Survey Says: Americans Embracing Free Trade
Committee on Ways and Means / http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398584
For the first time in more than 15 years, more Americans say free trade helps rather than hurts our economy. That's the takeaway from a new poll out this morning. According to the NBC News-Wall Street Journal survey, the finding "is a turning point: it marks the first time in more than 15 years that a plurality of Americans said that free trade helped. The last time Americans had more positive than negative views of trade was in December 1999."
The reasons to support trade are clear, and the message is resonating:
- More than 95% of the world's consumers live outside the U.S., and to grow our economy, we need to make more things here and sell them over there.
- 38 million American jobs are tied to trade, and they pay more than other jobs.
- Trade agreements allow us to write the rules of the economy, rather than nations like China.
- Trade agreements allow us to level the playing field for American workers and job creators.
Americans know that on a level playing field, our workers can compete with anyone. That's why a shift in attitudes can be seen across sectors of the American economy. Once skeptical of free trade, the American agriculture industry is one of the biggest proponents of more trade agreements. And in an even more telling shift, the American textile industry has come around to the need to tear down trade barriers.
As a separate story in the Wall Street Journal this morning notes, one textiles company that had "been on the front lines of nearly every recent battle to defeat free-trade legislation" is now supporting efforts to increase free trade. The Journal notes that, "as business becomes more international, American industries that once pushed for protection—apparel, automobiles, semiconductors and tires—now rarely do so."
But to get the best trade agreements possible, America needs trade promotion authority (TPA). This is the tool that empowers Congress to set our trade priorities and hold the president accountable. As Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ) is quoted in POLITICO today, TPA "actually sets parameters that we want the president to work under in order to negotiate. I think that's our responsibility."
CBP Agriculture Specialists at South Texas Ports of Entry Ensure Mother’s Day Plants and Flowers are Disease and Pest-Free
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-05-06-000000/cbp-agriculture-specialists-south-texas-ports-entry
LAREDO, Texas – As Mother’s Day rapidly approaches, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agriculture specialists at South Texas ports of entry continue to conduct examinations and maintain vigilance to ensure that personal and commercial importations of flowers are free from insects, pests and diseases that could harm the agricultural and floral industries of the United States.
“As some travelers venture to Mexico to buy their Mother’s Day flowers, in order to avoid delays or costly fines, we encourage them to check the CBP website before they go so they do not inadvertently bring in prohibited or restricted agricultural items,” said Director, Field Operations David P. Higgerson, Laredo Field Office.
While a relatively small number of harmful pests are found among the millions of stems inspected by CBP, a single dangerous pest could cause millions of dollars of damage to our nation’s crops.
In advance of this traditionally busy period for floral imports, CBP is reminding border crossers who plan to import flowers and plants from Mexico to advise their florist that the arrangements are destined for U.S. delivery. Some flowers and plant materials commonly found in floral arrangements are prohibited, including gladiolas, chrysanthemums and choysia (a green citrus-like floral filler) due to pest risk.
CBP recommends that people who wish to import flowers, plant materials, and other agricultural items consult the CBP Info Center section on the CBP website before they travel.
Cross-border travelers should also declare all items they’ve acquired abroad to CBP officers upon entry to avoid possible civil or criminal penalties.
Traditionally, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and the Easter holiday weekend are times when CBP agriculture specialists are very busy inspecting floral arrangements. At international ports of entry, land borders, and international mail facilities, CBP agriculture specialists are the front line in the fight against the introduction of insect pests and diseases into the United States.
United States and Armenia Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
U.S. Trade Representative / https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/press-releases/2015/may/united-states-and-armenia-sign-trade#
Washington, D.C. – Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East L. Daniel Mullaney and Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian today signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Republic of Armenia. This agreement establishes a United States-Armenia Council on Trade and Investment to discuss bilateral trade and investment and related issues and examine ways to strengthen the trade and investment relationship between the two countries.
“Today’s agreement provides a vehicle for deepening and broadening U.S.-Armenia trade and investment relations," said Mullaney. “I look forward to the United States-Armenia Council on Trade and Investment helping to unlock opportunities for workers, farmers, service providers, manufacturers and consumers in our two countries.”
Total two-way trade (exports plus imports) between the United States and Armenia totaled $153 million in 2014. U.S. goods exports to Armenia in 2014 totaled $56 million and included poultry, machinery, vehicles, and optic and medical equipment. Total U.S. foreign direct investment in Armenia was $1 million in 2013. U.S. goods imports from Armenia in 2014 totaled $96 million in 2014 and included aluminum, woven apparel, brandy, diamonds, and processed fruit and vegetables. Total Armenian foreign direct investment in the United States was $1 million in 2013.
CBP at JFK Intercepts Pests in Fruit Cache
U.S. Customs & Border Protection / http://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/local-media-release/2015-05-01-000000/cbp-jfk-intercepts-pests-fruit-cache
JAMAICA, N.Y. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists at John F. Kennedy International airport recently intercepted was is believed to be the first Mediterranean fruit fly arriving from South America.
“Our frontline agriculture specialists did an excellent job and found a significant pest within this large amount of fruit hidden,” said Robert E. Perez, Director of CBP’s New York Field Operations. “This recent interception shows how our agriculture specialists help protect American agriculture and preserve the nation’s economic security by denying entry of invasive species to the U.S.”
On April 22, CBP Agriculture Specialists performing an inspection of fresh Pomegranate Arils, originating from Peru, discovered an Arils, a fly larva among the shipment. The larva was captured and sent to the U. S. Department of Agriculture/Animal and Plant Health Inspection Station for further analysis. It was confirmed by the USDA/APHIS to be the Ceratitis capitata; more commonly known as the Mediterranean fruit fly or medfly. The medfly is a particularly dangerous threat to more than 260 kinds of domestic fruits, flowers, vegetables, and nuts.
USDA/APHIS is the responsible agency to work with the importer in determining final disposition of the quarantined shipment. Three options exist in eliminating the pest threat of agriculture quarantined cargo. It can be re-exported under direct CBP supervision, destroyed by incineration under direct CBP supervision, or fumigation using Methyl Bromide under USDA/APHIS supervision.
Its discovery in the Arils is a significant find, that this particular find may be the first case of the European medfly intercepted in pomegranate arils from South America.
Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice Support U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Efforts to Increase the Quality of Granted Patents
Federal Trade Commission / https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/05/federal-trade-commission-department-justice-support-us-patent
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) submitted comments to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) in response to the PTO’s comprehensive initiative to increase the quality of granted patents. The PTO initiative focuses on excellence in work products, measuring patent quality, and customer service.
The comments, submitted jointly by the FTC and the DOJ, commend the PTO for its continuing efforts to enhance patent quality, and support efforts to give clearer notice of the boundaries of claimed inventions.
“Clearer patent notice can encourage market participants to collaborate, transfer technology, or – in some cases – to design-around patents, thus leading to a more efficient marketplace for intellectual property and the goods and services that practice such rights,” the comments state.
The Commission vote approving the comments was 5-0. (FTC File No. V150006; the staff contact is John E. Dubiansky, Office of Policy Planning, 202-326-2182.)
Ryan Calls for Passage of Trade Agreements & Reflects on Unrest in Baltimore on CBS’s Face the Nation
Committee of Ways and Means/ http://waysandmeans.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398582
WASHINGTON —This morning, on CBS's Face the Nation, Wisconsin’s First District Congressman and House Ways and Means Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) spoke with Bob Schieffer about getting beyond the violence in Baltimore and getting onto fixing the issues plaguing American cities. Congressman Ryan also made the case for trade promotion authority, which is a necessary step to securing the best trade agreements possible with European and Asian nations.
Video of Congressman Ryan’s interview is available here. Excerpts of his responses follow.
Passing TPA to get the best trade deals possible:
“We need to pass something called trade promotion authority, which empowers Congress to make sure we get the best trade agreement possible. But in a world where 95 percent of the world’s consumers live in other countries, not our country, we have to break down trade barriers so that we can have more jobs here at home, making more things in America and selling them overseas. . . .
“If you’re standing still on trade you’re losing, you’re falling behind. There were 48 trade agreements in Asia since 2000; we were a part of two of them. Only two! As a result, our share of trade in Asia has gone down 42 percent. . . .
“The rules of the global economy are being written right now, there is no question about that. The question is: Who is going to write them? Are we going to write the rules with our allies? Or is China going to write them for China’s benefit, which is not in our interest?
“Those are the kinds of things that are occurring and being decided right now. That is why we need, on a bipartisan basis, to engage on trade to make it fair, to make more jobs, to help America get ahead and to help us set the standards. And so the kind of trade agreements we’re trying to talk about here is bring other countries up to our standards so we can have a fair deal because these countries can already sell to America pretty much unrestricted. We don’t have the kind of access to their markets that they have to ours, and that’s what we’re trying to get with this trade agreement."
Read entire article here
Undercover Inspections of Funeral Homes in Six States Prompt Compliance with Funeral Rule Disclosure Requirements
Federal Trade Commission / https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2015/05/undercover-inspections-funeral-homes-six-states-prompt-compliance
FTC’s Funeral Rule Requires Funeral Homes to Provide Price Lists to Consumer
Investigators working undercover in six states found failures to disclose pricing information to consumers, as required by the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, in 27 of the 100 funeral homes they visited during 2014. All but two of the 27 homes have agreed to enter the Funeral Rule Offenders Program (FROP).
The FTC conducts undercover inspections every year to ensure that funeral homes comply with the agency’s Funeral Rule. The Rule, issued in 1984, gives consumers important rights when making funeral arrangements. Key provisions of the Rule require funeral homes to provide consumers with an itemized general price list at the start of an in-person discussion of funeral arrangements, a casket price list before consumers view any caskets, and an outer burial container price list before they view grave liners or vaults. The Rule also prohibits funeral homes from requiring consumers to buy any item, such as a casket, as a condition of obtaining any other funeral good or service. By requiring itemized prices, the Funeral Rule enables consumers to compare prices and buy only the goods and services they want.
Funeral homes with price list disclosure violations can enter a training program designed to increase compliance with the Funeral Rule. This year all but two of the homes found in violation chose to enter the FROP run by the National Funeral Directors Association rather than subject themselves to the possibility of a civil penalty action by the FTC. The FROP provides participants with a legal review of the price disclosures required by the Rule, and on-going training, testing and monitoring for compliance. Funeral homes that participate in the program make a voluntary payment to the U.S. Treasury in place of a civil penalty, and pay annual administrative fees to the Association.
The results of the FTC inspections for price list disclosures by region are as follows:
- In Northwest Arkansas, 5 of the 16 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Bakersfield, California, 7 of the 11 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Annapolis, Maryland, and vicinity, 4 of 13 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In St. Louis, Missouri, 3 of 16 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure;
- In Westchester County, New York, 3 of 29 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure; and
- In Seattle, Washington, 5 of 15 funeral homes inspected failed to make a price list disclosure.
In addition, the FTC identified a number of homes, within the six states, with only minor compliance deficiencies. In such cases, the FTC requires the funeral home to provide evidence that it has corrected the problems.
Since the FROP program began in 1996, the FTC has inspected more than 2,900 funeral homes, and found 503 homes with violations, 486 of which have agreed to enter the FROP program, with the remainder subject to FTC law enforcement actions.
The FTC educates consumers in English and Spanish about their rights under the Funeral Rule, and provides guidance to businesses in how to comply. For more information read Shopping for Funeral Services, Paying Final Respects: Your Rights When Buying Funeral Goods and Services, and Complying with the Funeral Rule.