NEMA’s electroindustry May 2010 - 9

› USTR Kirk Responds to Electroindustry Concerns over China’s Innovation Policies
U.S. Trade Representative Ronald Kirk recently wrote to NEMA President and CEO Evan Gaddis to assure the U.S. electroindustry that Obama administration officials are pressing China to refrain from putting into place industrial policies that will discriminate against foreign companies. In his letter, Ambassador Kirk reported that U.S. officials have repeatedly raised concerns with the Chinese government and will continue to do so. In November 2009, three Chinese governmental agencies issued new rules to create a national catalog of products that would receive preferential treatment in government purchasing, based on Chinese development and ownership of the intellectual property contained in the product as well as original registration of any trademarks in China by Chinese businesses. Mr. Gaddis was joined by 18 other association leaders in raising concerns about Beijing’s policy approach in letters to Ambassador Kirk, the attorney general, and the secretaries of State, Treasury, and Commerce. “I can assure you that the administration will continue to work hard to ensure that U.S. companies are able to compete on a fair and level playing field,” Ambassador Kirk wrote. ei Craig Updyke, Manager of Trade and Commercial Affairs | cra_updyke@nema.org

› NEMA Cites International Tax Problems in Obama Budget
In March, NEMA joined several companies and associations in voicing disapproval of Obama administration proposals to rewrite U.S. tax rules on international commercial activities in ways that would punish U.S. companies. While most countries do not tax the earnings that domestic companies make outside their borders, the president’s Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2011 would reverse that approach for the U.S. and “significantly reduce the ability of worldwide American companies to compete in markets both here and abroad,” the PACE (Promote America’s Competitive Edge) Coalition wrote in a letter to which NEMA was a signatory. The administration’s proposal will work against President Obama’s stated goal of doubling U.S. exports by 2015, NEMA added. More information and a copy of the letter is available at www.pace4jobs.org. ei Craig Updyke, Manager of Trade and Commercial Affairs | cra_updyke@nema.org

› NEMA Criticizes DOT Approach on Lithium Batteries
NEMA has filed extensive written comments with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in response to its proposals to further restrict the carriage and shipment of lithium batteries and many types of equipment that use lithium batteries. NEMA cited most of the proposals contained in DOT’s January 11 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking as misdirected and counter to the safety goals the agency is trying to achieve. NEMA is working in coalition with like-minded industry groups to educate Congress and federal regulators on lithium battery transportation safety issues. NEMA argued that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), a subsidiary DOT agency, should move quickly to adopt regulations that are largely harmonized with international standards for safe transport of lithium batteries. Those international standards are already in use in the rest of the world. DOT and PHMSA should also devote sufficient resources to ensure compliance and enforcement with its regulations, NEMA recommended. NEMA’s comments were submitted on behalf of its Dry Battery Section, which represents manufacturers of lithium metal batteries, and on behalf of industrial and electrical equipment manufacturers that use batteries in several electroindustry sectors, including industrial automation, utility equipment, and medical equipment. NEMA also spoke in opposition to the PHMSA proposals in March. The full text of NEMA’s comments is available at www.nema.org/PHMSA_Notice. ei Craig Updyke, Manager of Trade and Commercial Affairs | cra_updyke@nema.org

NEMA electroindustry

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May 2010

NEMA’s electroindustry May 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEMA’s electroindustry May 2010