On May 17, 2016, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) published in the Federal Register a determination that certain warp stretch woven rayon blend fabrics, as specified in the Federal Register document, are not available in commercial quantities in a timely manner in the CAFTA-DR countries. The products will be added to the list in Annex 3.25 of the CAFTA-DR Agreement in unrestricted quantities.
On April 6, 2016, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), published in the Federal Register a notice announcing that the NMFS Assistant Administrator has issued new five-year affirmative findings for the Governments of Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Spain (“The Nations”) under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). These new five-year affirmative findings will allow yellowfin tuna and yellowfin tuna products harvested in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) in…
On December 30, 2015, the Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Department of Defense (DoD) published in the Federal Register a final rule [Docket DARS–2015–0066] amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to incorporate increased thresholds for application of the WTO Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, as determined by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). Every two years, the trade agreements thresholds are escalated according to a predetermined formula set forth in the…
On December 15, 2015, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice of determination of procurement thresholds for calendar years 2016 and 2017. Executive Order 12260 requires the USTR to set the U.S. dollar thresholds for application of Title III of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended (19 U.S.C. 2511 et seq.), which implements U.S. trade agreement obligations, including those under the WTO Agreement on Government…
On December 11, 2015, the Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice of its determination of the trade surplus in certain sugar and syrup goods and sugar containing products of Chile, Morocco, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, Colombia, and Panama. As described in the notice, the level of a country’s trade surplus in these goods relates to the quantity of sugar and syrup goods…
On January 26, 2015, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice advising the public that effective September 19, 2014, at the request of the United States, the arbitral panel reviewing the U.S. challenge to Guatemala’s breach of its obligations under Article 16.2.1(a) of the Dominican Republic—Central America—United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA–DR) has begun its review. Although USTR will accept any comments received during the course of…
On 27 October 2014, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) announced that in a final round of negotiations held in Guatemala City on 14 and 15 October 2014, delegations from the EFTA States and Guatemala substantially concluded free trade negotiations within the framework of the EFTA-Central America Free Trade Agreement (FTA). In intensive discussions, held over two days, the two sides managed to reach an agreement on the remaining outstanding issues, mainly in relation to…
On 27 September 2014, the Official Journal published Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1015/2014 of 22 July 2014 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences, and repealing Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 154/2013 and Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 1016/2014 of 22 July 2014 amending Annex II to Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of…
On September 18, 2014, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced that the United States is proceeding with a labor enforcement case against Guatemala under the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR). The announcement said that: The United States has engaged extensively with Guatemala in an effort to improve labor law enforcement. This engagement led to the signing of a groundbreaking Enforcement Plan between the United States and Guatemala in April 2013. Over the…
On March 19, 2014, the US Department of State (State) published in the Federal Register a notification of the Eighth Meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council of the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and request for comments [Public Notice: 8661]. State and the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that the parties to the CAFTA-DR intend to hold the eighth meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council (Council)…