On 17 June 2014, the World Trade Organization (WTO) announced that on 16 June 2014, Morocco notified the WTO’s Committee on Safeguards that it initiated on 11 June 2014 a safeguard investigation on cold-rolled sheets and plated or coated sheets. Further information is available in document G/SG/N/6/MAR/8. The WTO points out that: A safeguard investigation seeks to determine whether increased imports of a product are causing, or is threatening to cause, serious injury to a…
On December 18, 2013, The Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) published in the Federal Register a notice of determination of procurement thresholds for implementation of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended (TAA, 19 U.S.C. 2511 et seq.). Executive Order 12260 requires USTR to set the US dollar thresholds for application of Title III of the TAA, which implements US trade agreement obligations, including those under the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement,…
CSMS #13-000615 dated December 18, 2013 announced that each Free Trade Agreement (FTA) page on CBp.gov has been updated and expanded to include the following documents: Implementation Instructions Attachment A (Certification of Origin) General Note Link (Always current) Regulation Link (Always current) Agreement Text USITC Report (Includes the General note, the goods that went free immediately and the phase-out schedule to determine future duty rates.) Summaries and Reports (USTR) Implementation Act (The public law.) Presidential…
On November 21, 2013, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) announced that USTR Michael Froman and Moroccan Minister of Economy and Finance Mohamed Boussaid signed a Trade Facilitation Agreement that represents a forward-leaning, 21st century agreement on modernizing customs practices. The agreement, which builds on the United States-Morocco Free Trade Agreement (FTA), includes provisions covering internet publication, transit, transparency with respect to penalties, and other issues that will further boost Morocco’s competitiveness and…
On 24 October 2013, the European Commission announced that it had adopted proposals to extend the partial exemption from duty drawback prohibition in the origin protocols to the Association Agreements with Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia until 31 December 2015. These measures continue to allow imports free of customs duty into the EU of products originating in these countries, without them having to levy full customs duty on imported materials used in the…