California to Sign U.N. Compact to Help China Cut Emissions
California's top environmental official on Tuesday plans to sign an agreement with the United Nations to help China reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The memorandum of understanding drafted by the U.N. Development Programme pairs California with one of the world's largest emitters of greenhouse gases. San Francisco Chronicle, April 22, 2008
The Politics of U.S. Trade Relations
By changing the rules, the House Speaker has cast doubt on Congress’ willingness to consider any future trade agreements. Latin Business Chronicle, April 21, 2008
NAFTA leaders, controversy head toward New Orleans
With free trade issues looming large in the race to replace him, President Bush this week convenes his final North American Leaders' Summit, focusing on trade, economic and security issues with counterparts from Mexico and Canada. Houston Chronicle, April 21, 2008
South Korea lifts ban on U.S. beef
The move clears an important obstacle to U.S. congressional support for a wider free trade deal that the Bush administration has struck with South Korea. International Herald Tribune, April 18, 2008
Colombia trade pact dispute spills into Californians' laps
A morning breakfast briefing for a delegation of Southern California business and government officials in town to lobby Congress turned nasty this morning with a bitter war of words over the proposed Colombian free trade agreement. Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2008
U.S.-Colombian Trade
Promotion Agreement
A bilateral TPA that will
lower tariffs and foster increased trade between both
countries. This agreement is a critical element of a possible
U.S.-Andean Free Trade Agreement and of the U.S. strategy to
liberalize trade through bilateral, regional and multilateral
initiatives.
CalChamber position: Support
Status:
Pending Congressional Action Act now! Click here to send
a letter to your representative
U.S.-Panama
Free Trade Agreement
A bilateral FTA that will
lower tariffs and foster increased trade between both
countries. A U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement is a critical
element of the U.S. strategy to liberalize trade through
multilateral, regional and bilateral initiatives. The
agreement will also increase momentum toward lowering trade
barriers and set a positive example for other small economies
in the Western Hemisphere.
CalChamber position: Support
Status: Pending Congressional Action Click here for additional
information
U.S.-Korea Free Trade
Agreement
A bilateral FTA which will lower tariffs
and foster increased trade between both countries and is a
critical element of the U.S. strategy to liberalize trade
through multilateral, regional and bilateral initiatives.
CalChamber position: Support
Status: Pending
Congressional Action Click here for additional
information
California
Legislation
AB 1394 (Krekorian) Counterfeit:
Trademarks This bill would make it a
misdemeanor or a felony for a person to intentionally
transport, offer for sale, or distribute any counterfeit
registered trademark, as specified. This bill would require
the forfeiture of all proceeds from the willful manufacture,
intentional transport, sale, offering for sale, distribution,
or knowing possession for sale of any counterfeit registered
trademark. This bill would also apply provisions related to
counterfeited trademarks to unassembled components and would
require restitution to be paid to the victim of a trademark
offense.
AB 1967 (Torrico) Public Employee
Retirement: investments: sovereign wealth
funds
The bill would prohibit the Public
Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and the State Teachers'
Retirement System (STRS) from investing in a private equity
company that is owned in whole or in part by a sovereign
wealth fund, as defined, or in a fund managed directly or
indirectly by a private equity company that is owned in whole
or in part by a sovereign wealth fund, if any country or
federation of countries with which the sovereign wealth fund
is affiliated, either directly or indirectly, is not a
signatory or party to at least 5 of 6 specified international
treaties:
(1)The International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. (2) The International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights. (3) The International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (4)
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination Against Women. (5) The Convention against
Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or
Punishment. (6) The Convention on the Rights of the
Child.
AB 2311 (Tran) International Trade
Offices
This bill would require the Secretary
of Business, Transportation and Housing, on or before February
1, 2009, to establish international trade and investment
offices, as specified, using only funds from the Economic
Development and Trade Promotion Account for those
purposes.
AB 2312 (Tran) Economic Development:
International Trade
This bill would establish
the volunteer position of State Trade Representative of
California, appointed by the Governor, to promote foreign
investment in, and trade with, this state and require the
Undersecretary for International Trade in the Business,
Transportation and Housing Agency to administer the
position.
AB 2313 (Tran) International Trade and
Investment Existing law prohibits the
Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing from
establishing any international trade and investment office,
unless certain conditions are met. This bill would make a
technical, nonsubstantive change to these
provisions.
SB 974 (Lowenthal) Tax on Freight
Movement
This bill would require the Ports of
Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Oakland to collect a user fee on
the owner of container cargo moving through the Port of Los
Angeles, the Port of Long Beach, or the Port of Oakland at a
rate of $30 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU).
SB 1649 (Steinberg) Human
Trafficking
This bill would require retail
sellers and manufacturers doing business in the state to
develop, maintain, and implement policies related to their
compliance with federal law regarding the eradication of
slavery and human trafficking.
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