Tag Archives: AGOA

US Executive Branch Update – December 24, 2020

This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases. Note:  On Thursday, 24 December, the U.S. Federal Government is closed, pursuant to the President’s Executive Order providing for the closing of Executive Departments and Agencies on this day.  The Federal Government will also be … Continue Reading

Transition 2020 | Biden and Trade: Africa Policy Shifts Back to Traditional US Engagement

President-Elect Joe Biden’s campaign platform pledged the US would renew a “mutually respectful engagement toward Africa with a bold strategy.” His immediate focus, however, will be to tackle domestic matters like COVID-19 and the economy. Initial engagement with Africa may therefore be conducted through combatting the pandemic, bilaterally and multilaterally, and via the Global Health … Continue Reading

Congress Focuses on a Short-Term CR and Possibly Overriding the JASTA Veto; Washington Hosts the AGOA Summit This Week

President Barack Obama addressed the U.N. General Assembly last week, giving his final speech to the Assembly. He also participated in the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees and the U.S.-Africa Business Forum events in New York City. The White House released a fact sheet last Wednesday on U.S.-Africa cooperation with respect to trade and investment during the Obama … Continue Reading

Washington Seeks to Protect the Homeland from the Rapidly Spreading Zika Virus; Ambassador Froman Heads to the TPP Signing Ceremony; Safe Harbor Negotiators Fail to Meet EU Deadline

Historic snowfall levels kept the U.S. Federal Government from officially reopening until Wednesday of last week.  President Barack Obama, however, met the day before with his health and national security teams to discuss the rapid spread of Zika and other mosquito-borne viruses in the Americas and steps being taken to protect U.S. citizens.  The President … Continue Reading

President Obama Hosts Indonesian President; Congress Scrutinizes the U.S. Middle East Policy; House Vote Ahead on Reauthorization of the U.S. Ex-Im Bank

Indonesia – Washington Visit This afternoon, President Barack Obama will welcome President Joko Widodo of Indonesia to the White House. President Widodo is making his first visit to the United States since becoming President of Indonesia. President Obama and President Widodo are expected to discuss plans to expand existing areas of bilateral cooperation, including in … Continue Reading

Possible Announcement of a Comprehensive Deal with Iran; Greek Debt Crisis Still Unresolved; TTIP Negotiators Meet in Brussels; TPP Chief Negotiators to Meet at the End of the Month in Hawaii

Iran According to the press, the P5+1 negotiators and Iran plan to announce today that they have reached a historic deal that would address Iran’s nuclear program in return for sanctions relief. Though negotiators said that they had hoped to reach a nuclear agreement with Iran by last Friday, Secretary of State John Kerry announced … Continue Reading

Senate to Act on Trade Measures, including TPA; Secretary of Defense to Attend NATO Defense Ministerial Meeting This Week in Brussels, While Ceasefire Violations Continue in Eastern Ukraine

TPA Moves Separately, Senate Vote Sequencing Outlined After the House Rules Committee approved a vote on a standalone Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill – unlinking it from the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) bill that previously failed in a vote – the House passed the measure last Thursday by a vote of 218 to 208. This … Continue Reading

House Passed TPA Last Week, To Vote Again on TAA This Week; The Senate Resumes its NDAA Floor Debate; Defense Secretary Carter to Testify Before a House Committee; Fighting Flares Up Again in Eastern Ukraine

Recap of Last Week’s House Action on Trade Legislation Last Friday, President Barack Obama made a last-minute trip to Capitol Hill in the morning to encourage support among Democrats for the bill containing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), acknowledging to the press that the vote situation remained fluid. That afternoon, the … Continue Reading

President Obama Attends the G-7 Summit; House to Consider COOL Legislation and Possibly TPA; While the Senate Resumes its FY 2016 NDAA Floor Debate

G-7 Summit President Barack Obama arrived in Germany on Sunday to attend the G-7 Summit. The leaders are expected to review the current situation in Ukraine; discuss continued support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity; and underscore their support for a diplomatic solution based on full implementation of the Minsk agreements. Many expect the G-7 … Continue Reading

Congress Scrutinizes Iran, as the Deadline for a Final Deal Approaches; Ceasefire Violations in Ukraine Continue; Congress to Hold Hearings on ISIL; The House is Expected to Turn to Trade Measures At Some Point in June

Vice President Mourns Death of Son Late on Saturday, 30 May, the White House informed the public that Vice President Joseph Biden’s son, Joseph R. “Beau” Biden III , passed away after a two-year battle with brain cancer. He was 46 years old. Iran Despite media reports last week that yet another delay may be … Continue Reading

Senate to Begin Floor Debate of Its TPA Measure This Week; Congressional Committees to Focus on Nepal, Cuba, Extremism in the Middle East, and U.S. Trade Promotion Agencies

Trade Promotion Authority On Tuesday, 12 May, the Senate failed, on a largely party line vote, to pass a motion to proceed to H.R. 1314, which includes Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). After the failed vote, negotiations between Republicans and Democrats continued in earnest to chart a way forward for the TPA-TAA … Continue Reading

President Obama Hosts Japan’s Prime Minister; Congress Shifts From Last Week’s Focus on Trade Measures to Iran (Senate) and the NDAA (House Armed Services)

Upcoming Head of State Visit This week, President Obama will host his eighth Head of State visit, welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the White House. Previous visits include: India (November 2009); Mexico (May 2010); China (January 2011); Germany (June 2011); Korea (October 2011); the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (March 2012); and France … Continue Reading

Congress Focuses on TPA and Iran; TPP and TTIP Negotiators Meet This Week; President Obama Meets with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) On Thursday, 16 April, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) released a draft Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) bill – The Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015 (“TPA-2015”). The bill includes objectives on currency manipulation, settlement of investor-state disputes, intellectual property protections, … Continue Reading

Secretary of State John Kerry to Testify Before Congress; U.S. Considering New Sanctions Related to the Ongoing Situation in Ukraine; A New Trade Promotion Authority Bill is Imminent

State Department’s FY 2016 Budget Secretary of State John Kerry is scheduled to testify this week before Congress on the Department’s FY 2016 Budget request and U.S. interests abroad.  The hearings will be held: On Tuesday, 24 February before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; On Wednesday, 25 February before the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and On … Continue Reading
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