Insights on Canada-US Cross Border Business Affairs

In advance of the NAFTA renegotiations Round 3 in Ottawa, Canada, September 23-27, a number of events are taking place.

“For countless Americans, this agreement has failed.” ​​​​​​​- US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, NAFTA Press Event, Washington, DC, August 16, 2017

Planning to travel to Washington this week? Good luck finding a hotel room.

On July 17th, the Office of the United States Trade Representative circulated the Administration’s Summary of Objectives for the NAFTA Renegotiation, a statutory prerequisite of US Trade Promotion Authority.

Arent Fox has learned that the Office of the US Trade Representative announced it will hold a public hearing on June 27 to discuss next steps for NAFTA renegotiations. This will follow a public comment period that will end on June 12.

This morning, in a letter dated May 18, 2017, the United States Trade Representative sent to Congress the long awaited formal notice that the Administration intends to enter into re-negotiations with Mexico and Canada. This signifies that the NAFTA renegotiations have been formally launched.

For the second consecutive year, International Trade partner David Hamill and Canada-US.Cross Border Business Affairs director Birgit Matthiesen contributed their insights to Lead, Reach and Connect, the must-read magazine for the Automotive Parts Manufactures Association.

On April 26, 2016, United States Steel Corporation filed a massive trade case accusing Chinese steel producers and their distributors of conspiring to fix prices, steal trade secrets and use false labeling to avoid trade duties.

The Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016 was voted and approved on April 27, 2016 and is now on its way down Pennsylvania Avenue to the President’s desk for signing.

Autonomous driving, hybrids, and electric vehicles are now squarely part of our generation’s lexicon.

International trade events continue to occur at break neck speed. The Toronto International Auto Show takes place later this week, on the heels of the signing of the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) in New Zealand.

Detroit business leaders understand the value of product innovation and market expansion. For many of these executives, the official release of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement in November signaled a new opportunity of export growth in a region quickly becoming a consumer powerhouse.

The TPP will undoubtedly increase the volume of food choices within the twelve nation pact. Congress is well aware of this anticipated increase in competition and will work to ensure that US border agencies have the resources to enforce regulations to guard against unsafe and counterfeit products.

Readers of these posts know that we have been closely following developments of US “Buy America” requirements as they are applied to US construction projects ranging from wastewater management, flood control, urban light rail systems, and highway building.

As many of you are wrapping up operations today, I wanted to bring together some of my thoughts on TPP as 2015 comes to a close.

There has been no let-up in the push for a final Trans-Pacific Partnership since the accord was signed by the 12-member countries on October 5th. This is especially true in the US, where US Trade Representative Michael Froman said that the agreement will be the template for future trade pacts.

Free trade agreements have a generic template that negotiators follow. After the various “feel good” provisions outlining the lofty objectives of said agreement, the text quickly turns to the nuts and bolts of the negotiations…

Over the weekend, negotiators from the US, Canada, Mexico, Japan, and eight Pacific Rim countries agreed to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest regional trade accord in history, accounting for more than 40 percent of the global economy.  

By any standard, these are anxious times. For days, top negotiators from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have been meeting in San Francisco and Washington, DC and taking up most of the cities’ available hotel rooms.

Despite the setbacks in Maui last month during the last ministerial meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)[1] many still believe that the negotiators will resolve all outstanding items so that an agreement can be signed by the end of 2015 and implemented in the Spring 2016.

The following alert is the fifth installment from Birgit Matthiesen for a planned series of cross-border trade updates. 

The following alert is the fourth installment from Birgit Matthiesen for a planned series of cross-border trade updates.

This is the third installment from Birgit Matthiesen for a planned series of cross-border trade updates.