Chairman Nunes Announces Hearing on U.S.-EU Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations

David Nunes (Rep., Calif.), Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade has announced a Thursday, May 16th hearing on the U.S.-E.U. Trade and Investment Partnership Negotiations at 1100 Longworth House Office Building at 2:00 p.m. The focus of the hearing is on the benefits of expanding U.S.-EU trade, including through the negotiation of a trade and investment agreement. The hearing focus will include: (1) tariff barriers to trade; (2) regulatory barriers, including sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to U.S. agriculture exports; (3) opportunities for regulatory cooperation and coherence; (4) services and investment barriers; and (5) ways to strengthen cooperation between the United States and the E.U. with regard to third-country issues.

There is opportunity to submit written comments. For more information on how to submit comments or for assistance in preparing and submitting comments, contact me at david@agathonassociates.com or 202-657-6008.

The European Apparel and Textile Confederation ("EURATEX"), last month, issued a position paper on EU-USA Trade Relations, stating "strong support" for a free trade agreement between the U.S. and the E.U." The EURATEX paper contains some specific policy positions that are contrary to the interest of U.S. textile manufacturers, specifically, EURATEX is critical of U.S. country of origin labeling requirements and the U.S. Wool Products Labeling Act. EURATEX also calls for elimination of the Berry Amendment and Kissell Amendment requirements of domestic sourcing of certain Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security textile and clothing acquisitions.