According to the United States Census Bureau, the fifteen largest trading partners of the United States represent 73.9% of U.S. imports, and 71.7% of U.S. exports as of December 2011.
These figures do not include services or foreign direct investment, but
only trade in goods.As Under Secretary, Francisco J. Sánchez leads the
International Trade Administration which assists in the development of U.S. trade policy
in the global economy; creates jobs and economic growth by promoting
U.S. companies; strengthens American competitiveness across all
industries; addresses market access and compliance issues; administers
U.S. trade laws; and undertakes a range of trade promotion and trade
advocacy efforts.
Trade Agreements can create opportunities for Americans and help to grow the U.S. economy.
USTR has principal responsibility for administering U.S. trade agreements. This involves monitoring our trading partners' implementation of trade agreements with the United States, enforcing America's rights under those agreements, and negotiating and signing trade agreements that advance the President's trade policy.
The United States is Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) sets out rules governing trade among the WTO's 154 members. The United States and other WTO Members are currently engaged in Doha Development Round of world trade talks, and a strong, market-opening Doha agreement for both goods and services would be an important contribution to addressing the global economic crisis and helping to restore trade's role in leading economic growth and development.
The United States has free trade agreements (FTAs) in effect with 17 countries. These FTAs build on the foundation of the WTO Agreement, with more comprehensive and stronger disciplines than the WTO Agreement. Many of our FTAs are bilateral agreements between two governments. But some, like the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, are mulilateral agreements among several parties.
Another important type of trade agreement is the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. TIFAs provide frameworks for governments to discuss and resolve trade and investment issues at an early stage. These agreements are also a means to identify and work on capacity-building where appropriate.
The United States also has a series of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) help protect private investment, develop market-oriented policies in partner countries, and promote U.S. exports.
Detailed descriptions and the texts of many U.S. trade agreements can be accessed through the Resource Center on the left.
TRADE Securities ratings for Online Broker by SmartMoney Magazine, May 2011 Broker Survey, based on the following categories: Trading Tools (5 stars), Customer Service (2 stars), Banking Services (4 stars), Mutual Funds & Investment Products (4 stars) and Research (5 stars). E*TRADE overall ranked #6. SmartMoney is a registered trademark, a joint publishing venture between Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and HearstSM Partnersh
TRADE Securities ratings for Barron's annual ranking of the Best Online Brokers (March 14, 2011), based on Trade Experience, Trade Technology, Usability, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service & Education, and Costs. E*TRADE overall ranked #13.
The complaint comes as President Barack Obama campaigns in Ohio, an important election battleground state where auto plants have been affected by the duties.
The president's re-election campaign has sought to tie his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, to the outsourcing of American jobs to China, tapping into public worry over high U.S. unemployment that will be a key factor in the November 6 ballot.
Obama will discuss the trade action during his visit to Ohio, where he begins a tw0-day campaign bus tour that will end in Pennsylvania, where the threat to manufacturing jobs posed by competition from China also looms large among voter concerns.
"The key principle at stake is that China must play by the rules of the global trading system. When it does not, the Obama administration will take action to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field," a senior administration official said in an e-mail.
The administration has sought to portray itself as tough on China, while taking care not to push too hard against a rival whose cooperation it needs on a number of important fronts, including against Iran over its nuclear program.
The trade duties cover more than 80 percent of U.S. auto exports to China, including cars manufactured in Toledo and Marysville, Ohio, and Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.
"The duties disproportionately fall on General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler products precisely because of the actions that President Obama took to support the U.S. auto industry during the financial crisis," the official said.
The WTO complaint is meant to reinforce that message and counteract criticism from Romney that Obama has not been strict enough when dealing with China.
The president's campaign has also hit Romney hard over reports that Bain Capital, the private equity firm he led, invested in companies that were early adopters of outsourcing business activities to cheap labor markets like China.
Beijing slapped anti-dumping and countervailing duties on U.S. auto exports in December 2011 on roughly 92,000 autos and SUVs, worth $3.3 billion in annual U.S. exports.
The combined duties amounted to 15 percent on Chrysler's Jeep Wrangler produced in Toledo, Ohio and the Jeep Grand Cherokee produced in Detroit, Michigan.
They were even an steeper 21.8 percent on GM's Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS, produced in Lansing, Michigan. Foreign car makers who build autos in the United States were also hit, including Honda's Acura TL, produced in Marysville, Ohio, which was hit with a 4.1 percent duty.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason, additional reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Vicki Allen and Doina Chiacu)
he Los Angeles Lakers made a significant move that should keep them a contender in the NBA’s Western Conference. On Wednesday, they reached an agreement to acquire point guard and two-time MVP Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade deal that will send four future draft picks and $3 million in cash to the Suns. The deal keeps the Lakers relevant in the West and allows Lakers guard Kobe Bryant to have a legitimate chance at a sixth NBA championship. Nash is seeking his first title. Los Angeles lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Nash, 38, finished second in the league assists per game at 10.7 and averaged 12.5 points last season.
With Nash at point guard, Bryant at shooting guard and big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the low post, the Lakers have a strong foursome to build around. However, the Lakers may still have an interest in Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.
After Deron Williams agreed to a five-year, $98 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Nash was the next sough-after point guard. The Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks made serious pushes to acquire Nash.
It was unusual for the Suns to trade an eight-time All-Star and the face of the franchise since 2004-05, but instead of losing him to the Raptors for nothing in free agency or to the Knicks in a deal the Suns weren’t thrilled with, they agreed to the deal.
Nash issued this statement Wednesday night through Duffy:
For the last 8 seasons I’ve been blessed to play for a team and a city that has embraced me and that I have come to call home. This is a tough business and the only thing constant in life is change.
“After talking with (owner) Robert (Sarver) and (president of basketball operations) Lon (Babby) we’ve agreed that it’s time for both of us to move in new directions. I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a sign and trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family.
“They were very apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization and Robert in particular. I know how hard this was for him and that fact that he was able to help me and my family in this way … it means a lot and says a lot about his character. I will never forget this gesture. Above and beyond.
“The Phoenix Suns are an amazing organization and fans should be excited about their future. I hope the Suns win a championship some day soon for all the amazing fans and wonderful people in the organization.”
USTR has principal responsibility for administering U.S. trade agreements. This involves monitoring our trading partners' implementation of trade agreements with the United States, enforcing America's rights under those agreements, and negotiating and signing trade agreements that advance the President's trade policy.
The United States is Member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (WTO Agreement) sets out rules governing trade among the WTO's 154 members. The United States and other WTO Members are currently engaged in Doha Development Round of world trade talks, and a strong, market-opening Doha agreement for both goods and services would be an important contribution to addressing the global economic crisis and helping to restore trade's role in leading economic growth and development.
The United States has free trade agreements (FTAs) in effect with 17 countries. These FTAs build on the foundation of the WTO Agreement, with more comprehensive and stronger disciplines than the WTO Agreement. Many of our FTAs are bilateral agreements between two governments. But some, like the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement, are mulilateral agreements among several parties.
Another important type of trade agreement is the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. TIFAs provide frameworks for governments to discuss and resolve trade and investment issues at an early stage. These agreements are also a means to identify and work on capacity-building where appropriate.
The United States also has a series of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs) help protect private investment, develop market-oriented policies in partner countries, and promote U.S. exports.
Detailed descriptions and the texts of many U.S. trade agreements can be accessed through the Resource Center on the left.
 |
|
World Trade Center |
TRADE Securities ratings for Online Broker by SmartMoney Magazine, May 2011 Broker Survey, based on the following categories: Trading Tools (5 stars), Customer Service (2 stars), Banking Services (4 stars), Mutual Funds & Investment Products (4 stars) and Research (5 stars). E*TRADE overall ranked #6. SmartMoney is a registered trademark, a joint publishing venture between Dow Jones & Company, Inc. and HearstSM Partnersh
TRADE Securities ratings for Barron's annual ranking of the Best Online Brokers (March 14, 2011), based on Trade Experience, Trade Technology, Usability, Range of Offerings, Research Amenities, Portfolio Analysis & Reports, Customer Service & Education, and Costs. E*TRADE overall ranked #13.
TRADE Securities ratings based on the following
categories: Web Site Usability (5 stars), Customer Service (5 stars),
Research & Tools (4 stars), Costs (3 stars) and
Investment Choices (3 stars).
TRADE overall ranked #3. From
Kiplinger's
Personal Finance, February 2011 © 2011 Kiplinger's.
All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright
Laws of the United States. The printing, copying,
redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express
written
permission is prohibited.
The complaint comes as President Barack Obama campaigns in Ohio, an important election battleground state where auto plants have been affected by the duties.
The president's re-election campaign has sought to tie his Republican opponent, Mitt Romney, to the outsourcing of American jobs to China, tapping into public worry over high U.S. unemployment that will be a key factor in the November 6 ballot.
Obama will discuss the trade action during his visit to Ohio, where he begins a tw0-day campaign bus tour that will end in Pennsylvania, where the threat to manufacturing jobs posed by competition from China also looms large among voter concerns.
"The key principle at stake is that China must play by the rules of the global trading system. When it does not, the Obama administration will take action to ensure that American businesses and workers are competing on a level playing field," a senior administration official said in an e-mail.
The administration has sought to portray itself as tough on China, while taking care not to push too hard against a rival whose cooperation it needs on a number of important fronts, including against Iran over its nuclear program.
The trade duties cover more than 80 percent of U.S. auto exports to China, including cars manufactured in Toledo and Marysville, Ohio, and Detroit and Lansing, Michigan.
"The duties disproportionately fall on General Motors (GM.N) and Chrysler products precisely because of the actions that President Obama took to support the U.S. auto industry during the financial crisis," the official said.
The WTO complaint is meant to reinforce that message and counteract criticism from Romney that Obama has not been strict enough when dealing with China.
The president's campaign has also hit Romney hard over reports that Bain Capital, the private equity firm he led, invested in companies that were early adopters of outsourcing business activities to cheap labor markets like China.
Beijing slapped anti-dumping and countervailing duties on U.S. auto exports in December 2011 on roughly 92,000 autos and SUVs, worth $3.3 billion in annual U.S. exports.
The combined duties amounted to 15 percent on Chrysler's Jeep Wrangler produced in Toledo, Ohio and the Jeep Grand Cherokee produced in Detroit, Michigan.
They were even an steeper 21.8 percent on GM's Buick Enclave and Cadillac CTS, produced in Lansing, Michigan. Foreign car makers who build autos in the United States were also hit, including Honda's Acura TL, produced in Marysville, Ohio, which was hit with a 4.1 percent duty.
(Reporting by Jeff Mason, additional reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Vicki Allen and Doina Chiacu)
 |
| World Trade Center |
he Los Angeles Lakers made a significant move that should keep them a contender in the NBA’s Western Conference. On Wednesday, they reached an agreement to acquire point guard and two-time MVP Steve Nash from the Phoenix Suns in a sign-and-trade deal that will send four future draft picks and $3 million in cash to the Suns. The deal keeps the Lakers relevant in the West and allows Lakers guard Kobe Bryant to have a legitimate chance at a sixth NBA championship. Nash is seeking his first title. Los Angeles lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-1 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Nash, 38, finished second in the league assists per game at 10.7 and averaged 12.5 points last season.
With Nash at point guard, Bryant at shooting guard and big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum in the low post, the Lakers have a strong foursome to build around. However, the Lakers may still have an interest in Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.
After Deron Williams agreed to a five-year, $98 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets, Nash was the next sough-after point guard. The Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks made serious pushes to acquire Nash.
It was unusual for the Suns to trade an eight-time All-Star and the face of the franchise since 2004-05, but instead of losing him to the Raptors for nothing in free agency or to the Knicks in a deal the Suns weren’t thrilled with, they agreed to the deal.
Nash issued this statement Wednesday night through Duffy:
For the last 8 seasons I’ve been blessed to play for a team and a city that has embraced me and that I have come to call home. This is a tough business and the only thing constant in life is change.
“After talking with (owner) Robert (Sarver) and (president of basketball operations) Lon (Babby) we’ve agreed that it’s time for both of us to move in new directions. I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a sign and trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family.
“They were very apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization and Robert in particular. I know how hard this was for him and that fact that he was able to help me and my family in this way … it means a lot and says a lot about his character. I will never forget this gesture. Above and beyond.
“The Phoenix Suns are an amazing organization and fans should be excited about their future. I hope the Suns win a championship some day soon for all the amazing fans and wonderful people in the organization.”
 |
| USA Trade |
No comments:
Post a Comment