Topics in Brief

• Author: International Law Group

USTR issues reports on trade rules enforcement

On April 30, 2001, the U.S. Trade Representative issued three reports on trade: (1) The "Super 301" report on trade expansion, (2) the "Special 301" report on the protection of intellectual property abroad, and (3) the "Title VII" report on foreign government procurement practices. The Super 301 Report highlights recent U.S. success in enforcing trading rules, such as the successful resolution of the banana dispute with the EU under WTO dispute settlement procedures. It also outlines the foreign trade practices that the U.S. is monitoring such as the restrictive automobile policies in Japan and Korea, and the onerous technical regulations in Mexico. The Special 301 Report discusses intellectual property issues, such as Ukraine's designation as a "Priority Foreign Country" for its failure to combat piracy of optical media, and enforcement of TRIPS obligations within the WTO. It also includes a "watch list" of countries with deficient intellectual property protection, which includes the EU, India, and Russia. The Title VII Report outlines initiatives to open up the markets for government procurement, such as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the pending WTO agreement on Transparency in Government Procurement.

Citation: U.S. Trade Representative press release 01-25 (April 30, 2001) (includes executive summary of the three reports).

EU publishes 2001 integrated tariff (TARIC)

The Commission of the European Communities has published the 2001 Integrated Tariff of the European Communities (TARIC), which is the basic nomenclature for the Common Customs Tariff, trade statistics, and trade legislation. It contains approximately 10,000 headings with eight digits each that describe all products being traded, including metals, live animals, plastics, nuclear reactors, and aircraft.

Citation: 2001 O.J. of the European Communities C 119 & C 119A), 23 April 2001.

U S. imposes countervailing duties on EU low-enriched uranium

The U.S. Department of Commerce has imposed provisional countervailing duties on European low-enriched uranium (LEU), affecting two European suppliers, Urenco and Eurodif. The Department of...