U.S. gives consumers day to sound off on bad imports
115757
The Bush administration will conduct a meeting this fall to hear Americans' advice on how to stem a wave of unsafe imports from China and other countries, officials said on Thursday.
425419
A torrent of toy recalls this year is due in part to U.S. trade agreements encouraging American toymakers to cut costs by shifting production overseas, the watchdog group Public Citizen said on Wednesday.
671352
Focus on the consumer's everyday needs.
556393
(InfoWorld) - A U.S. government official played down reports that the U.S. is considering taking the European Union to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the imposition of new duties on high-tech imports such as flat-screen monitors and digital set-top boxes. âThe U.S. has expressed its concern about the E.U. proposal to apply duties to sophisticated products covered by the Information Technology Agreement (ITA),â the official, based at the U.S. embassy in Brussels, said in a telephone interview Friday. He said taking the issue to the WTO, the worldâs trade arbitrator based in Geneva, is still a possibility. âOur options are open,â he said, but added that many concerns about trade matters do not end up as WTO cases. The ITA was signed by most countries producing IT products in 1997. It sets tariffs on goods designed for businesses at zero in order to help spur economic growth. However, as the price of items such as flat-screen monitors has fallen in recent years, they are increasingly being bought by consumers. The E.U. has started to reclassify some equipment as consumer goods, which require import tariffs of around 10 percent. Applying a tariff to new types of goods could potentially lead to higher prices, unless the vendor or manufacturer shoulders the additional cost. The European Commission, the E.U.'s representative body on trade matters, defended its actions. The E.U. classifies products on the basis of "objective criteria," Peter Power, the Commissionâs trade spokesman in a statement. "U.S. claims of E.U. re-classifying products in violation of ITA commitments are unfounded,â he said, adding that the EU "respects the spirit of the ITA" when classifying new technologies. TheÂ E.U. drew sharp criticism from the U.S.Â this week over its decision toÂ dismiss Microsoft's appealÂ of the European Commission's 2004 antitrust ruling against it. The U.S. government official, who did not wish to be identified, denied Friday that the U.S. concerns over tariffs are a reaction to that decision. "This is a long-standing issue for the U.S. government. We've been making these comments about the ITA since 2006," the official said.
711966
Officials call on international community to open crossing points for trade.
192115
Customs warn transatlantic shoppers taking advantage of the cheap dollar not to get caught out by duty.
129178
The U.S. is talking to other countries who agree that EU tariffs on products like set-top boxes are a violation of the Information Technology Agreement.
586408
The United States is pressing  forward with a case against European Union customs procedures  that it believes impede American exports after direct talks  with Brussels failed to resolve concerns, a U.S. official said  on Thursday.
228150
At the core of this issue is whether or not US producers suffered a &#39;material injury&#39;. According to US trade law, punitive duties for countervailing and anti-dumping may only be put in place if
126108
SHOPPERS want clear âtraffic lightâ labels on food to help them choose healthy items, according to the Governmentâs food watchdog.
451423
ORIENTAL, N.C. -- A rash of safety scares that caused some Chinese imports to be pulled off store shelves -- including poisoned toothpaste, lead-tainted toys , and contaminated pet food -- has spiked demand for products made in the United States. But in the case of shrimp , America's favorite seafood, there is not enough to go around.
162829
The United States Trade Representative's office on Thursday sent out letters to key American business establishments seeking feedback on China's commitments to crack down on copyright piracy.
368638
While record trade deficits and lost manufacturing jobs are election-year campaign issues, US exporters are fuming because Congress has yet to change corporate tax laws that threaten their sales in Europe, America&#39;s biggest foreign market.
145220
Consumer groups are criticizing the governmentâs handling of problems with Sears kitchen ranges in an effort to pressure legislators to toughen safety laws.
306904
The United States launched a fresh attack on European Union trade policies, as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) urged negotiators to set aside petty squabbles and address the big picture.
206697
Business groups on Friday urged Congress not to adjourn before addressing key trade issues, including normalizing trade relations with Vietnam and renewing several expiring acts that make it easier for developing countries to sell goods in the United States.
130046
Following recent recalls of Chinese-made tires, toothpaste and toys, the Bush administration yesterday announced a plan to improve the safety of what Americans buy and eat by intervening before imports reach the United States.