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"Reducing Tariffs on Pistachios, Supporting Jobs in California"

05/10/2011 - 3:20pm

The guest blog below is written by Michael T. Roberts, Special Counsel to Paramount Farms International in Lost Hills, California.

Paramount Farms Logo High tariffs can stagnate an otherwise ripe market. There is no better example than the tariff on pistachios in India, which, until this year, carried one of the highest pistachio tariffs in the world at just over 30 percent.

Paramount Farms has followed this issue closely as the world’s largest vertically integrated grower and processor of pistachios. In tandem with our grower partners, we farm 125,000 acres (50,000 hectares) of pistachios in California’s San Joaquin Valley, which deliver 450 million pounds (204 million kilograms) of nuts annually. Our pistachios are sold worldwide under two brands: Wonderful® Pistachios and Everybody’s Nuts!® Pistachios.

For the last 10 years, our industry has worked closely with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and other federal agencies to reduce the tariff in India. Ultimately the combination of commercial and governmental advocacy, diplomatic efforts, and an India-focused approach paid off, and nearly two months ago Indian leadership reduced the tariff on pistachios from 30 percent to 10 percent. This news resulted in tremendous excitement throughout California’s Central Valley, and I had the good fortune of actually being in Delhi to see the enthusiasm locally for this win-win development.

People had good cause to celebrate in both locations. This tariff reduction, coupled with more efforts in outreach and advertising, will result in a dramatic increase in the consumption of California pistachios in India. When India’s tariff on almonds was similarly lifted in 2000, consumption there went from 48 million pounds annually to over 101 million pounds annually in just five years.

Such elevated demand will lead to sustained jobs stateside. Paramount Farms’s operations, along with our grower partners, employ over 6,000 people who work in the United States farming, processing, marketing and selling pistachios. The market increase in India will bolster these good jobs at home. India’s economy will also benefit from the tariff reduction. Paramount Farms alone has already made substantial investments in India, and will spend even more on local outreach, advertising, sales and marketing. This translates into greater economic opportunities in India, along with increased access to a healthy snack option.

India’s reduced tariff and market expansion is the result of sustained dialogue between U.S. industry and the U.S. and Indian governments, and is a great example of thoughtful policy providing a benefit for both trade partners. We at Paramount Farms look forward to working with all of our allies in this success to make sure this potential is realized and sustained.

Watch: Ambassador Kirk on Reuters Insider

05/09/2011 - 10:08am

On Thursday, Ambassador Kirk spoke with Fred Katayama of Reuters Insider about the three pending trade agreements. Watch the interview here.

Ambassador Kirk Speaks to Washington State Constituents at Congressman Adam Smith’s Annual Ninth District Day

05/05/2011 - 2:22pm

Today, Ambassador Kirk was a guest speaker at Congressman Adam Smith’s annual Ninth District Day. This event brings constituents from the Seattle-Tacoma area to Washington, D.C. for a day of briefings and discussions with top policymakers in the United States government.

Ambassador Kirk outlined the positive impact of trade on Representative Smith’s district, and he described how the Obama Administration’s trade agenda aims to double exports in support of Washington State jobs. For example, in the communities around the Ninth District, there are more than 66,500 jobs in the manufacturing sector that are expected to benefit from the U.S.-South Korea trade agreement. Ambassador Kirk noted that today staff from USTR and Congress began the next step, working together on the draft implementing bill, needed to move forward with this trade agreement.

Ambassador Kirk and Representative Adam Smith
Ambassador Kirk and Congressman Adam Smith

Overall, in 2009, the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metropolitan area exported $36.9 billion worth of goods in a wide variety of sectors, including: Transportation Equipment ($25.8 billion); Computer and Electronic Products ($2.5 billion); Miscellaneous Manufacturing Products ($1.3 billion); and Processed Foods ($1 billion).

USTR Staffers Participate in the Capitol Challenge

05/04/2011 - 5:13pm

Today, on a rainy day in Washington, D.C., 15 USTR staff members ran in the 30th Capital Challenge. It is a three-mile race for runners and wheel chair athletes from the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, as well as members of the media. Proceeds from the race benefit the Special Olympics of Washington, D.C.

Under the rules of the race each team must have a senior official of the agency as its captain. The three USTR teams were led by Stan McCoy, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intellectual Property and Innovation; Luis Jimenez, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Legislative Affairs; and Jim Sanford, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business, Market Access, and Industrial Competitiveness. USTR teams included runners from nine offices within the agency. Jim Sanford also took home the award for fastest sub-Cabinet level Male.

Among executive branch teams, USTR’s “Fast Trackers” took fifth place honors. “Deal Makers” and “Special Three-Oh-Run” finished in 15th and 23rd places, respectively.

Weekly Trade Spotlight: Protection of Intellectual Property

05/03/2011 - 11:20am

This week, Ambassador Kirk will be delivering remarks in recognition of World IP Day. Established by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) Member States in 2000, World IP Day Day (officially observed on April 26) focuses global attention on the critical contributions of creativity and innovation to economic growth. This occasion also emphasizes the importance of protecting intellectual property rights to foster advancement in the arts, science, and beyond.

American creativity and innovation help drive the U.S. economy. American ingenuity is a major competitive advantage in world markets. Intellectual property-intensive industries support an estimated 18 million jobs in the United States.

USTR takes its stewardship of U.S. creativity and innovation through trade policy very seriously, and fights for enhanced protection of U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR) throughout the world. Because now, national economies are more closely linked than ever through international trade and new technologies, our trade agreements include state-of-the-art protections of intellectual property rights.

In addition to negotiating and enforcing such agreements, USTR also uses the “Special 301” process to continue a dialogue with our trading partners and to press for reforms and enhanced IPR vigilance. On Monday, May 2, USTR released the 2011 Special 301 Report that includes an open invitation to all trading partners listed in the report to cooperatively develop action plans to resolve IPR issues of concern.

See statements of support regarding this year’s Special 301 Report below.

“USTR’s Report signals strongly the Administration’s commitment to protect our nation’s creative industries abroad through strong copyright protection, reducing piracy through more effective enforcement, and toppling market access barriers, steps that will help boost U.S. exports, create good jobs here at home, and contribute to U.S. economic growth, in line with the Administration’s goals.”

- Statement by Eric H. Smith, counsel to the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA)

“The USTR’s Special 301 report is a stark reminder of the challenges facing the strongest and most reliable American exporters – the creators of filmed entertainment. Movie theft, especially online, is a growing threat – not only to the 2.4 million men and women working in the motion picture and television community, but also to the health of the American economy as a whole…We thank the Ambassador Ron Kirk for his continued commitment to enhancing protection for American products abroad, and workers at home.”

- Statement by Senator Chris Dodd, Chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA)

“USTR continues to shine the light on illicit practices around the globe that must be addressed in order to expand trade in legitimate products and services. We thank them and their colleagues in other agencies for their diligence and vision in identifying such practices, and in demanding that U.S. trading partners adopt legal or enforcement reforms designed to achieve better copyright protection, particularly in connection with digital commerce.”

- Statement by Neil Turkewitz, Executive Vice President, International, Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)

Weekly Trade Spotlight: NEI Tariff Tool

04/28/2011 - 3:41pm

This week's trade spotlight highlights a new online tool for small businesses to take advantage of exporting to U.S. trade agreement partners. Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business, Market Access, and Industrial Competitiveness Christina Sevilla talks below about the new online tool and its importance for America's small businesses.

New Online Free Trade Agreement Tariff Tool Will Help Small Businesses Take Advantage of Export Opportunities
By: Christina Sevilla, Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Small Business, Market Access, and Industrial Competitiveness

More than a quarter million American small businesses export from across all fifty states. They sell U.S. products and services around the world - thereby increasing their revenues, broadening and diversifying their customer base, and supporting good jobs in their communities. A particular priority of President Obama's National Export Initiative (NEI) is to expand exports by small businesses. This will contribute to his goal of doubling U.S. exports by the end of 2014 in order to support two million additional jobs for American workers. We invite more small and medium-sized businesses to join us in this national effort to grow our economy through exports. To help do that, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration have unveiled a new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) Tariff Tool. This is a free online tool available to businesses and the public for the first time.

The new FTA Tariff Tool empowers the user to perform, instantly and at a glance, searches for tariff treatment for specific industrial products under each U.S. FTA. This will help small manufacturers with planning to enter into new export markets. The tool also enables the user to access market and sector reports and other FTA-related information useful for small businesses seeking new opportunities to sell goods and services abroad.

As a small business owner, manager, or employee seeking to begin or expand your exports, which foreign markets should you consider? Some markets are easier to do business in than others. U.S. FTA partner markets are a very good place to start looking. Most U.S. small firms begin by selling to our North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico. However, the United States is a party to 17 FTAs with partners around the world, like the five Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic, Chile, Peru, Singapore, Australia, and Morocco. Agreements with Korea, Colombia, and Panama are pending. Small and medium-sized businesses represent the vast majority of U.S. exporting companies to these countries.

Trade agreements have helped to open the door to American small business exports with key partners around the world. This new FTA Tariff Tool will empower many more small and medium-sized firms to take advantage of these trade opportunities. Go here to discover cost-saving tariff reductions for your product, and consider an FTA market for your next foreign sale.

Ambassador Kirk Briefs Members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

04/27/2011 - 2:18pm

On Tuesday, Ambassador Kirk invited leaders from the United States Hispanic Chambers of Commerce to participate in a briefing about the U.S. trade agreements with Colombia and Panama. They also discussed President Obama’s trip to Latin America in March and his broader trade agenda. During the briefing, held via conference call, Ambassador Kirk gave opening remarks and answered questions. Additionally, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for the Western Hemisphere John Melle, and Deputy Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Latin America Bennett Harman participated in the conference call.

The trade agreements with Colombia and Panama are part of the Obama Administration’s robust trade agenda to support jobs for American workers and to help the U.S. leadership in the global economy. The agreements will provide the opportunity for American manufacturers, service providers, farmers and ranchers to sell more goods and services around the world and support more jobs here at home. During the briefing participants asked questions about the trade agreements, export opportunities in Latin America, progress on the cross-border trucking with Mexico and the role of small businesses in international trade.

The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has local chambers throughout the country and represents 3 million Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States. Members from local chambers throughout the U.S. participated in the briefing.

Ambassador Kirk Throws Out First Pitch at Texas Rangers Baseball Game

04/27/2011 - 11:07am

On Saturday, April 23rd, Ambassador Ron Kirk helped the Texas Rangers honor the anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s debut in Major League Baseball. Ambassador Kirk threw the ceremonial first pitch of the game. In front of thousands of fans, he pitched the ball across home plate to First Base Coach Gary Pettis. The Ambassador also participated in the pre-game warm up.

Ambassador Kirk Throws Out First Pitch
Ambassador Kirk throws the ceremonial first pitch

Ambassador Kirk and First Base Coach Gary Pettis

This year was the 64th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier.

Ambassador Kirk Meets with the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa

04/22/2011 - 12:51pm

On Thursday, Ambassador Kirk met with members of the Trade Advisory Committee on Africa (“TACA”). The discussion included ways to enhance the U.S.–Africa Trade and Investment relationship and the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA). Members shared their views about AGOA, signed in May 2000, and the upcoming AGOA Forum, which will take place in Lusaka, Zambia this summer.

Also participating in the meeting were Ambassador Demetrios Marantis and Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for African Affairs Florie Liser.

Civil War History of the Winder Building

04/22/2011 - 11:07am

By Ronald Baumgarten, Director, Agricultural Affairs

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) occupies the historic Winder Building in downtown Washington, DC. The Winder Building was only thirteen years old when the Civil War erupted in 1861. This year, as the nation begins the commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial, USTR would like to share some of the connections our office building has to that tragic conflict.

The Winder Building, from a photo likely taken about five years after the Civil War

The Winder Building, completed in 1848, stood at 75 feet and had 130 rooms. At the time it was the tallest and largest office building in the nation’s capital. The War and Navy Departments leased office space from owner William H. Winder until 1854, when Secretary of War Jefferson Davis bought the Winder Building at the price of $200,000 for the War Department’s use. Davis would later serve as the first and only president of the Confederate States of America.

During the Civil War, the Winder Building – known at the time as “Winder’s Building” – housed several government offices. Occupants included the Navy Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography, the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Army Corps of Topographical Engineers, and the Second Auditor of the Treasury. The Quartermaster General’s Department, under the capable direction of General Montgomery Meigs, led the massive effort to supply the Union Army from offices in the Winder Building. The Army Ordnance Department was also located there, and President Lincoln sometimes stopped by to learn about new weapons being tested by the Union Army. Later in the war, the Bureau of Military Justice, under Judge Advocate General Joseph Holt, moved into the building. When Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, Holt led the investigation and prosecution of the conspirators from the Winder Building. The U.S. Signal Corps also constructed a signal station on the roof of the Winder Building in 1865 that was capable of sending messages by flag to troops in the encampments and fortifications around Washington.

Quartermaster General Montgomery Meigs

Washington, D.C. Central Signal Station, Winder Building, April 1865

The war was not kind to the original owner of the Winder Building. At the start of the Civil War, William Winder’s cousin, John H. Winder, resigned as a U.S. Army major, received a commission as a Confederate brigadier general, and was placed in charge of Northern prisoners in Richmond, Virginia. Federal authorities arrested William Winder on suspicion of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. Government. He was held as a prisoner at Ft. Lafayette in New York and Ft. Warren in Boston, until Winder’s lawyers gained his release in 1862 after fourteen months in jail. Winder was never indicted.

Over the years, various myths have grown up around the Civil War history of the Winder Building. Some of these myths were enshrined on the historical marker that was placed on the building in 1950. According to one legend, Lincoln was fond of visiting the Winder Building to read telegraphs carrying war news from the front. However, historic evidence indicates that the Telegraph Office was located in the old War Department building across the street (site of the present-day Eisenhower Executive Office Building), and that the Winder Building did not have any military telegraph wires connected to it. It is also unlikely that Lincoln reviewed military parades from the building’s wrought-iron balcony.

Another frequent myth is that Confederate prisoners were held in the Winder Building and that Lincoln visited them there. There is no proof that such a basement prison existed, although civilian suspects were sometimes questioned in the basement.

Some accounts indicate that four successive generals-in-chief of the Union Army (Winfield Scott, George B. McClellan, Henry W. Halleck, and Ulysses S. Grant) maintained their headquarters in the Winder Building. However, at the time of the Civil War, most generals had offices in a building at the southwest corner of 17th and F Streets, N.W. (present-day location of the FDIC).

The Winder Building occupies a key place in the history of Washington during the Civil War. The clerks and military officers who worked there played an important role in the Union war effort over the course of four long and trying years. USTR is proud to call the Winder Building home.

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