- Table of Contents
- Full Issue in PDF
- Francisco J. Sánchez Sworn in as Under Secretary
- Growing the Economy of the Future
- Containing Corruption and Reducing the Cost of Doing Business
- Raising Export Literacy, One Community College Student at a Time
- Short Takes
- Trade Calendar
- World Trade Week 2010
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
Short Takes: News from the International Trade Administration
Action Urged to Facilitate U.S.–Russian Trade
Michelle O’Neill, then-acting under secretary of commerce, speaks at the American Chamber of Commerce in Russia’s 10th Annual Investment Conference in Moscow on March 24. She delivered a strong message on the negative effects of Russia’s protectionist policies. (photo courtesy American Chamber of Commerce in Russia)
Meeting in Moscow March 22–24 with Russian trade officials and U.S. businesses, Michelle O’Neill, the then-acting under secretary for international trade, strongly urged Russian officials to take actions to ensure the enforcement of intellectual property rights, to improve the process for granting business and educational visas, and to avoid protectionist trade and investment policies.
“As Russia works to modernize and diversify its economy, U.S. companies and business leaders seek to be partners in this challenging endeavor,” said O’Neill in remarks she gave on March 24 to more than 150 attendees at the American Chamber of Commerce at Russia’s 10th Annual Investment Conference. “Adequately protecting intellectual property rights … could very well be the single most important step that Russia can take to develop a modern, innovative economy.”
O’Neill was in Moscow to participate in meetings of the Business Development and Economics Working Group. She and Andrey Slepnev, Russian deputy minister of economic development, coordinated the intergovernmental group. The group was launched in July 2009 after President Barack Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev met to establish the U.S.–Russia Presidential Commission.
The working group’s first session was a government-to-government meeting that included numerous representatives from trade-related U.S. agencies and Russian ministries. A second session included the direct participation of U.S. and Russian business associations. Discussions focused on a number of issues identified by both business communities that can expand commercial cooperation.
During her time in Moscow, O’Neill also visited the facilities of U.S. companies active in the Russian market, including Google and John Deere. In 2008, Russia was the 28th-largest export market for the United States, with merchandise sales of $9.3 billion. In that same year, the United States posted a trade deficit with Russia of $17.5 billion.
U.S.–China Cooperation Pledged in Telecommunications and Green ICT Sectors
Mary Saunders (left), deputy assistant secretary of commerce, and Chen Yin (right), director-general of the International Cooperation Department in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sign an agreement in Washington, D.C., on March 11. The agreement provides for a series of upcoming events focused on telecommunications, spectrum policy, and green information and communications technology. (U.S. Department of Commerce photo)
On March 11, 2010, China and the United States reaffirmed their pledge to continue discussion and cooperation on telecommunications, spectrum policy, and “green” information and communications technology (ICT). Officials from the two countries met in Washington, D.C., and signed a work plan that committed them to a series of forums and events during the coming year.
“It is critically important… that we both take advantage of the opportunity [this meeting] affords us to explore solutions to market access issues, divergent approaches to technical standards, and the threats to the Internet resulting from hacking, malware, phishing, and spoofing,” said Mary Saunders, deputy assistant secretary of commerce, who led the U.S. delegation. “This work plan demonstrates our desire to work together with our Chinese colleagues to promote innovation, trade, and investment in the ICT sector.”
The meetings and signing were held at the Department of Commerce under the aegis of the Information Industry Working Group of the U.S.–China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade. The Chinese delegation was led by Chen Yin, director-general of the International Cooperation Department in China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.
The future activities agreed to in the work plan include:
- A seminar on conformity assessment for telecommunications equipment to be held in Beijing in May 2010
- A series of follow-up meetings between U.S. and Chinese experts on spectrum policy and telecommunications regulation
- Two green ICT events, the first to be held at SINOCES (a trade show in Qingdao, China, on July 8–12) and the second in Washington, D.C., in late 2010
After the signing ceremony, representatives of U.S. and Chinese companies participated in an industry roundtable. The discussion featured presentations by ZTE on the convergence of the long-term evolution (LTE) and WiMAX wireless standards and by AT&T on the policy implications of health information technology.
For more information on the working group, visit the International Trade Administration’s Web site or contact Cora Dickson in the Office of Technology and Electronic Commerce, tel.: (202) 482-6083; e-mail: cora.dickson@trade.gov.
Details of Top U.S. Export Markets Available in New Publication
Basic information about the top trading partners of the United States is now available in an updated edition of the International Trade Administration’s Top U.S. Export Markets. The reference sourcebook, which has been published annually since 2007, consists of two-page fact sheets on 14 current or pending free trade agreements and on 50 countries (plus the European Union) that are the leading markets for U.S. exports.
The entry for each country or market includes basic economic data for the past three years, such as gross domestic product, exports and imports, trade balance with the United States, and the level of foreign direct investment. Charts show the leading U.S. exports to each trade partner by industry category, U.S. market share, and other trade information. This information is drawn from a number of sources, including the Census Bureau, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund.
The full text of Top U.S. Export Markets is available for download from the International Trade Administration’s Publications Web site. Printed copies are available for purchase from the National Technical Information Service. Ask for publication number PB2010-107137.
Contributors to this section include Cora Dickson of the International Trade Administration’s Manufacturing and Services unit and Ellen House and Jay Thompson of the International Trade Administration’s Market Access and Compliance unit.
The International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. This site contains PDF documents. A PDF reader is available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.