Page 11 - SCBJ-201603
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March 2016
said: “Ultimately, a high-standard, free trade agreement only 5 Chamber Urges House to Approve
takes effect once Congress passes implementing legislation Kazakhstan PNTR
pursuant to the narrow legislative scope of TPA. But, even
when that process is complete, our work will not be finished. On March 3, the Chamber sent a letter to the House of
In many ways, the hardest work will just be beginning. After a Representatives applauding Representatives Charles Boustany
trade agreement is approved by Congress, the administration (R-LA) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) for introducing H.R.
must make sure that our trading partners fully and faithfully 4219, which would extend permanent normal trade relations
implement their obligations under that agreement before (PNTR). Kazakhstan became the 162nd member of the
allowing the agreement to enter into force. After all, a strong World Trade Organization (WTO) on November 30, and the
trade agreement that is not fully and faithfully implemented country presents a notable opportunities for U.S. workers and
and enforced isn’t worth much more than the paper it is companies. The letter, which urges Congress to approve the
written on.” bill, reads in part:
Committee Ranking Member Senator Ron Wyden (D- Kazakhstan’s population of 17 million has purchased as much
OR) referenced the new enforcement tools included in the as $50 billion in imports in recent years and attracted more
customs bill that was signed into law last week. Wyden said: than $200 billion in foreign direct investment over the past
“My number one goal, when it comes to the cutthroat global decade. Now that Kazakhstan has joined the WTO, Congress
economy, is to fight for American workers. I believe our trade must act to ensure that U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and
policies must spur the creation of red-white-and-blue jobs companies benefit from the market-opening reforms the
that can support a middle-class family in Oregon and around Central Asian nation has begun.
the country. You do that by enforcing the rules here at home,
stopping unfair trade before it hurts American workers and For more information on the Chamber’s efforts regarding
families. And you do it by making sure every nation plays by Kazakhstan PNTR, please contact Executive Director for
the rules.” International Policy Christopher Wenk (cwenk@uschamber.
com).
Among the witnesses were Sean Murphy, Vice President and
Counsel for International Government Affairs at Qualcomm; 6 OECD Issues Data Localization
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Questionnaire
Producers Federation; and former Chamber staffer Steven
Tepp, President and founder of Sentinel Worldwide. All urged Earlier this week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation
Congress to ensure that Trans-Pacific Partnership countries and Development (OECD) re-launched an online questionnaire
have met their obligations under the pact before President on how government policies regarding cross-border data flows
Obama certifies the agreement and allows it to enter into force. affect international businesses. This survey gives businesses an
As Murphy commented, “I cannot emphasize enough how opportunity to shape the OECD’s recommendations on cross-
critical this certification process is to ensuring that a trading border data flows to governments.
partner has the necessary laws and regulations in place to
implement its obligations.” 7 President Signs First Customs
Modernization in Decades
4 U.S.-EU Privacy Shield Text Released
President Obama signed into law the “Trade Facilitation and
The U.S. Department of Commerce and the EU Commission Trade Enforcement Act of 2015” (customs reauthorization). The
released the new text of the Privacy Shield, a bilateral bill (summary) represents the first significant modernization
agreement replacing the recently invalidated Safe Harbor of U.S. customs processes since 1993 and the fourth major
pact, to provide companies on both sides of the Atlantic a legal trade bill enacted by the 114th Congress. It also marks the first
mechanism to transfer personal data from the EU to the U.S. authorization of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which
The Privacy Shield is now under evaluation by the Article 29 was created when the Department of Homeland Security was
Working Party, the group of EU Member State Data Protection formed 13 years ago.
Authorities charged with enforcement. Their decision is
expected in early April.
9
said: “Ultimately, a high-standard, free trade agreement only 5 Chamber Urges House to Approve
takes effect once Congress passes implementing legislation Kazakhstan PNTR
pursuant to the narrow legislative scope of TPA. But, even
when that process is complete, our work will not be finished. On March 3, the Chamber sent a letter to the House of
In many ways, the hardest work will just be beginning. After a Representatives applauding Representatives Charles Boustany
trade agreement is approved by Congress, the administration (R-LA) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY) for introducing H.R.
must make sure that our trading partners fully and faithfully 4219, which would extend permanent normal trade relations
implement their obligations under that agreement before (PNTR). Kazakhstan became the 162nd member of the
allowing the agreement to enter into force. After all, a strong World Trade Organization (WTO) on November 30, and the
trade agreement that is not fully and faithfully implemented country presents a notable opportunities for U.S. workers and
and enforced isn’t worth much more than the paper it is companies. The letter, which urges Congress to approve the
written on.” bill, reads in part:
Committee Ranking Member Senator Ron Wyden (D- Kazakhstan’s population of 17 million has purchased as much
OR) referenced the new enforcement tools included in the as $50 billion in imports in recent years and attracted more
customs bill that was signed into law last week. Wyden said: than $200 billion in foreign direct investment over the past
“My number one goal, when it comes to the cutthroat global decade. Now that Kazakhstan has joined the WTO, Congress
economy, is to fight for American workers. I believe our trade must act to ensure that U.S. workers, farmers, ranchers, and
policies must spur the creation of red-white-and-blue jobs companies benefit from the market-opening reforms the
that can support a middle-class family in Oregon and around Central Asian nation has begun.
the country. You do that by enforcing the rules here at home,
stopping unfair trade before it hurts American workers and For more information on the Chamber’s efforts regarding
families. And you do it by making sure every nation plays by Kazakhstan PNTR, please contact Executive Director for
the rules.” International Policy Christopher Wenk (cwenk@uschamber.
com).
Among the witnesses were Sean Murphy, Vice President and
Counsel for International Government Affairs at Qualcomm; 6 OECD Issues Data Localization
Jim Mulhern, President and CEO of the National Milk Questionnaire
Producers Federation; and former Chamber staffer Steven
Tepp, President and founder of Sentinel Worldwide. All urged Earlier this week, the Organization for Economic Cooperation
Congress to ensure that Trans-Pacific Partnership countries and Development (OECD) re-launched an online questionnaire
have met their obligations under the pact before President on how government policies regarding cross-border data flows
Obama certifies the agreement and allows it to enter into force. affect international businesses. This survey gives businesses an
As Murphy commented, “I cannot emphasize enough how opportunity to shape the OECD’s recommendations on cross-
critical this certification process is to ensuring that a trading border data flows to governments.
partner has the necessary laws and regulations in place to
implement its obligations.” 7 President Signs First Customs
Modernization in Decades
4 U.S.-EU Privacy Shield Text Released
President Obama signed into law the “Trade Facilitation and
The U.S. Department of Commerce and the EU Commission Trade Enforcement Act of 2015” (customs reauthorization). The
released the new text of the Privacy Shield, a bilateral bill (summary) represents the first significant modernization
agreement replacing the recently invalidated Safe Harbor of U.S. customs processes since 1993 and the fourth major
pact, to provide companies on both sides of the Atlantic a legal trade bill enacted by the 114th Congress. It also marks the first
mechanism to transfer personal data from the EU to the U.S. authorization of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which
The Privacy Shield is now under evaluation by the Article 29 was created when the Department of Homeland Security was
Working Party, the group of EU Member State Data Protection formed 13 years ago.
Authorities charged with enforcement. Their decision is
expected in early April.
9
