colombia Officially Joins OECD, Becomes 37th Member

Published on June 6, 2018

OECD countries have officially agreed, on May 25, to invite Colombia to become a member of the organization. An Accession Agreement was signed by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria on May 30 during the OECD Ministerial meetings in Paris. Colombia is the 37th country and the third member country from the LAC (Latin America and the Caribbean) region to join the OECD.

“Through the OECD accession process Colombia has made impressive strides in, for example, reforming its justice system and reducing informality in the labor market,” said Gurria. “The accession process has been instrumental in the design and implementation of new national policies, such as on water and chemicals management. Colombia took important steps to improve its governance of state-owned enterprises, including removal of ministers from the boards. To comply with the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention Colombia significantly modified its corporate liability regime. The list of reforms goes on.” Gurria’s full remarks at the signing ceremony can be found here.

Colombia was invited to begin the accession process in 2013. Over the past five years, 23 OECD Committees conducted an in-depth review of Colombia’s legislation, politics and practices, to align them with OECD standards. The final two Committees where reforms were required were the Labor Committee and the Trade Committee. The Labor Committee concluded their process during their recent meeting in March. The Trade Committee concluded their April meeting with a draft formal opinion, which was finalized several weeks later, just ahead of the Ministerial. Rob Mulligan, USCIB senior vice President for policy and government affairs, was in Paris last week for the Ministerial.

“USCIB has been actively involved in providing input into Colombia’s accession process via Business at OECD (BIAC), the official business voice at the OECD,” said Mulligan. “The main affected sectors throughout that process were pharmaceuticals, distilled spirits, and trucking. Many issues were resolved before accession, and we look forward to continued progress and concrete actions being taken on outstanding issues.” View USCIB’s official statement here.

“Moving forward, USCIB will play an active role in providing U.S. business input to the OECD on any upcoming accession processes,” added Mulligan. The countries that have expressed interest are Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Romania, Croatia, and Bulgaria. At this time, no new process has commenced.

Colombia Gets Approval to Join the OECD

Published on May 29, 2018

Colombia will join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development following an agreement among the 35-nation forum’s member states ahead of this week’s OECD ministerial.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría are expected to sign an accession agreement at the annual ministerial-level council meeting, which is scheduled for May 30, according to the OECD.

USCIB – which serves as the U.S. affiliate of Business at OECD, the representative private-sector voice in the OECD – issued the following statement:

“USCIB welcomes the progress Colombia has made over the past several years in the context of the accession process to the OECD. As the official voice representing U.S. business in this process, we acknowledge the steps taken by Colombia to meet the high standards of the OECD in various sectors. We look forward to continued progress and concrete actions being taken on outstanding issues, including on pharmaceuticals and trucking, where the current status does not yet rise to the level of like-mindedness with other OECD countries on open trade and investment. As the OECD considers inviting additional countries to join, USCIB will continue to advocate on behalf of U.S. business to ensure that all OECD countries continue to meet high standards.”

Qatar to Join Global “Merchandise Passport” System

Published on May 18, 2018
The World ATA Carnet Council meeting in Xian, China

Earlier this month, Qatar officially joined the ATA Carnet system, which enables the temporary duty-free, tax-free importation of various types of goods in over 80 countries and customs territories around the world. The Carnet system is overseen by the International Chamber of Commerce and the World Customs Organization. USCIB serves as the U.S. national guaranteeing association for the system.

The official announcement was made by Sheikha Tamadar Al Thani, director of international relations and chamber affairs at Qatar Chamber and ICC-Qatar, during her participation in a World ATA Carnet Council (WATAC) meeting organized by ICC’s World Chambers Federation on May 9 in Xi’an, China. The ATA Carnet system is expected to be implemented in Qatar as of August 1, 2018, but the country will only accept Carnets issued for Exhibitions and Fairs. (Many countries and territories also accept them for Product Samples and for Professional Equipment.)

During her address to the WATAC meeting, which was attended by USCIB President and CEO Peter M. Robinson, Al Thani noted that Qatar’s formal accession to the Carnet system came as a result of lengthy negotiations conducted during the previous sessions with WATAC leadership and council members. She said the ATA Carnet plays an important role towards advancing the cause of free trade as a mechanism of trade facilitation.

Al Thani further noted that world trade is facing momentous challenges nowadays, with protectionist policies on the rise again and the State of Qatar’s accession to the Council is a testimony to its adherence to free trade, and to its belief in the importance of the free movement of goods and services around the world.

The ATA Carnet is the global gold standard for temporary admissions under the auspices of the World Customs Organization. ATA Carnets are international tools of trade facilitation, which serve as a temporary export-import documentation. The ATA System is in place in over 85 countries and territories, and provides duty-free and tax-free imports on goods that will be re-exported within 12 months.

Please visit the Qatar ATA Carnet page for more info.

Hampl Testifies Regarding Proposed China Tariffs

Published on May 18, 2018

 Following the Trump administration’s proposed Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, USCIB Senior Director for Investment, Trade and Financial Services Eva Hampl testified before the Section 301 Committee, chaired by USTR on May 16 regarding the proposal. Hampl’s testimony reflected USCIB member concerns about potential consequences the proposed tariffs will have on sectors vital to the U.S. economy. Her testimony was drawn from comments USCIB sent earlier this month to the U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. Hampl was joined by over 100 other business representatives to share specific concerns regarding the proposed tariffs.

“We believe that the imposition of tariffs will not achieve the important goal of changing China’s behavior in the space of emerging technologies and intellectual property rights,” said Hampl in her testimony. “China’s threat of retaliation further exacerbates uncertainties caused by this proposed action. Rather than create more opportunities for U.S. business, sweeping tariffs will stifle U.S. agriculture, goods, and services exports and raise costs for businesses and consumers.

Hampl emphasized the need for a “holistic structure” to address the aforementioned issues. Speaking on behalf of USCIB, Hampl applauded the Trump administration for looking at alternative approaches, such as initiating a WTO dispute by requesting consultations with China.

“It is important for the administration to address these issues with a broad view, working collectively with U.S. industry, Congress, and our trading partners, to adequately address China’s unfair trade practices and get China to be WTO compliant,” noted Hampl.

The proposed tariffs pose a unique challenge to industrial inputs, which represent over 80 percent of the proposed list. Tariffs on industrial goods are especially problematic because they represent not just a tax on U.S. consumers but a tax on U.S. manufacturers and workers, and on the products they export. Tariffs on aerospace, machinery and IT parts and other advanced technologies can undermine the most competitive sectors of American manufacturing, driving up production costs in the U.S., impacting U.S. manufacturing employment, and making U.S. manufacturers less competitive against global rivals.

“Tariffs on industrial parts imported into the U.S. could have the unintended consequence of prompting manufacturers to move final production outside of the U.S.,” warned Hampl. “To see how U.S. companies will be affected by the tariffs, it is important to look to how the supply chain functions. China is the second largest economy and the largest manufacturing economy in the world. We cannot ignore that China may have some unique capabilities, at the product level, that U.S. businesses need to tap into in order to remain globally competitive. For many products or inputs, there is no feasible alternative to procuring from China. We urge the Administration to use this process to ensure that its actions do not inadvertently harm some of the most competitive sectors of the U.S. economy, and the hundreds of thousands of American jobs that depend on them.”

In addition to the testimony, USCIB also co-sponsored a reception last week for Hill staff centered around the China 301 hearing, as well as NAFTA, celebrating Great American Jobs Supported by Trade. Representatives from U.S. government, companies, and associations, spent the evening discussing various important developments in the trade space.

World Trade Week NYC Celebrates Gotham’s Export Champs

Published on May 8, 2018
Cheryl Moore of the New York Genome Center

USCIB is a longtime partner in the annual World Trade Week festivities in New York City. World Trade Week, a celebration of international commerce in cities across the United States, was launched by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and brings together trade champions and companies of all sizes to mark the critical importance of cross-border commerce in promoting American competitiveness and global leadership.

World Trade Week NYC 2018 – despite the name, actually a full month of events and activities – kicked off this week with a high-level awards breakfast hosted by the Weissman Center for International Business at Baruch College, part of the City University of New York. Among the award honorees was the New York Genome Center, whose president and COO Cheryl Moore also served as the breakfast keynote speaker, providing an overview of New York’s efforts to foster growth in the life sciences industries.

Other businesses recognized for export success included Magnetic Analysis Corp., Innodata, Inc. and Classic Rug Collection, Inc. Empire State Development’s Global NY initiative was also honored, as was Irving A. Williamson, a member of the U.S. International Trade Commission, who was presented with a lifetime achievement award.

USCIB Vice President Jonathan Huneke served on the steering committee for World Trade Week NYC 2018. For a full list of World Trade Week events in and around New York City, click here.

Mulligan Joins BIAC to Push for Business Priorities at OECD

Published on May 4, 2018

USCIB Senior Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs Rob Mulligan was in Paris the last week of April attending Business at OECD (BIAC) and OECD Trade Committee meetings, which included dialogues with several OECD officials, including Director of the OECD Trade Directorate Ken Ash, OECD Deputy Secretary General Mari Kiviniemi, Head of the OECD Investment Division Ana Novik, and Head of the OECD Services Trade Division John Drummond, among others.

“BIAC’s meetings were integral in getting the business community on the same page regarding several issues, including possible accession to the OECD by Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Croatia, Romania and Bulgaria, BIAC’s upcoming work with B20 Argentina on joint meetings later this month in Paris, as well as the OECD release of a Trade Facilitation publication this summer,” noted Mulligan.

According to Mulligan, BIAC members also discussed BIAC talking points on the OECD’s draft Program of Work and Budget for 2019-20 (PWB), providing suggestions for inclusion of services trade, de-minimis, overcapacity, digital trade, cybersecurity, customs simplification for SMEs, trade distortions, international regulatory cooperation, and government procurement.  These were in addition to the points based on the BIAC Trade as a Priority for All paper approved by the Committee last year. At a subsequent OECD Trade Committee Meeting later that week, member countries provided feedback to the secretariat about the draft PWB and BIAC, represented by its Chair Cliff Sosnow, noting the areas it would like to see the committee focus on during this cycle, which aligned with many of the areas BIAC had suggested.  However, BIAC noted that the PWB did not seem to include further work on localization requirements and state-owned enterprises that continue to be key areas of concern for its members and encouraged the OECD to include this in their work plans going forward.

Mulligan also had the opportunity to attend the BIAC Roundtable on Data Localization, Digital Trade and Market Openness which enabled a dialogue among the 25 people around the table. Ash, who recently met with the Japanese business group Keidanren, emphasized his desire to understand the realities of business and digital trade issues and noted Keidanren’s plans to make digital trade a focus when they host G20/B20 in 2019.

Mulligan then joined Pat Ivory of the Irish Business Federation Ibec, in their capacities as vice chairs of the BIAC Trade Committee to provide overviews on the BIAC digital trade priorities.

“Members are increasingly voicing concerns about data localization requirements related to the impact on cybersecurity and the conflicts they can cause for highly regulated industries,” stressed Mulligan. “The impact of rapidly changing technology and the need for regulators to take approaches to digital trade that do not end up restricting trade, stifling innovation, and undercutting economic growth.”

BIAC members noted challenges they deal with when assessing where to do business and suggested that localization requirements that can increase security risks in some developing countries and can make it less likely for them to do business there.

USCIB Promotes ATA Carnet as Tool for Department of Commerce

Published on April 17, 2018
Andy Shiles (left) with Under Secretary for International Trade, Department of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan (right)

USCIB joined a breakfast meeting in New York with the Under Secretary for International Trade with the Department of Commerce Gilbert Kaplan last week. NY District Department of Commerce Director Carmela Mammas and Joe Schoonmaker from the NY District Export Council (NYDEC) hosted the meeting, which was attended by Andy Shiles, USCIB’s senior vice president for ATA Carnet and trade services.

Kaplan discussed the effort of the Department of Commerce offices to reach out and collaborate with U.S. Ambassadors around the world to utilize Embassies for networking and meeting opportunities for American businesses to establish and strengthen business relationships in other countries to help stimulate international trade.

“There are exciting times in the world of international trade,” commented Shiles. “Under Secretary Kaplan received excellent comments from several representing the NYDEC. You can guess that we also discussed the use of an ATA Carnet as one of the tools the Department of Commerce should promote with small and medium sized companies as they strive to expand the international markets for US goods.”

Over 100 Business Representatives Lobby Senate on NAFTA

Published on April 17, 2018

Following previous successful NAFTA Senate Lobby Days, USCIB once again participated last week, joining more than 100 representatives from the agriculture and business community to talk about private sector concerns and perspectives regarding the ongoing negotiations to modernize NAFTA. The Senate Lobby Day, as in the past, was coordinated as a larger Coalition effort by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“The purpose of this day was to increase support in light of the high-level talks among the NAFTA countries currently taking place in DC,” noted Eva Hampl, USCIB director for investment, trade and financial services. “There is concern in the business community about the Administration’s alleged push to conclude an agreement on an accelerated timeline.”

Hampl led one of the groups that went up to the Hill last week, where she met with several Republican and Democratic Senate offices throughout the day.

“While the various offices are certainly focused on NAFTA, they do not appear to have a definite action plan on what to do in the event of the potential negative scenarios that may take place, such as withdrawal from NAFTA 1.0 or an inadequate NAFTA 2.0.,” said Hampl.  “Also, while the Committee appears to get briefings from the Administration when they request it, the remainder of the Senators are not being briefed in a way that should be expected under TPA, given that the agreement is allegedly near conclusion.”