Dear International Trade and Investment Committee Members,
Here are the international trade and investment articles and publications of interest for the week of August 11 to August 17. This week’s edition has been curated by Alexandra Logvin. Alexandra is an associate at Fasken Martineau in Ottawa, practising primarily in the areas of international trade law, investment law, commercial litigation, and arbitration.
News of Note
- Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, in his speech at the opening session of Entrepreneur Week in Mexico City on 11 August 2014, said: “By locking-in countries’ obligations on trade practices, the WTO safeguards important business interests and increases the stability businesses need to flourish.” He thanked Mexico for being a strong supporter of the WTO and urged small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurs to support Mexico’s engagement in the multilateral trading system.
- Canada reported unexpectedly healthy jobs and manufacturing sales data on Friday, boosting market optimism that the sluggish economy might finally be starting to accelerate.
- Britain, once described as the “sick man of Europe,” now looks like the region’s bright spot. Buoyed in part by stimulus efforts, Britain has been showing healthy gains in recent months, a nascent rebound highlighted by the latest economic revisions on Friday. Its improving fortunes call further attention to the new weakness in the eurozone, which is again flirting with the prospect of recession.
- The Safe Harbor deal that gives US tech companies access to European user data is under attack, with US privacy advocates accusing 30 companies of routinely ignoring its provisions.
- Indeed, the Center for Digital Democracy (CDD) is adding its voice to calls from EU ministers for the deal to be suspended – meaning that tech giants from Google to Facebook would effectively be unable to operate legally in Europe.
- Under Safe Harbor, companies are supposed to provide clear notice of their data collection and data use practices, and give users the ability to opt out. But the tech firms are allowed to mark their own homework through a process of self-certification – and, especially in the light of Edward Snowden’s NSA spying revelations, privacy advocates are becoming increasingly concerned.
- Yesterday, in a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the CDD threw its hat into the ring. It says that companies including AOL, Adobe and Salesforce, along with data brokers such as Datalogix and Acxiom, are failing to abide by the agreement.
Government Announcements/Press Releases
- Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz today was joined by the Honourable Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Regional Minister for Prince Edward Island in addressing the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA) semi-annual meeting. While in Charlottetown, the Ministers touched on several key issues, including the benefit of unfettered trade with the U.S., increased market access and trade successes such as the recently concluded negotiations on the Canada-Korea and Canada-EU trade agreements.
- Minister Ritz again underscored the importance of ending the discrimination against Canadian cattle and hogs under mandatory U.S. Country of Origin Labeling (COOL), and the growing recognition that COOL continues to hurt farmers and industry on both sides of the border.
- The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Industry, and the Honourable Shelly Glover, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced that Canada has ratified the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, commonly known as the WIPO Internet treaties.
- The WIPO Internet treaties provide authors, performers and producers of sound recordings with a full range of rights and protections so they can take advantage of the many opportunities presented by the digital world and the global marketplace. Ratification ensures that Canadian creators are paid when their copyrighted material is used in other countries that have also ratified the treaties, such as when their music is played over the radio or on digital music services.
- The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today witnessed the signing of two agreements between Canadian research universities and the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines that will strengthen skills development and build capacity in the extractives sector in Peru.
- The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today wrapped up his successful six-day trade mission to Colombia and Peru, key Canadian partner countries in the Americas and priority markets under Canada’s Global Markets Action Plan (GMAP).
- During the mission, the Minister promoted and showcased Canada’s strengths and capabilities in the oil and gas, mining, and defence and security sectors—priority sectors under GMAP—and celebrated the August anniversaries of the free trade agreements that Canada has with the two countries.
- The Canadian International Trade Tribunal (the Tribunal) today determined that there is a reasonable indication that the dumping and subsidizing of concrete reinforcing bar from the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Turkey have caused injury or are threatening to cause injury to the domestic industry.
- The Tribunal's inquiry was conducted pursuant to the Special Import Measures Act as a result of the initiation of dumping and subsidizing investigations by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA will continue its investigations and, by September 11, 2014, will issue a preliminary determination.
Commentaries
- A new analysis from the MAPI Foundation, the research affiliate of the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation, finds an alarming downward trend for U.S. export growth to Asia since 2009, leaving an uncertain future for the U.S. to regain its trade prominence.
- In U.S. Exports Pivot Away From Asian Markets, Ernie Preeg, senior advisor for international trade and finance, concludes that an extraordinary shift in trade competitiveness could have serious consequences for U.S. manufacturers.
- Recent individual cases between China and Canada have led some people to assert that the ship of Canada-China relations has struck a rock. In reality, it is hard to avoid bumps and grumps between countries. In this context, we should not miss the forest for the trees.
- New Zealand’s global dairy dominance will continue through greater economic engagement with Asia-Pacific states, rather than with competing markets in Europe and America, according to a new paper issued by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI).
- In CIGI Paper No. 37, The Role of International Trade in the Rise of the New Zealand Dairy Industry from its Beginnings to the Fonterra Era, Bruce Muirhead traces the rise of New Zealand’s innovative dairy industry, including the highly successful mega-cooperative Fonterra, and examines how it will overcome future challenges and competition
- He says that New Zealand’s most important export sector would not be greatly affected should the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiation collapse. The country’s dairy products trade has been diversified to include several Asian countries, including heavyweights China and India, and the country will participate in negotiations designed to lead the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which includes China. Such economic engagement means that New Zealand is not depending on trade with European and American markets.