BASSETT'S ICE CREAM PRESS RELEASE 

 Bassett’s Ice Cream Company, a fifth-generation family business since 1861, has successfully opened its first store in Seoul, South Korea and is now looking for opening 30 additional stores within this year.  Bassett’s Ice Cream, located in Philadelphia, is a full-service frozen dessert distributor, offering over 100 flavors.

OIBD’s Korea Office has been working together with Bassetts’ Ice Cream-Korea Office since 2016 to meet with the local rules and regulations in Korea, including its manufacturing facility registration at the Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. On June 7th, the delegation from Pennsylvania DCED, City of Philadelphia, Team Pennsylvania and Philadelphia Orchestra attended the grand opening of the first store of Bassett Ice Cream.
 
Bassett’s Ice Cream Korea targets for opening additional 15 stores nationwide by the end of August to fulfill the demands of Korean consumers’ premium ice cream, which will certainly increase the shipments from Philadelphia, PA to South Korea. Read More
 
*Picture: Grand Opening ceremony on June 7th, there are several recognizable people attended to celebrate a new journey for Bassett’s Korea. Michael Strange (President of Bassett’s Ice Cream), the City of Philadelphia (Harold Epps – Deputy Mayor for Commerce and Sylvie Howard), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania OIBD (Ken Yang and Mike O’Rourke), Team Pennsylvania Foundation (Lindsay Helsel), the Agricultural Trade Office of the U.S Embassy in Seoul (Lynn Larrabe – Director)

NEWS FROM HOLTEC INTERNATIONAL

Officials of the Mitsubishi Electric Co. (Japan), their US subsidiary Mitsubishi Electric Power Products, Inc. (MEPPI) and Holtec (pictured above) held strategic alliance discussions at the Holtec Technology Campus in Camden, New Jersey to reinforce their resolve to forge ahead with renewed vigor to complete the licensing of SMR-160 and to broaden their cooperation. 

Mitsubishi Electric is a global company with approximately $40 Billion in revenue and 130,000 employees.  MELCO’s Energy & Industrial Systems Group, its sprawling presence in Japan shown in the schematic below, was the first major international company to join Holtec’s SMR-160 program.  PSEG Power, LLC was the first company to join the program in 2012 and has been a major contributor ever since. Read More

In early June, the World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, represented by board chairman Gary Biehn, signed into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with WTC Tianjin. The MOU will create a framework of cooperation which will seek to expand trade and investment in targeted sectors of opportunity, including healthcare, higher education, legal services, aviation, petrochemicals, metalworking, and the medical device sector. 

​As reported by the Philadelphia Business Journal: 

Biehn said the agreement is the culmination of a visit from Tianjin officials last June and a reciprocal visit in January in which the two sides talked about synergies among membership companies in areas such as health care, education, and legal and financial services. The deal will put Philadelphia on the map when the roughly 2,000 Tianjin WTA member companies that are looking for U.S. business opportunities. ​

From the USTDA TradePosts Issue: June 14, 2017     

Business Opportunities

Sierra Leone 25MW Solar Photovoltaic EPC Tender Request
Deadline: June 16, 2017

Ethiopian Electric Power Substations and Transmission Lines
Deadline: June 30, 2017  

e-Tender to Install Distribution Automation Test Bed and Situational Awareness Test Bed in Bangalore, India
Deadline: June 30, 2017
 

USTDA Upcoming Events
 
Mexico Railroad Grade Crossing Technologies Reverse Trade Mission 
Date: June 19 - 23, 2017
Locations: Washington, D.C.; Chicago, IL

This event will bring public and private sector representatives from Mexico's railroad industry to the U.S. to familiarize them with U.S. technologies, equipment, and standards. The visit will introduce the delegates to U.S. companies that develop and manufacture leading equipment and technological solutions that can help Mexico meet its rail objectives. The RTM presents an opportunity for U.S. companies to meet with the delegation and learn about upcoming project opportunities.
 
U.S. - Vietnam Smart Cities Workshop  
Dates: June 21 - 22, 2017
Locations: Hanoi, Vietnam

This event will provide a platform to discuss leading project opportunities in Vietnam's urban modernization agenda while allowing U.S. companies to showcase their expertise, products and services that can support smart cities development throughout Vietnam

For a Full list of all USTDA events and programs click Here. 

​From the Office of United States Trade Representative 

​Requests for Comments: Negotiating Objectives Regarding Modernization of North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico

​Action
Request for comments and notice of public hearing.

Summary
The United States intends to commence negotiations with Canada and Mexico regarding modernization of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The NAFTA was negotiated more than 25 years ago, and, while our economy and U.S. businesses have changed considerably over that period, NAFTA has not. The United States seeks to support higher-paying jobs in the United States and to grow the U.S. economy by improving U.S. opportunities under NAFTA. Our specific objectives for this negotiation will comply with the specific objectives set forth by Congress in section 102 of the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) is seeking public comments on matters relevant to the modernization of NAFTA in order to inform development of U.S. negotiating positions.

Dates
If you want to testify at the hearing, you must provide written notification and a summary of your testimony by Monday, June 12, 2017. Written comments also are due by Monday, June 12, 2017. A hearing will be held at 9 a.m. in the Main Hearing Room of the United States International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20436, on Tuesday, June 27, 2017.

Addresses
You should submit notifications of intent to testify and written comments through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments in part 3 below. For alternatives to on-line submissions, please contact Yvonne Jamison, Trade Policy Staff Committee, at (202) 395-3475.

For Further Information Contact
For procedural questions concerning written comments or participation in the public hearing, contact Yvonne Jamison at (202) 395-3475. Direct all other questions regarding this notice to Daniel Watson, Deputy Assistant United States Trade Representative for North America, at (202) 395-9587.

Supplementary Information
1. Background
The United States commenced bilateral trade negotiations with Canada more than 30 years ago, resulting in the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on January 1, 1989. In 1991, bilateral talks began with Mexico, which Canada joined. The NAFTA followed, entering into force on January 1, 1994. Tariffs were eliminated progressively and all duties and quantitative restrictions, with the exception of those on a limited number of agricultural products traded with Canada, were eliminated by 2008. NAFTA also includes chapters covering rules of origin, customs procedures, agriculture and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, government procurement, investment, trade in services, protection of intellectual property rights, and dispute settlement procedures. For the full NAFTA text, please see https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/Home/Texts-of-the-Agreement/North-American-Free-Trade-Agreement.

On May 18, 2017, following consultations with relevant Congressional committees, the U.S. Trade Representative informed Congress that the President intends to commence negotiations with Canada and Mexico with respect to the NAFTA.

2. Public Comment and Hearing
To assist USTR as it develops its negotiating objectives and positions for the agreement, the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) invites interested persons to submit comments and/or oral testimony at a public hearing on matters relevant to the modernization of the NAFTA. In particular, the TPSC invites comments addressed to:

• (a) General and product-specific negotiating objectives for Canada and Mexico in the context of a NAFTA modernization.
• (b) Economic costs and benefits to U.S. producers and consumers of removal of any remaining tariffs and removal or reduction of non-tariff barriers on articles traded with Canada and Mexico.
• (c) Treatment of specific goods (described by HTSUS numbers), including comments on--
• (1) Product-specific import or export interests or barriers,
• (2) Experience with particular measures that should be addressed in negotiations, and
• (3) Addressing any remaining tariffs on articles traded with Canada, including ways to address export priorities and import sensitivities related to Canada and Mexico in the context of the NAFTA.
• (d) Customs and trade facilitation issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (e) Appropriate modifications to rules of origin or origin procedures for NAFTA qualifying goods.
• (f) Any unwarranted sanitary and phytosanitary measures and technical barriers to trade imposed by Canada and Mexico that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (g) Relevant barriers to trade in services between the United States and Canada and Mexico that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (h) Relevant digital trade issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (i) Relevant trade-related intellectual property rights issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (j) Relevant investment issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (k) Relevant competition-related matters that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (l) Relevant government procurement issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (m) Relevant environmental issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (n) Relevant labor issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (o) Issues of particular relevance to small and medium-sized businesses that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (p) Relevant trade remedy issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.
• (q) Relevant state-owned enterprise issues that should be addressed in the negotiations.

​
USTR must receive written comments no later than Monday, June 12, 2017.

A hearing will be held on Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in the Main Hearing Room at the U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E St. SW., Washington, DC 20436. If necessary, the hearing will continue on the next business day. Persons wishing to testify orally at the hearing must provide written notification of their intention by Monday, June 12, 2017. The intent to testify notification must be made in the “Type Comment” field under docket number USTR-2017-0006 on the regulations.gov Web site and should include the name, address and telephone number of the person presenting the testimony. You should attach a summary of the testimony by using the “Upload File” field. The name of the file also should include who will be presenting the testimony. Remarks at the hearing should be limited to no more than five minutes to allow for possible questions from the TPSC.

You should submit all documents in accordance with the instructions in section 3 below.

3. Requirements for Submissions
Persons submitting a notification of intent to testify and/or written comments must do so in English and must identify (on the first page of the submission) “NAFTA Negotiations.”

In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2017-0006 on the home page and click “search.” The site will provide a search-results page listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to this notice and click on the link entitled “Comment Now!” (For further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on “How to Use This Site” on the left side of the home page.)

The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments by filling in a “Type Comment” field, or by attaching a document using an “Upload File” field. USTR prefers that comments be provided in an attached document. If a document is attached, it is sufficient to type “See attached” in the “Type Comment” field. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in a different application, please indicate the name of the application in the “Type Comment” field.

For any comments submitted electronically containing business confidential information, the file name of the business confidential version should begin with the characters “BC.” Any page containing business confidential information must be clearly marked “BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL” on the top of that page. Filers of submissions containing business confidential information must also submit a public version of their comments. The file name of the public version should begin with the character “P.” The “BC” and “P” should be followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments. Filers submitting comments containing no business confidential information should name their file using the name of the person or entity submitting the comments.

Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a cover letter in the comments themselves. Similarly, to the extent possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.

As noted above, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through www.regulations.gov. Any alternative arrangements must be made with Yvonne Jamison in advance of transmitting the comments. You can contact Ms. Jamison at (202) 395-3475. General information concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.

Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public inspection, except business confidential information. Comments may be viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant docket number in the search field on the home page.

Additional Info | Comment Now (via regulations.gov)

NATIONAL U.S.-ARAB CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESS RELEASE ​

Washington, D.C. -- In an interview this weekend published by Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper about U.S.-Saudi economic relations during President Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, David Hamod, President & CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC), discussed the Kingdom's historical relations with the United States, its changing economic priorities and strategy, and opportunities for U.S. businesses in Saudi Arabia.
 
Q: What is your assessment of Saudi - American economic relations, and what is the main purpose of the U.S. business visit to the Kingdom?
A: For decades, America's commercial relations with Saudi Arabia have served as the bedrock of trade and investment with the Arab world. This special relationship is based on mutual interests and shared goals, and longstanding commitments from both sides have ensured a strong, steady, and stable partnership during even the most challenging times in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
 
This week's visit will help to forge personal and professional bonds between President Trump and Saudi Arabia's leadership. I believe that these new friendships will stand the test of time -- and politics -- to take the Saudi - U.S. relationship to the next level.

Many of our Chamber's companies will be in Saudi Arabia this week in conjunction with President Trump's visit. The presence of these companies in Riyadh should send a strong message that, in my opinion, the commercial relationship is every bit as important as the security relationship. In fact, over the long-term, the commercial relationship may be even more important because commerce is key to creating new jobs that will grow the economy in the Kingdom for decades to come.

Q: What is the size of U.S. exports to Saudi Arabia?
A: U.S. goods exports to Saudi Arabia dipped a little last year, to US $18 billion. This dip was consistent with the downturn in the global economy, exacerbated by relatively low oil prices, which had a dampening effect on some U.S. businesses. But for the most part, bad news was overshadowed by good news:

• The top two MENA export destinations - Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - accounted for nearly two-thirds of total U.S. goods exports to the 22 countries of the Arab world. This statistic highlights the importance of the Saudi market for the United States.

• In a review of top markets for U.S. products around the world, the MENA region was on par with Canada, to which U.S. exports dropped only five percent in 2016. U.S. exports to Russia and Australia, by comparison, dropped 18 percent and 11 percent, respectively.

 
In other words, despite the challenges in the Middle East last year, this region remained one of the most attractive and reliable markets for U.S. goods and services.
 
(NUSACC's analysis of U.S.-Saudi trade may be found HERE.)

Q: What does the future hold for the Kingdom and the USA, according to Saudi Vision 2030?
A: Historically, the Saudi - U.S. commercial relationship has been constructed on four pillars: Oil & gas, defense & security, infrastructure, and consumerism. The people of Saudi Arabia have trusted American brands for decades because these products are known for quality, value, and reliability.
These four pillars will continue to be important, of course, but Saudi Vision 2030 will encourage some significant changes:

• It will hasten Saudi Arabia's transition from a hydrocarbons-based economy to a knowledge-based economy.

• Such diversification will serve as a catalyst for what I call the "Quality of Life Sectors" that matter to every Saudi family: health care, education, housing, recreation & entertainment, tourism, and a forward-looking infrastructure (light rail, railways, airports, ports, roads, etc.).

• It will move away from the traditional model of consumerism - in which Saudis purchase goods produced by other nations - and place much more emphasis on partnerships that attract investment and stimulate research & development (R&D).

• No longer will the Government of Saudi Arabia serve as the engine of growth for the Kingdom. Instead, the focus will shift to the private sector, where businesses will become the new economic drivers. This is the type of system that we have in the United States, and President Trump is keen to partner with Saudi Arabia in this transition.

 
Saudi Vision 2030, in a word, is all about youth. Young men and women in Saudi Arabia represent the future of the Kingdom. As such, they need to cherish and protect their heritage while, at the same time, blaze new trails as entrepreneurs. They must also be invested in their communities through productive employment, which is why the Kingdom's new focus on small and medium-sized enterprises is so vitally important. In my humble opinion, no one in the world does entrepreneurship or community service as well as the Americans do, and we look forward to the opportunity to share our experience and expertise with our Saudi counterparts.
 
For more information on NUSACC and its mission, please click HERE.


The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, widely regarded as the voice of American business in the Arab world, is in touch with business communities across the United States and serves as the U.S. point of contact for the national chambers of commerce in the 22 Arab nations. On a daily basis, NUSACC works closely with leaders throughout the Arab world, as well as high-level decision makers in the U.S. business community, public policy research centers, multilateral institutions, nongovernmental organizations, media, and the U.S. Government.

​On May 18th, the Philadelphia Business Journal reported that the Philadelphia Department of Commerce will be participating in a three week trade and investment mission to Asia beginning May 23rd.