Office of the U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk | Executive Office of the President | www.ustr.gov Office of Intergovernmental Affairs & Public Engagement | 202.395.6120 February 24, 2012 Volume 123 Announcements for the Week of Feb. 21-24, 2012 IN THIS ISSUE United States, Korea Set Date for Entry Into Force of United States, Korea Set U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement Date for Entry Into Force of U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement United States and Japan Hold Expert-level Trans- Pacific Partnership Consultations Readout of Deputy United States Trade Representative Sapiro's meeting with European Commission Director General for Trade Demarty February 21 - United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced today that the U.S.-Korea trade agreement will enter into force - that is, take United States Achieves effect - on March 15, 2012. This announcement follows the completion over Breakthrough on Movies the President's Day weekend of work by the United States and Korea to in Dispute with China review each other's laws and regulations related to the implementation of the agreement. The United States has exchanged diplomatic notes with Joint Statement Korea in which each side confirmed that they had completed their applicable Regarding U.S.-China legal requirements and procedures for the agreement's entry into force. Agreement on Film- Related Issues "In a few short weeks, the promise of the U.S.-Korea trade agreement - including tens of thousands of export-supported jobs with better Update on Implementation wages - will start to come home for American businesses and working of the U.S.-Korea Trade families," said Ambassador Kirk. "President Obama insisted that we get Agreement this agreement right by forging a better deal that led to strong bipartisan support in both houses of Congress. Entry into force of this agreement will open up Korea's $1 trillion economy for America's workers, businesses, farmers, and ranchers while also strengthening USTR.gov our economic partnership with a key Asia-Pacific ally." Ambassador Kirk Visits Ashland and Richmond, Read the rest of the release here. Virginia United States and Japan Hold Expert-level Trans- Weekly Trade Spotlight: U.S. - Brazilian Trade Pacific Partnership Consultations Relations February 22 - Today, the United States and Japan concluded two days of consultations related to Japan's interest in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. This meeting was a follow-up session to the senior-level RECENT EVENTS consultation with Japan held on February 7, 2012. Ambassador Kirk gave The meeting was an opportunity for the United States to continue the remarks at the opening assessment of Japan's readiness to meet the high TPP standard. Experts session of the Economic from both Governments exchanged information on topics across a range of Statecraft Global Business TPP chapter and issue areas. Japanese officials also provided further Conference at the State information about Japan's existing laws and regulations, as well as on Department relevant provisions in its existing free trade agreements with other trading partners. Both Governments agreed to continue the consultative process, Ambassador Kirk hosted with additional meetings to be arranged at a later date. a roundtable discussion with members of the Read the full release here National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) to Readout of Deputy United States Trade Representative highlight President Sapiro's meeting with European Commission Director Obama's actions to General for Trade Demarty promote American manufacturing exports and February 22 - Deputy United States Trade Representative Miriam Sapiro create good, well-paying and European Commission Director General for Trade Jean-Luc Demarty, jobs for workers in the together with their USTR and Trade Directorate teams, met February 21 and United States 22 to review progress and plan next steps in the work of the U.S.-EU High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth (HLWG), which was established Ambassador Marantis by U.S. and EU Leaders during their Summit meeting on November 28, traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam 2011. Consistent with the Leaders' mandate, USTR and Trade Directorate to discuss issues of issue leads, in consultation with their colleagues in other agencies and importance in our bilateral services, have been working since December to identify and assess the trade and investment economic value, feasibility, and international implications of a range of relationship, and issues options for increasing transatlantic trade, investment, jobs, and growth. related to the Trans-Pacific During their meetings this week, Ambassador Sapiro and Director General Partnership Demarty reviewed the status of ongoing discussions on options and directed their teams to accelerate their work on analyzing priority options. They Ambassador Sapiro was agreed to continue their close coordination and plan to meet again in person a panelist at the Statecraft Global Business in Brussels within the next two months. Conference at the State Department United States Achieves Breakthrough on Movies in Dispute with China Ambassador Sapiro met with Directorate-General February 17 - Vice President Joe Biden announced today that China has for Trade of the European agreed to significantly increase market access for U.S. movies in order to Commission, Jean Luc resolve outstanding issues related to films after the United States' victory in Demarty a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute last year. The agreement announced today will allow significantly more job-supporting U.S. film Ambassador Kirk met exports to China and provide fairer compensation to U.S. film producers for with the Pakistani the movies being shown there. Ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman "This agreement with China will make it easier than ever before for U.S. studios and independent filmmakers to reach the fast-growing Chinese Ambassador Siddiqui audience, supporting thousands of American jobs in and around the attended the USDA film industry," said Vice President Biden, who spent the day in the Los Agricultural Outlook Forum Angeles area with Vice President Xi Jinping of China. "At the same time, Chinese audiences will have access to more of the finest films made Ambassador Kirk anywhere in the world." delivered remarks at the Washington International "U.S. studios and independent filmmakers cite China as one of their Trade Association (WITA) most important world markets, but barriers imposed by China and Governors and challenged by the United States in the WTO have artificially reduced Ambassadors World Trade the revenue U.S. film producers received from their movies in the Reception Chinese market," said United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk. "This agreement will help to change that, boosting one of America's Ambassador Sapiro met strongest export sectors in one of our largest export markets." with Panamanian Vice Minister for Foreign Read the rest of the release here. Affairs, Alvarez de Soto Deputy Assistant USTR for Intergovernmental Joint Statement Regarding U.S.-China Agreement on Affairs and Public Engagement Isaac Faz Film-Related Issues briefed members of the National Conference of February 17 - The United States and China issued the following joint Insurance Legislators on statement this evening regarding an agreement announced today on World USTR's outreach efforts to Trade Organization (WTO) film-related issues. stakeholders and elected officials "China and the United States today reached agreement on the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding resolving the WTO film-related Deputy Assistant USTR issues. Both sides applaud the efforts made to resolve their for Intellectual Property differences with respect to these important issues." & Innovation Probir Mehta spoke to students at Ursinus College in Update on Implementation of the U.S.-Korea Trade Collegeville, PA about Agreement trade policy and the Trans- Pacific Partnership February 17 - Please be advised that Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler will lead a USTR delegation to meet with her counterpart, Deputy Assistant USTR Korean Deputy Minister for Trade Choi Seok-young, in Seattle February 19- for Small Business 20. Cutler and Choi will continue the U.S.-Korea trade agreement Market Access Christina implementation discussions and consult on outstanding issues. Sevilla met with Peruvian Minister of Development and Social Inclusion USTR.gov Carolina Trivelli at the Ambassador Marantis Visits Hanoi, Vietnam to Howard University Small Discuss Bilateral Trade Issues and the Trans-Pacific Business Development Center in Washington DC, Partnership to discuss small business trade opportunities under Febraury 22 - On February 21, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative the US-Peru Trade Demetrios Marantis arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, for three days of meetings Promotion Agreement with senior Vietnamese government officials to discuss issues of importance in our bilateral trade and investment relationship, and issues relating to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Ask the Ambassador Ambassador Marantis began his visit by meeting with Vietnam's Vice Please send us your trade Minister for Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, Nguyen Thanh Hoa, where stories at he discussed anticipated revisions to Vietnam's labor and trade union laws Share Your Stories in the context of the TPP. or submit questions to Ambassador Kirk at Read the full blog post here Ask the Ambassador. Ambassador Kirk Hosts State of the Union Roundtable Enforcement Discussion with