News

High-Level Steering Group Meeting

The U.S. Food and Agriculture Dialogue for Trade High-Level Steering Group held a successful meeting with Tiger Minsok Chu, President of the Korea International Trade Association. The Steering Group discussed with Mr. Chu discussed cooperative efforts that U.S. and Korean industry can take to support bilateral trade and potential pending renegotiation of the Korean-U.S. Free Trade Agreement. During the meeting Mr. Chu expressed his support for the bilateral relationship and his hope that growing trade and investment ties between the United States and Korea will not be damaged in any upcoming talks.

U.S. ITA Request for Advisory Committee Nominations

The International Trade Administration is requesting nominations for the Advisory Committee on Supply Chain Competitiveness. The Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce on the necessary elements of a comprehensive policy approach to supply chain competitiveness designed to support U.S. supply chains for goods and services in the domestic and global economy, and provides advice to the Secretary on regulatory policies and programs and investment priorities that affect the competitiveness of U.S. supply chains.

Applications must be received before 5:00pm on January 12, 2018. See the Federal Register posting here.

Intersessional Round of NAFTA Negotiations

Representatives from Canada, the United States, and Mexico met in Washington D.C. this week to try to make progress on less contentious chapters of NAFTA after last month’s Mexico City Round failed to resolve major differences. This weeks meeting was meant to discuss and solve technical issues within areas deemed as non-controversial between the three parties. Talks are expected to continue in late January in Montreal where negotiators will try to make progress in order to wrap up discussions by the self-imposed March deadline.