U.S. mulls booting Nicaragua from trade pact over crackdown
“But booting Nicaragua from the trade pact is no easy feat. CAFTA is an international treaty ratified by seven nations and suppliers from Nicaragua, especially in the textile sector and light electronics, are deeply woven into the supply chains of many U.S. retailers. The treaty has no expulsion mechanism, so any attempt to corral Ortega would require Nicaragua’s neighbors plus the Dominican Republic, also a signatory, to withdraw from the agreement and negotiate a new deal in which other grievances — everything from U.S. agricultural subsidies to the impact on U.S. businesses — could be back on the table.”
[Associated Press]
‘Collusion’ drumbeat leads to multilateral probe of shipping lines
“U.S. exporters and logistics companies aren’t the only ones banging on the government’s door to take action against global container lines for alleged service failures and unfair pricing during the pandemic. The clamor from global forwarder and shipper organizations about anticompetitive behavior got so loud that five competition authorities, including the U.S. Department of Justice, on Friday established a working group that will meet regularly to share intelligence and coordinate investigations of suspected antitrust violations. “
[American Shipper]
U.S. and Pakistan modernize import and export procedures for pharmaceuticals
“The new digital system, developed by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Global Health Supply Chain program, expedites the import and export licensing and certification functions of pharmaceutical products. The digital system also generates electronic certificates with a barcode authentication that reduce time, cut costs, and enable pharmaceutical products to move more easily through the supply chain.”
[U.S. Embassy]
New Zealand signs free trade agreement with United Kingdom
“The final agreement, which mostly resembled the ‘in-principle’ deal announced with fanfare by the Government in October 2021, would mean 69 per cent of current exports tariff-free once a final agreement is settled. The remaining exports, which include fresh apple, butter and cheese, and beef and sheep meat, will progressively become tariff-free over 15 years.”
[Stuff]
Copyright © 2024 Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, P.A.; WorldTrade Interactive, Inc. All rights reserved.