Chamber Rallies Support for India as COVID-19 Crisis Mounts
Chamber Releases Analysis of Potential U.S.-Kenya Trade Pact
U.S. Chamber Response to USTR Special 301 Report Examining State of Global Intellectual Property
Chamber Comments on Section 301 Investigations on DSTs
Administration Presses on ‘Buy American’
Senators Introduce Bill to Establish USTR Inspector General
Brazil-U.S. Business Council Applauds Brazil’s Climate Commitments
From the Home Front:
U.S. Chamber Applauds Bipartisan Proposal on Infrastructure
Commentary and Comments:
What the Business Community Wants, Needs, and Deserves to Hear from President Biden
Expanding U.S.-Israel Partnerships in Health Innovation
Comments from the U.S. Chamber Cyber, Intelligence, and Supply Chain Security Division
Chamber Rallies Support for India as COVID-19 Crisis Mounts
On April 26, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce joined a coalition of business organizations in launching the
Global Task Force on Pandemic Response: Mobilizing for India, a new U.S. public-private partnership to provide India with critical medical supplies, vaccines, and oxygen amid a surge in cases. The partnership is supported by the U.S. Chamber and its U.S.-India Business Council, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the Business Roundtable, and the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum. The Chamber’s Global Task Force will also serve as a model to support assistance to other countries hard-hit by the pandemic.
The announcement came as part of a U.S. Chamber-hosted meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs Kurt Campbell. Business leaders underscored the depth and breadth of the crisis, in economic as well as humanitarian terms, while Secretary Blinken provided a readout of the recent call between President Biden and Prime Minister Modi. During that call, which came just hours before the meeting, President Biden pledged to distribute 60 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID vaccine abroad — a welcome development that followed
advocacy by the Chamber and others on the issue late last week.
U.S. Chamber President and CEO Suzanne Clark
stated:
“What we are witnessing in India is a stark reminder that while the United States has turned a corner in our efforts to combat the pandemic, our global partners are facing a staggering health crisis that requires a substantial public-private response. This global crisis requires a global response, and the American business community could not be better positioned, or more determined, to help lead the way.”
“We understand the importance of public-private partnerships to address global problems. The steps we take together can help the world’s second largest country and provide a playbook to combat the virus until safe and effective vaccines are more widely and globally available.”
On April 27, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the U.S.-India Business Council
hosted a coordination call with leaders from the White House, State Department, USAID, Americares, and the University of Washington to share information and coordinate further efforts from the private sector.
The U.S. Chamber Foundation has also set up a
Resources for India’s COVID-19 Crisis page, which lists urgently needed supplies and links to humanitarian organizations doing work on the ground and includes a portal where companies can offer in-kind donations.
For further information, please contact Vice President of the U.S.-India Business Council Amy Hariani (
ahariani@usibc.com) or U.S. Chamber Senior Vice President for International Strategy and Global Initiatives Nisha Biswal (
nbiswal@uschamber.com).
Chamber Releases Analysis of Potential U.S.-Kenya Trade Pact
During the launch event, U.S.-Africa Business Center President Scott Eisner
stated:
“A trade agreement between the two countries would be the first of its kind between the U.S. and a sub-Saharan African country and would provide a steady framework for strengthening our relationships with economies across the continent by providing the necessary legal protections and enduring, reciprocal trade. The U.S. Chamber continues to applaud the U.S. and Kenyan governments for their commitment to expanding trade and investment opportunities between our two countries.”
In February 2020, the U.S. Chamber launched its U.S.-Kenya Trade Task Force, which brings together business executives to exchange ideas, build mutual trust, and seek common ground on key trade priorities with U.S. and Kenyan trade officials. The study, developed in collaboration with the Chamber’s partners, provides a factual analysis of key issues the negotiations could address and serves as a valuable reference for those seeking to better understand U.S.-Kenya trade negotiations in the context of the United States’ economic relations with the African continent. The latest report identified priority issues for an FTA between the United States and Kenya:
- The introduction of more predictability in U.S.-Kenya commercial relations.
- Promoting economic opportunities for small and medium enterprises in both countries.
- Making U.S. goods and services more competitive with products from Europe.
- The economic importance of digital trade during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Kenya’s ban on most imports of GMOs, an obstacle for agricultural trade.
- The improvement of intellectual property protections and enforcement.
- An opportunity to address challenges in Kenya to international trade, including those relating to the regulatory environment, trade facilitation, intellectual property enforcement, law enforcement, and supply chain policies.
- Maintaining African Growth and Opportunity Act benefits for Kenya while the U.S. seeks to ensure adequate reciprocal market access.
The report draws from insights gathered from interviews with business executives and experts to explore stakeholder interest and perspectives regarding free trade agreement obligations on apparel and agricultural products as well as financial and digital services.
To access the full report and to view a recording of the event, please click
here.
For further information, please contact U.S. Chamber Senior Vice President for Africa and President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center Scott Eisner (
seisner@uschamber.com).
U.S. Chamber Response to USTR Special 301 Report Examining State of Global Intellectual Property
On April 30, Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center Patrick Kilbride issued the following
statement in response to the release of the
Special 301 Report by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The annual report reviews the global state of intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement.
“Innovations enabled by IP are delivering us from the current pandemic, and can defend us against the next one – if predictable, reliable, and enforceable intellectual property rights remain available world-wide to secure the underlying investments. USTR’s work to highlight strengths and weaknesses in the global IP infrastructure is critical to a healthy innovation ecosystem. With the Special 301 Report as a blueprint, we can enhance the legal and economic environment to support the vaccine researchers, movie and music producers, scientific journal publishers, software and telecommunications engineers, and countless others whose cutting-edge products have supported us throughout this crisis.”
“This year, in its filing, the U.S. Chamber identified systemic and market-specific
IP issues in global markets like: Brazil, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Colombia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Vietnam, Turkey, Korea, China, and Mexico (among others). We focused on harmful policy realities like: insufficient patent protection; compulsory licensing; inadequate responses to counterfeiting and piracy; forced screen and broadcast quotas; localization requirements; regulatory approval delays; unfair competition law proceedings and extraterritorial remedies; data transfer restrictions; and general market access barriers.”
“Today, we reiterate our concern that the mistaken belief that IP rights can be a barrier to access for COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics has induced some countries, U.N agencies and special interest groups to seek to undermine those rights. Let me be clear: IP rights help – they don’t hinder – access to innovation by enabling long-term investments in technology in the first instance, and by supporting a wide range of public and private partnerships to appropriately share know-how and capabilities through IP licensing. The U.S. Chamber International IP Index shows that countries with strong IP systems have significantly higher innovation production, invention rates, and knowledge output – as well as greater access to innovation.”
“We thank USTR and the U.S. government as a whole for their consideration of our filing and, more importantly, we commend them for their efforts to promote and protect American intellectual property at home and around the world.”
For further information, please contact Senior Vice President of the U.S. Chamber Global Innovation Policy Center Patrick Kilbride (
pkilbride@uschamber.com).
Chamber Comments on Section 301 Investigations on DSTs
On April 30, the U.S. Chamber submitted
comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in response to the agency’s
Federal Register notices on Digital Services Taxes (DSTs) imposed by Austria, India, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. USTR has now determined that the DSTs imposed by the six countries are indeed actionable under Section 301 of the Trade Act and has further identified merchandise imports from the six countries in the amount of approximately $880 million on which it proposes to impose tariffs. USTR solicited input on whether imposing increased duties on the particular products identified would be practicable or effective to obtain the elimination of the DSTs.
The Chamber’s comments address how DSTs pose a risk to the global economic recovery given the outsized importance of digitization and the potential growth in global services trade. The submission urges USTR to press the six countries to drop their DSTs and focus their efforts on the multilateral negotiations taking place under the aegis of the OECD to address global tax issues, including those relating to digitization. The Chamber concludes by reiterating a point included in its comments to USTR last year: “The application of Section 301 tariffs to goods from these countries presents risks for the economy. Unilateral taxes and tariffs put economic growth and job creation at risk.”
For further information, please contact Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy (
jmurphy@uschamber.com).
Administration Presses on ‘Buy American’
In his April 28 address to Congress, President Biden revisited the “Buy American” theme he has emphasized as a candidate and as president, including in his January 25 “Made in America”
executive order. Referring to the administration’s proposed infrastructure package, he told Congress: “All the investments in the American Jobs Plan will be guided by one principle: ‘Buy American’ … ‘Buy American.’ And I might note parenthetically: That does not violate any trade agreement,” he said, in an aside that was not in prepared remarks released by the White House.
In a related development, the White House announced it will
appoint Celeste Drake, former AFL-CIO Trade and Globalization Policy Specialist, to be the nation’s first Director of Made in America at the Office of Management and Budget. In this role, she will be the lead official directing oversight of Buy American waivers as part of a coordinated effort to limit their use.
The Chamber
maintains that extending the reach of already extensive Buy American requirements will have little impact on U.S. job creation or manufacturing output. American industries already account for approximately 97% of the federal government’s procurements by value. Additionally, a stricter U.S. government procurement policy may invite retaliation from foreign countries, which in some sectors would lead to a disproportionate loss of procurement-related sales abroad by U.S. firms.
For further information, please contact Senior Vice President for International Policy John Murphy (
jmurphy@uschamber.com).
Senators Introduce Bill to Establish USTR Inspector General
A bipartisan group of Senate Finance Committee members, led by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and John Cornyn (R-TX), introduced
legislation that would establish an inspector general of the Office of the United States Trade Representative in a push for greater oversight over the agency. Since USTR is housed in the Executive Office of the President, it does not have an inspector general, setting it apart from other cabinet-level agencies. The bill would require the president to appoint an inspector general for USTR no later than 120 days after enactment.
Upon introduction of the bill, Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
stated:
“The current lack of oversight over U.S. trade policy is problematic. The U.S. Trade Representative is responsible for developing and coordinating the implementation of U.S. international trade policy with far-reaching consequences for American workers, businesses and civil society — and as such, Americans deserve honest and transparent trade policy that prioritizes the economic interests of the country and cracks down on waste, fraud, and abuse.”
Senator Cornyn stated:
“Inspector Generals play an important role in keeping government agencies accountable and ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent appropriately, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is the only cabinet-level agency without this critical position. This legislation would put in place an Inspector General to provide oversight over international trade policy, which increasingly affects the everyday lives of Texas workers and businesses.”
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), a co-sponsor of the bill, stated the following:
“The U.S. Trade Representative’s work to craft and enforce trade laws impacts the livelihoods of countless American workers. Creating an independent watchdog at USTR is critical to ensuring that trade policy is conducted in a transparent and consistent manner that benefits American workers and American businesses.”
For further information, please contact Senior Director for International Policy Kris Denzel (
kdenzel@uschamber.com).
Brazil-U.S. Business Council Applauds Brazil’s Climate Commitments
The Brazil-U.S. Business Council on April 23
applauded Brazil’s new commitments on climate and curbing illegal deforestation, announced at the Leaders Summit on Climate by President Jair Bolsonaro the day before. By pledging to reach greenhouse gas emissions neutrality by 2050, end illegal deforestation by 2030, and double funding for environmental enforcement efforts, Brazil is on a path to increasing investor confidence and enhancing sustainable economic opportunities, the Council observed. The Council’s statement continues:
“The Council, representing the U.S. and Brazilian private sectors, has been an advocate for expanding environmental cooperation, as well as national efforts to address environmental sustainability, ecosystems, and biodiversity in Brazil. Over the course of the last two years, the Council has held frequent dialogues between the Brazilian Government, international companies, and global stakeholders to advance discussions on sustainable economic growth and global trade, deforestation, green capital investment, and resource efficiency”.
“We encourage Brazil to move quickly and implement environmental enforcement efforts and continue to have an open discussion with the private sector on climate commitments and progress. We see opportunities for Brazil to take a leading role, alongside the U.S., in global environmental dialogues and climate talks in 2021. There are also opportunities for both governments to expand bilateral environmental cooperation, including access to financing, developing the bioeconomy, and promoting renewable resources for building a green economy.”
“The Council and its members stand ready to support Brazil in its climate and sustainability commitments. We look forward to continuing constructive dialogues and offer ourselves as the platform to convey progress towards these goals to the business community.”
For further information, please contact Brazil-U.S. Business Council Executive Director Cassia Carvalho (
ccarvalho@uschamber.com).
From the Home Front
U.S. Chamber Applauds Bipartisan Proposal on Infrastructure
On April 23, U.S. Chamber Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer Neil Bradley released the following
statement following the release of a bipartisan infrastructure proposal from the Problem Solvers Caucus:
“We applaud the 58 Republican and Democratic members of the Problem Solvers Caucus for putting forward a bipartisan proposal to address our nation’s critical infrastructure needs. This is exactly the type of leadership we want to see from our nation’s elected officials.”
“Finding agreement on funding for infrastructure investment is going to take compromise from both sides, and today’s bipartisan proposal is another step in the right direction.”
“We are especially pleased that the proposal reflects the historic bipartisan consensus to fund our infrastructure largely through user-based fees. Adjusting the fee now and indexing the tax for inflation would raise billions of dollars for investment in our transportation systems. We encourage more of these discussions from Congress and the administration and look forward to continuing to work with members from both parties in the House and Senate to ensure an infrastructure bill is passed this summer.”
Commentary and Comments
From “Above the Fold,” U.S. Chamber (April 27), by Suzanne Clark, President and CEO, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
From “Above the Fold,” U.S. Chamber (April 29), by Josh Kram, Executive Director for Middle East Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
From the U.S. Chamber Cyber, Intelligence, and Supply Chain Security Division: