Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

Q&A with Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker: Why Trade Agreements are Vital for U.S. Economic Growth

What role do trade agreements play in strengthening U.S. global competitiveness? How can increasing foreign investment opportunities for U.S. companies not just bolster the American economy, but the world economic order and the liberal international order more broadly? In a recent event at Brookings, Penny Pritzker discussed these and related topics with Suzanne Nora Johnson of the Brookings Board and Senior Fellow Robert Kagan. The bottom line is that America plays an extraordinary role in the world, and the U.S. shouldn’t...

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Member News

Employee Error Accounts For Most Security Breaches

Recent research has found that human error now accounts for nearly two-thirds of information security compromises – a further testament to the paramount importance of every employer instituting a robust security awareness training program for employees. A recent study by a well-known information security company captures one of the most common information security fallacies: that information security is a technology problem. Most businesses view mitigating information security risks as falling squarely in the purview of their information technology department. However,...

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Chapter News

Improving the Competitiveness of American Seaports: Request for Comment

Last week, the Commerce Department invited comments from the public on how U.S. seaports can work better with their supply chain partners to reduce congestion, become more efficient, and improve America’s competitiveness. The information, ideas, and suggestions received from the notice will be used to inform a Departmental report on best industry practices that each U.S. seaport can use as needed to improve its operating efficiency. The request for comment is part of Secretary Penny Pritzker’s 21st Century Port Competitiveness Initiative,...

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Chapter News, Trade & TTIP Related

Malmström Rallies Around TiSA

"The recent revised offers and the work done so far represent real improvement, but we certainly still need more ambition. The EU is ready to go an additional mile but everyone needs to join if we want to achieve an agreement able to shape the global economy of the 21st century." European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström chaired a meeting on the negotiations for the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) with 22 fellow ministers in Paris earlier last week. The participants discussed...

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Member News

Prepare for the October 2016 Customs House Broker License Exam Online or Live at JFK!

New York/New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders and Brokers Assn., PO Box 8217, Red Bank, NJ 07701, and EACCNY Member Grunfeld, Desiderio, Lebowitz, Silverman & Klestadt LLP, one of the nation’s leading law firms specializing in Customs law, are offering a courses in preparation for the October 2016 Custom House Broker License Exam.  This course also provides an excellent overview of customs law and compliance for importers not intending to take the broker's exam. These events are approved by The National Customs Brokers...

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Chapter News

Antitrust: Regulation on Interchange Fees

The Regulation on Interchange Fees for Card-based payment transactions entered into force in June 2015. It is aimed at addressing the widely varying and excessive hidden interchange fees which are an obstacle to the Single Market and a barrier to innovation. The Regulation caps the interchange fees for the most widely-used cards and imposes transparency obligations on banks and retailers to improve the functioning of the payment market for all cards. The rules on interchange fee caps have applied since...

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Chapter News

Resource efficiency in Europe: benefits of doing more with less

Many European countries are realising the economic benefits of making more efficient use of material resources like metals, fossil fuels and minerals. But more action is needed to underpin this trend in resource efficiency with stronger policies on energy, material resources, waste management and on circular economy. These are the findings from a new European Environment Agency (EEA) assessment published today. The EEA report More from less – material resource efficiency in Europe, takes an in-depth look at national approaches and policies...

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Chapter News

International Trade in Services

International trade in services - EU trade in services continued to rise strongly in 2015… ... but total surplus down for a second consecutive year The international trade in services of the European Union (EU) has increased steadily and significantly over the last six years. EU exports of services to the rest of the world rose by 42%, from €569.5 billion in 2010 to €811.2 bn in 2015, while imports grew slightly more rapidly (+43%) from €461.6 bn to €660.5...

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New York Related News

Governor Cuomo Announces $743,000 in Grants to Support New York State Agribusiness

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the New Farmers Grant Fund will provide over $743,000 in grants to support 25 early-stage agricultural businesses across New York State. The purpose of the fund, now in its second round, is to assist early-stage farmers in improving their farm’s profitability, and as a result, adding to the diversification and growth of New York’s agricultural sector. "Agriculture remains a critical component of the New York's economy and these grants will help ensure this industry's...

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Member News

M&A Market Update: The Unknown Unknowns

Overview  “s we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns — the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult one.” — Former United States Secretary...

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