Historic Pacific Trade Deal Faces Skeptics in US Congress
Twelve Pacific Rim countries on Monday reached the most ambitious trade pact in a generation, aiming to liberalize commerce in 40 percent of the world's economy in a deal that faces skepticism from U.S. lawmakers. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) pact struck in Atlanta after marathon talks could reshape industries, change the cost of products from cheese to cancer treatments and have repercussions for drug companies and automakers. Tired negotiators worked round the clock over the weekend to settle tough issues such as monopoly rights for new biotech drugs.
US Lawmakers Give Preview of Oil Export Fight
U.S. lawmakers gave a preview on Thursday of a looming fight next year on lifting the ban on crude exports with supporters saying it would sustain the drilling boom and others questioning its impacts on industry and fuel prices. In a House of Representatives hearing on the ban, Texas Republican Joe Barton said exporting oil would boost the economy, lower gas prices, and help give allies alternative oil supplies to Russia. By some measures the United States is the world's top oil producer and Barton said the country should use that power. "When you're number one, you use that status," said Barton, who introduced a short, 1.5 page bill this week to lift the ban Congress passed in 1975 after the Arab oil embargo. The U.S.
US Weighing Options on WTO Ruling
The United States is weighing its options after a World Trade Organization ruling on a Chinese challenge to anti-subsidy duties imposed on a range of steel products, solar panels and other goods, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative said on Monday. The WTO backed some of China's complaints, but also found it had failed to prove its case in other aspects of the challenge. "The WTO panel's decision to reject many of China's challenges to U.S. countervailing duties on unfairly subsidized Chinese imports is a victory for American businesses and workers," U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said. "With respect to the other findings in the panel report, the Administration is carefully evaluating its options, and will take all appropriate steps to ensure that U.S.
