Trade & TTIP Related

USTR Announces Conclusion of WTO Quota Negotiations with the European Union

March 8, 2021 | WASHINGTON – The Acting United States Trade Representative, María Pagán, today announced the conclusion of negotiations with the European Union (EU) on adjustments to the EU’s WTO tariff rate quotas (TRQ) as a consequence of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.  The agreement, after two years of negotiations under WTO procedures, will determine how to split TRQ quantities between the EU-27 and the United Kingdom (UK). “I am pleased that we have concluded these negotiations with...

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Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

Trade policy: a lever of the EU as a geopolitical global player

HR/VP Josep Borrell Blog Post | Recently, Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis presented a new trade strategy at the College of the European Commission. EU trade policy can be an important foreign policy instrument: we should leverage our trading power to promote EU interests and values and build a fairer and more sustainable form of globalisation. On 17 February, the European Commission approved a new EU trade strategy, prepared by my colleague Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis in charge of trade, in cooperation with the European...

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Member News

IPTI | Update on U.S. & European Property Tax Issues: March 2021

The EACC, in partnership with the International Property Tax Institute (IPTI), wants to keep its members up to date with the latest developments in property taxes in the USA and Europe. IPTI has put together a selection of brief reports from articles contained in IPTI Xtracts which can be found on its website (www.ipti.org). UNITED STATES Empty Office Buildings Squeeze City Budgets as Property Values Fall At a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen last month, Jeff Williams, the mayor of...

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Member News

Marks Paneth | President Biden Signs into Law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021

Overview of Key Provisions Affecting Individuals and Businesses A $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package was signed into law by President Biden on Thursday, March 11, 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), as amended by the U.S. Senate, follows the nearly $4 trillion in COVID relief enacted in 2020. The ARP includes provisions designed to accelerate activities to combat the virus and distribute vaccines, fund various programs and provide economic support to a variety of stakeholders including individuals,...

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Member News

Tradewind | What Lessons has COVID-19 Taught Buyers and Suppliers

The onset of COVID-19 caught many business owners off-guard. Raw material shortages, delivery challenges, and obtaining financing for supply chains were some of the difficulties companies had to face. Ultimately, buyers and suppliers learned that to overcome these hurdles, they need to work collaboratively. By working with the right supply chain finance company, international companies can support collaboration and streamline operations for an entire supply chain, resolving immediate cash flow challenges that could drastically impact a business. This article discusses...

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Chapter News

Horizon Europe’s first strategic plan 2021-2024: EU Commission sets research and innovation priorities for a sustainable future

Today, the European Commission adopted the first strategic plan for Horizon Europe, the new EU research and innovation programme worth €95.5 billion in current prices. The strategic plan is a novelty in Horizon Europe and sets the strategic orientations for the targeting of investments in the programme's first four years. It ensures that EU research and innovation actions contribute to EU priorities, including a climate-neutral and green Europe, a Europe fit for the digital age, and an economy that works for...

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Chapter News

IMF | Rising Market Power—A Threat to the Recovery?

The crisis has hit small and medium enterprises especially hard, causing massive job losses and other economic scars. Among these—less noticeable, but also serious—is rising market power among dominant firms as they emerge even stronger while smaller rivals fall away. We know from experience and IMF research that excessive market power in the hands of a few firms can be a drag on medium-term growth, stifling innovation and holding back investment. Such an outcome could undermine the recovery from the COVID-19 crisis,...

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COVID-19 News, Member News

Troutman Pepper | COVID-19 and Border Crossings: Considerations and Best Practices for Global Constructors and Suppliers who Cross United States, Canadian, and European Borders

Who Needs to Know Any company with cross-border supply chains or employee travel. Why It Matters COVID-19 related travel restrictions may slow employee travel and logistics, and disrupt global suppliers and supply chains. The decision whether a worker is critical or essential and will gain admittance is often made on a case-by-case basis and can differ based upon the specific worker, the worker’s job functions, and the country. Reviewing restrictions and exceptions of the intended country of travel and ensuring your work...

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Member News

The Threats to Recovery

Previously published in Project Syndicate on March 03, 2021 | Many of the monetary and fiscal measures in advanced economies over the past 12 months were necessary and unavoidable. But as policymakers eye a possible recovery in 2021-22, they must be vigilant about the side effects of prolonged stimulus. NEW YORK – Over the past year, rich-country governments and central banks have provided unprecedented fiscal and monetary stimulus to help mitigate the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Getting back to...

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Chapter News

IMF | Keeping it Local: A Secure and Stable Way to Access Financing

Paychecks for teachers, new hospital equipment, social assistance programs, and other public expenditures. All depend to large extent on governments’ ability to fund them. When governments—particularly those in emerging and developing economies—need money to pay these and other goods and services, they often turn to bond markets, where they interact with investors seeking to buy government bonds. A local-currency bond market can make an economy more resilient to sudden movements in foreign capital flows. But borrowing in foreign currencies in international bond...

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