Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§7 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Environmental provisions in trade agreements |
All products/economic activities |
Relevant information
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Since the last U.S. Trade Policy Review, the United States made significant progress on a range of trade and environment matters in multiple fora, including through multilateral, regional and bilateral trade initiatives.
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Keywords
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§2 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Environmental provisions in trade agreements |
Fisheries, Forestry, Other |
Relevant information
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In August 2017, the United States, Mexico, and Canada formally launched the renegotiation of the NAFTA. On 30 September 2018, the United States, Mexico, and Canada completed a comprehensive renegotiation of the NAFTA, including the most comprehensive set of enforceable environmental obligations of any previous U.S. trade agreement. These include commitments relating to harmful fisheries subsidies; wildlife trafficking; illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; the protection of marine species; marine litter; sustainable forest management; air quality; and public participation and environmental cooperation.
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Keywords
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Environment
Fish
Forest
Sustainable
Wildlife
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§3 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Environmental provisions in trade agreements |
Forestry |
Relevant information
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The United States has also continued to prioritize implementation of the FTAs currently in force. For example, the United States used a unique monitoring tool under our bilateral trade agreement with Peru in 2016 to verify that a particular timber shipment exported from Peru to the United States complied with all Peruvian laws and regulations. Following issuance of this verification report, which revealed significant levels of illegally harvested timber in that shipment, Peru agreed to undertake various reforms to address ongoing challenges of illegal logging. In 2017, the United States determined that Peru had made insufficient progress in implementing these agreed upon and necessary reforms, and on October 10, 2017, USTR took unprecedented action by instructing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to deny entry of future timber shipments from the Peruvian exporter subject to the 2016 verification request. In February 2018, the United States requested that Peru conduct a second timber verification, this time of three separate timber shipments exported from Peru to the United States. Peru's investigation could not establish that one of the shipments was compliant with Peru's laws, regulations, and other measures on the harvest and trade of timber products. The United States will continue to engage with Peru to address remaining challenges to combating illegal logging highlighted by the verification.
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Keywords
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§4 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Environmental provisions in trade agreements |
Fisheries, Other |
Relevant information
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Since the last TPR, the United States kept up substantial engagement with other FTA partners. In particular, the United States had senior-level meetings with officials from Bahrain, Central America and the Dominican Republic, Chile, Colombia, Oman, Panama, and Singapore to discuss implementation of and monitor progress under the environment chapters of our FTAs with those partners. These engagements were also opportunities to review, and in some cases, update, the environmental cooperation work programs that help to support implementation of the environment chapters of U.S. FTAs. The United States also engaged with Trade and Investment Framework Agreement partners, notably Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and consulted on a wide range of issues related to trade and investment, including trade-related environmental issues such as wildlife trafficking and IUU fishing.
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Keywords
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Environment
Fish
Wildlife
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§6 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Environmental provisions in trade agreements |
Fisheries, Other |
Relevant information
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The United States is also committed to combating wildlife trafficking and IUU fishing through a variety of means, including by using existing and future U.S. FTAs, environmental cooperation mechanisms, and other trade-related initiatives. For example, the United States has consistently raised these areas for discussion and collaboration in meetings under the Environment Chapters of our FTAs and included them in recent environmental programs. In October 2016, the Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 became law, with the objectives of supporting anti-poaching efforts on a global scale, strengthening the capacity of partner countries to combat wildlife trafficking, and designating major wildlife trafficking countries for further strategic collaboration with the United States. [6] The President issued an Executive Order on February 9, 2017 that called for strengthened enforcement, including with respect to the "the illegal smuggling and trafficking of humans, drugs or other substances, wildlife, and weapons…." Multiple U.S. government agencies participate in implementing the President's Executive Order and the END Wildlife Trafficking Act.
[6] Eliminate, Neutralize, and Disrupt (END) Wildlife Trafficking Act of 2016 ... (signed into law on October 9, 2016).
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Keywords
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Environment
Fish
Wildlife
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Government TPR |
WT/TPR/G/382 |
G-VI§7 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries |
Relevant information
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In regards to IUU fishing, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) published a final rule in December 2016 establishing a Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) to combat IUU fishing and seafood fraud. [8] The SIMP establishes reporting and recordkeeping requirements for imports of 13 at-risk species needed to prevent IUU-caught or misrepresented seafood from entering U.S. commerce. The U.S. importer of record is required to report and retain key data from the point of harvest to the point of entry into U.S. commerce. The rule's requirements took effect for 11 of the species on January 1, 2018: tunas (Albacore, Bigeye, Skipjack, Yellowfin, and Bluefin), swordfish, sharks, Atlantic and Pacific cod, grouper, red snapper, and sea cucumber. The requirements for the remaining two species, shrimp and abalone, will take effect on December 31, 2018. U.S. government agencies are actively engaged in outreach to trading partners to assist with implementation efforts.
[8] Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act: Seafood Import Monitoring Program, 81 FR 88975 (December 9, 2016).
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/382 |
S-Summary§22 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
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All products/economic activities |
Relevant information
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(...) Traditionally, federal assistance programmes have been in the form of grants, tax concessions, loan guarantees, and direct payments; they are listed in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), and are mostly related to public health and safety, the environment, education, infrastructure, community assistance, and research and development.
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/382 |
S-III§3 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Regulation affecting movement or transit |
Not specified |
Relevant information
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The United States formally accepted the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) on 23 January 2015. (…) The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) leads an interagency National Trade Facilitation Committee that organizes coordination and implementation of the TFA as part of its responsibilities to develop, coordinate, and implement trade policy. This is the national committee on trade facilitation for Article 23.2 of the TFA. More than 20 federal agencies participate in the national committee, including (...) the Environmental Protection Agency (...)
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Keywords
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/382 |
S-III§6 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Import licences, Other environmental requirements |
Fisheries, Other |
Relevant information
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The Lacey Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 3371–3378) is a conservation law that combats trafficking in wildlife, fish, and plants, and Lacey Act declarations (PPQ Form 505) are required for the importation of certain plants and plant products.
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Keywords
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Conservation
Fish
Wildlife
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Secretariat TPR |
WT/TPR/S/382 |
S-Table-III.3 |
United States of America |
2018 |
Measures |
Internal taxes |
Chemicals |
Relevant information
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Table 3.4 Federal excise taxes
Fund/subject Products
(…)
General funds
(…)
Ozone-depleting chemicals Certain CFC and related chemicals
(…)
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Keywords
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