User login
Brazil Trade Action Coalition (BRAZTAC)
The Brazil Trade Action Coalition (BRAZTAC) comprises a broad range of agricultural, manufacturing, and services businesses and trade associations representing the majority of sectors of the U.S. economy.
The Coalition's mission is to engage U.S. Congress and the U.S. Administration in support of policies that stimulate trade and investment between the United States and Brazil.
BRAZTAC addresses a number of issues, foremost among them being the WTO cotton dispute, which, if it results in trade retaliation by Brazil, will undermine the broader relationship between our two countries. The Coalition pursued a concerted strategy of outreach to key members of Congress, and the U.S. and Brazilian governments with the goal of encouraging productive negotiations toward a swift solution to the dispute that resulted in a temporary agreement.
The 2010 U.S.-Brazil temporary agreement avoided the imposition of almost US$ 1 billion in Brazilian trade retaliation against U.S. goods and intellectual property rights. The amount of authorized retaliation is the second largest in the history of the WTO.
The agreement rests on five pillars, including initial adjustments to the U.S. export credit guarantee program (GSM-102), transfer of technical assistance and capacity building funds to Brazil, actions on pending trade issues, monitoring of commitments and regular discussions between both countries, and a definitive solution to the dispute. The key elements of these pillars are embodied in a 2010 U.S.-Brazil MOU and a U.S.-Brazil Framework Agreement.
BRAZTAC’s key goal is to engage members of Congress on the importance of complying with the temporary agreement while working toward a definitive solution to the dispute in the context of the 2012 Farm Bill.
Last Version of the BRAZTAC one-pager to members of the coalition as of November 2, 2011
Latest DevelopmentsBRAZTAC's page contains the Latest Developments surrounding BRAZTAC, Correspondence about the issues, Brazilian Foreign Trade Board (CAMEX) Resolutions, Brazilian Cotton Dispute-Related Legislation, Brazil Cotton Institute (IBA) Documents, U.S. Congress Documents, Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports, Scholarship Pieces, and Current Members of BRAZTAC.
11/02/2011: BRAZTAC UPDATE: One-pager on the WTO cotton dispute and the Kind Amendments
10/27/2011: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from BRAZTAC to Senate Members
10/21/2011: GSM 102 Usage Again Exceeds Trigger Set Out In Cotton Framework Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
10/19/2011: USDA Modifies Guarantee Fees Rate for the GSM-102 Program (USDA)
10/19/2011: Brazilian Official Questions Ag Committees on Replacement For Direct Payments (Inside U.S. Trade)
10/18/2011: BRAZTAC UPDATE: One-pager on the WTO cotton dispute and the McCain and Kind Amendments
10/18/2011: GSM 102 Usage Again Exceeds Trigger Set Out In Cotton Framework Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
09/09/2011: Cotton Council Floats Farm Policy Changes In Light of WTO Case, Budget (Inside U.S. Trade)
09/09/2011: Cotton Council Floats Farm Policy Changes In Light of WTO Case, Budget (Inside U.S. Trade)
09/02/2011: Senate Appropriations Sets Sept. 7 Markup For USDA Funding Legislation (Inside U.S. Trade)
08/26/2011: National Cotton Council 2012 Farm Policy Statement (NCC)
07/13/2011: USTR Says Administration Committed to Cotton Deal Despite House Vote (Inside U.S. Trade)
07/11/2011: U.S., Brazil To Hold Cotton Framework Meeting This Week in Brazil (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/23/2011: Brazil Says House Bill To End Cotton Payments Threatens Interim Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/17/2011: House Approves Kind Amendment to Cease Payments to Brazil Under Cotton Agreement (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/16/2011: House-Passed Bill Would Halt Payments To Brazil Under Cotton Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/16/2011: NCC Applauds Defeat of Amendment to Terminate Key Cotton Provisions; Disappointed With Adoption of Amendment to Violate U.S.-Brazilian Agreement (NCC)
06/14/2011: AARP’s Protect Seniors Campaign Video Mentions the Brazil Cotton Institute (Youtube)
06/14/2011: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from USCC to House Members
06/02/2011: Appropriations Committee Attacks U.S. Payments to Brazil in Cotton Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/01/2011: NCC Opposes Damaging FY12 Ag Appropriations Bill Amendments (NCC)
05/31/2011: House bill cuts U.S. farm aid, payment to Brazil (Reuters)
04/28/2011: USDA Hikes Up GSM 102 Fees After Usage Exceeds Framework Threshold (Inside U.S. Trade)
04/20/2011: CCC Amends Coverage of Non-Interest-Bearing Debt Obligations Under the GSM-102 Program (USDA)
04/20/2011: USDA Modifies Guarantee Fee Rates For the GSM-102 Program (USDA)
03/10/2011: Brazil Presses U.S. on Delay In Releasing Broader Meat Import (Inside U.S. Trade)
03/04/2011: Consultas entre Brasil e EUA sobre os compromissos assumidos no âmbito do Acordo-Quadro decorrente do contencioso do algodão (Brazilian Ministry of External Relations – MRE)
03/03/2011: USDA Adjusts GSM 102 Fees to Help Comply With U.S.-Brazil Cotton Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
02/18/2011: House Defeat of Kind Amendment Supports U.S. Government Agreement with Brazil (NCC)
02/15/2011: Kind Proposes Eliminating Payments to Brazil Stemming From Cotton Dispute (Inside U.S. Trade)
02/14/2011: Notice to GSM-102 Program Participants (USDA)
01/25/2011: The Cotton Wars (NPR)
01/26/2011: Why U.S. Taxpayers are Paying Brazilian Cotton Growers
12/17/2010: Senate Aide: Cotton Lobby To Have Smaller Voice In 2012 Farm Bill (Inside U.S. Trade)
10/28/2010: U.S., Brazil Find GSM 102 Usage Below Fee-Increase Trigger Of $1.3 Billion (Inside U.S. Trade)
10/14/2010: U.S., Brazil To Meet Week For First Joint Review Of GSM 102 Program (Inside U.S. Trade)
08/27/2010: U.S. Begins Cotton Payments, Brazilian Institute To Decide On Uses (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/25/2010: U.S.-Brazil Cotton Deal Seeks To Curtail GSM 102 With Fee, Tenor Change (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/25/2010: U.S., Brazil Framework Offers General Commitments On Cotton Subsidies (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/25/2010: Kirk Comments on Signing of Framework Agreement Regarding WTO Cotton Dispute (USTR)
06/22/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from BRAZTAC to USTR and USDA
06/18/2010: Brazil Accepts Framework Cotton Deal, Agrees To Hold Off On Retaliation (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/18/2010: NCC Statement on U.S.-Brazil Framework Agreement (NCC)
06/18/2010: U.S. Groups Urge USDA To Not Change Disease Status Of Brazilian State (Inside U.S. Trade)
06/17/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Brazil and the United States agree to continue a dialogue aimed at finding a permanent solution to their WTO Cotton Dispute
06/17/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: WTO Cotton Subsidy Case Background
06/17/2010: CAMEX decision on the cotton dispute (Brazilian Ministry of External Relations – MRE)
06/17/2010: U.S., Brazil Agree on Framework Regarding WTO Cotton Dispute (USTR)
06/10/2010: Brazil-USA: Cotton Dispute (Brazilian Ministry of External Relations – MRE)
05/21/2010: The Madness of Cotton (The Wall Street Journal)
04/21/2010: Brasil-EUA: Contencioso do Algodão – Comunicado MRE-CAMEX (Brazilian Ministry of External Relations – MRE)
04/20/2010: U.S., Brazil Agree on Memorandum of Understanding As Part of Path Forward Toward Resolution of Cotton Dispute (USTR)
04/09/2010: World Tariff Wars (The Wall Street Journal)
04/09/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from BRAZTAC to USTR and USDA
04/06/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Progress on the WTO Cotton Dispute
04/06/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: U.S. and Brazil develop path forward to avoid the countermeasures
04/06/2010: U.S., Brazil Agree Upon Path Toward Negotiated Solution of Cotton Dispute (USTR)
04/06/2010: US-Brazil Agreement in WTO Dispute Is a Positive Step Forward (NCC)
04/06/2010: USDA Amends GSM-102 Credit Guarantees for Fiscal Year 2010 (USDA)
04/05/2010: Contencioso Brasil-EUA na OMC sobre algodão – Reunião da CAMEX – 5 de abril de 2010 (Brazilian Ministry of External Relations – MRE)
03/23/2010: James Bacchus: Brazil Tests Obama Commitment to Trade Enforcement (The Huffington Post)
03/22/2010: Dear Colleague Letter from the House Committee on Agriculture
03/17/2010: Dear Colleague Letter from Representative Kind
03/15/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: English version of CAMEX Resolution 16 with the Preliminary List of Intellectual Property Rights
03/10/2010: Lula urges Obama to settle cotton dispute quickly (Reuters)
03/09/2010: Brazil slaps trade sanctions on United States over cotton dispute (BBC)
03/08/2010: NCC’s Statement on Brazil Retaliatory Trade Measures Announcement (NCC)
03/08/2010: Lincoln-Chambliss Statement on Brazil Retaliation Efforts Aimed at U.S. Cotton (Office of Senator Saxby Chambliss
03/08/2010: Camex divulga hoje lista de retaliação comercial aos Estados Unidos (Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade – MDIC)
03/08/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Brazil Cotton Dispute – Clinton Visit and CAMEX List Publication
03/04/2010: Clinton Says U.S. To Send Officials To Brazil Next Week To Discuss Cotton Deal (Inside U.S. Trade)
03/03/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: United States and Brazil to launch negotiations to resolve cotton dispute
03/02/2010: How Is the Threat of Trade Retaliation Affecting U.S.-Brazil Ties? (Inter-American Dialogue)
03/01/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: WTO Cotton Subsidy Case Product List
03/01/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from USTR to BRAZTAC
02/10/2010: Camex adia definição de produtos que serão usados em retaliação contra os EUA (G1)
02/09/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: CAMEX to publish U.S. retaliation list in March
02/04/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from BRAZTAC to Congress
01/28/2010: BRAZTAC UPDATE: Letter from Business Groups to USTR
12/16/2009: Governo adia definição da lista de retaliação aos EUA
11/11/2009: BRAZTAC UPDATE: English version of CAMEX Resolution 74 with the Preliminary List of Goods
10/14/2009: Governo deixa retaliação a algodão dos EUA para 2010
09/02/2009: WTO Arbitration Panel Ruling Fails to Recognize Changes to GSM Program; Punishes USA Despite Compliance with
WTO (NCC)
Correspondence
10/27/2011: Letter from BRAZTAC to Senate Members
10/18/2011: Letter from USCC to Senate Members
06/14/2011: Letter from USCC to House Members
06/22/2010: Letter from BRAZTAC to USTR and USDA
04/09/2010: Letter from BRAZTAC to USTR and USDA
03/03/2010: Letter from USCC and NAM to President Obama
03/01/2010: Letter from USTR to BRAZTAC
02/04/2010: Letter from BRAZTAC to Congress
01/28/2010: Letter from Business Groups to USTR
07/30/2009: Letter from USCC to House Members
07/30/2009: Letter from USCC to Senate Members
Brazilian Foreign Trade Board (CAMEX) Resolutions
Resolution 27 of 05/05/2011: Postponement of the Tariff-Rate Quota for Cotton Closure
Resolution 13 of 03/14/2011: Definition of Scope of the Tariff-Rate Quota for Cotton
Resolution 70 of 09/14/2010: Establishment of a Tariff-Rate Quota for Cotton
Resolution 50 of 07/27/2010: Appointment of Government Representatives to IBA
Resolution 43 of 06/17/2010: Suspension of Imposition of Retaliation
Resolution 19 of 04/05/2010: Postponement of Imposition of Retaliation
Resolution 16 of 03/12/2010: Preliminary List of Intellectual Property Rights [Unofficial English Version]
Resolution 15 of 03/05/2010: Final List of Goods
Resolution 74 of 11/06/2009: Preliminary List of Goods [Unofficial English Version]
Resolution 63 of 09/28/2009: Establishment of the Working Group on Countermeasures
Brazilian Cotton Dispute-Related Legislation
Law 12,270 of 06/24/2010: Establishment of Cross-Retaliation Procedures
Law 12,249 of 06/11/2010: Enabling of Government Representatives in IBA’s Board
Brazil Cotton Institute (IBA) Documents
Accounting Statements as of December 31, 2010 [Official English Version]
By Laws [Official English Version]
U.S. Congress Documents
10/18/2011: McCain Amendment to the to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012
06/15/2011: Kind Amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 [approved in recorded vote]
06/13/2011: House Rules for the consideration of the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 [report]
06/13/2011: Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) on the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012
05/31/2011: DeLauro Amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 [rejected in recorded vote]
05/31/2011: Flake Amendment to the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012 [rejected in voice vote]
05/27/2011: Flake Bill to require contributions to the fund established by the U.S. and Brazil be offset by reductions in direct payments for cotton producers under the Farm Bill [never discharged]
02/18/2011: Kind Amendment to the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act, 2011 [rejected in recorded vote]
03/22/2010: Dear Colleague Letter from the House Committee on Agriculture
03/17/2010: Dear Colleague Letter from Representative Ron Kind
03/08/2010: Lincoln-Chambliss Statement on Brazil Retaliation Efforts
Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – October 04, 2011
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – September 21, 2011
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – June 21, 2011
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – January 05, 2011
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – June 30, 2010
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – January 04, 2010
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – June 17, 2008
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program: A Brief Overview – Jun. 17, 2008
Brazil’s WTO Case Against the U.S. Cotton Program – January 25, 2008
Scholarship Pieces
David J. Townsend and Steve Charnovitz, Preventing Opportunistic Uncompliance by WTO Members. Journal of International Economic Law (2011) 14(2): 437-468
John Baffes, Cotton Subsidies, the WTO, and the ‘Cotton Problem’. World Bank (2011) Policy Research Working Paper 5663
Dominic Coppens. WTO Disciplines on Export Credit Support for Agricultural Products in the Wake of the U.S. – Cotton Case and the Doha Round Negotiations. Institute for International Law (2009) Working Paper No. 28Karen Halverson Cross. King Cotton, Developing Countries and the ‘Peace Clause’: The WTO’s US Cotton Subsidies Decision. Journal of International Economic Law (2006) 9(1): 149-195
Current Members of BRAZTAC
Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
American Automotive Policy Council (AAPC)
American Chamber of Commerce – Brazil (AmCham)
Brazil-U.S. Business Council (BUSBC)
Council of the Americas (COA)
Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA)
Medical Imaging Technology Alliance (MITA)
National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)
National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA)
Personal Care Products Council (PCPC)
Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)
Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI)
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Wheat Associates
Further Information:
The Brazil-U.S. Business Council serves as the secretariat of BRAZTAC. For more information please contact:
Mariana M. Yazbek
Coordinator
Brazil-U.S. Business Council
Phone: (202) 463-3197
E-mail: myazbek@uschamber.com
Diego Bonomo
Senior Director for Policy
Brazil-U.S. Business Council
Phone: (202) 463-5994
E-mail: dbonomo@uschamber.com