Archive for the ‘News’ Category

The International Trade Council (ITC) acknowledges the ongoing commercial dispute between Mexico and the United States concerning Mexico’s ban on imports of genetically modified (GM) yellow corn. The ITC urges both parties to engage in constructive dialogue to find a mutually beneficial resolution to the issue. Mexico’s President, AndrÁ ©s Manuel LÁ ³pez Obrador, has […]

Supply Chain

November 30, 2022

When Canada’s Procurement Strategy for Aboriginal Business and the wider federal supplier diversity framework incorporated enforcement of the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs) reporting requirements in 2022, it represented a quiet but significant shift in the landscape of supply-chain accountability. These principles, adopted back in 2017 and often seen as aspirational guidelines, took on a more […]

Australia, News, Trade Agreements

November 22, 2022

The International Trade Council is delighted to announce that the Australian Parliament has passed bilateral free trade agreements with India and Britain. This important step will enable both Australia and its partner nations to diversify their trade relations, as Australia seeks alternatives to the Chinese market and Britain continues to establish new bilateral trade partnerships […]

Agricultural Trade, News, Ukrain

November 17, 2022

The International Trade Council is pleased to announce that the agreement enabling safe and secure export of grain, foodstuff, and fertilisers from Ukraine has been extended for an additional four months.   The Black Sea Grain Initiative, a cooperative venture involving Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations, has proven crucial in curbing the global […]

Supply Chain

November 16, 2022

The Biden Administration’s Executive Order 14017, issued in February 2021, came at a moment of acute concern over the resilience of the United States’ semiconductor supply chain. It was not just a reaction to the visible disruptions that dogged the auto sector, consumer electronics, and even defense contractors as the pandemic rippled through global manufacturing. […]

China, News, Trade Policy

November 15, 2022

The International Trade Council (ITC) commends the Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, for raising concerns about trade “blockages” with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their recent face-to-face meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia.   The bilateral meeting between the leaders of Australia and China marks an important step […]

Supply Chain

November 2, 2022

The EU’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD), in force since 2013, has been something of a slow-burn regulatory force. For much of its early existence, companies affected by it—large public-interest entities mainly—treated the obligation as a disclosure exercise that could be satisfied by assembling environmental, social, and governance (ESG) information in a fairly general way. There […]

Supply Chain

October 19, 2022

Australia’s National Plastics Plan, first introduced in 2021, has always had an ambitious edge, though some would argue its ambition has at times outpaced the practical tools available to those on the front lines of implementation. The 2022 open-data pilot, launched quietly but with considerable significance, marked the government’s first real push to operationalize transparency […]

Supply Chain

October 5, 2022

The 2021 amendments to the US Tariff Act didn’t exactly make headlines the way that sweeping trade agreements or high-profile tariff battles do. Yet, for economists, policymakers, and—critically—supply chain professionals, these changes have quietly reshaped how firms are expected to document and disclose the knock-on effects of Section 301 tariffs. The amendments introduced a novel […]

Supply Chain

September 7, 2022

Canada’s Bill C-9, enacted in June 2018, quietly but decisively reshaped how the country approaches labour mobility, particularly in relation to the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program. It’s a piece of legislation that, while perhaps lacking the headline-grabbing profile of more contentious policy changes, has had a deep impact on the agricultural and technology sectors. […]

Supply Chain

August 24, 2022

In February 2022, Executive Order 14067 was signed, marking a significant pivot in how the United States government approaches digital assets and the ecosystems that underpin them. Much of the immediate media focus fell, understandably, on its implications for consumer protection, financial stability, and the potential development of a central bank digital currency. But tucked […]

Supply Chain

August 10, 2022

The European Union’s Conflict Minerals Regulation, which came into force in January 2021, was already considered by many to be a landmark in the global effort to reduce the trade in minerals that fund violence and human rights abuses. But as with so many regulatory frameworks, the first year of implementation revealed gaps—practical ambiguities that […]

News, Trade Policy, United States

August 8, 2022

The International Trade Council (ITC) recognizes the recent approval of a $700bn ( £577bn) economic package by the US Senate, encompassing major legislation on healthcare, tax, and climate change. This comprehensive bill seeks to decrease the cost of certain medications, elevate corporate taxes, and reduce carbon emissions. The passage of the bill, a cornerstone of […]

China, News, Trade Policy

August 3, 2022

The International Trade Council is concerned about the recent trade restrictions imposed by China on Taiwan. In response to Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, Chinese commerce and customs authorities announced on Wednesday that they would halt exports of sand, imports of Taiwanese citrus fruit, and some types of fish.   The Council recognizes China’s status […]

Supply Chain

July 27, 2022

When the US Cybersecurity Disclosure Act was signed into law in March 2022, many in the policy and business communities welcomed it as both overdue and, frankly, daunting. The Act’s core requirement—that companies report significant supply-chain-related cybersecurity incidents—was born of growing concern over vulnerabilities that ripple outward from seemingly minor nodes in complex vendor networks. […]