Government seeks to dismiss Alabama lawsuit over census
The federal government on Friday asked a judge to dismiss Alabama’s lawsuit seeking to include only citizens and other legal residents in 2020 U.S. census counts. U.S. Department of Commerce made the request in a filing responding to the state’s lawsuit. Alabama and U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks sued the Commerce Department and U.S. Census Bureau last year over the practice of counting all U.S. residents, regardless of their citizenship status. The lawsuit contends that Alabama could lose a congressional seat and an electoral vote to a state with a “larger illegal alien population.” In June refused to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds, but made no comment on the merits of the case. Lawyers for the government on Friday renewed their request for the judge to dismiss the lawsuit after filing their response. The Constitution says that apportionment shall be decided after “counting the whole number of persons in each state.” It has been the practice to include all U.S. residents in the census counts, which also determine the number of congressional seats for each state.Alabama is seeking to have the practice declared unconstitutional. In 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against two Texas residents who argued their votes were diluted by the practice of using the “whole population” to draw legislative district lines. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Donald Trump renews China tariff threat, complicating talks
The Trump administration has renewed its threat to place 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods in retaliation for what it says are China’s unfair trade practices. The White House also said Tuesday that it would place new restrictions on Chinese investment into the United States and limit U.S. exports of high-tech goods to China. The threats come just over a week after trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies had seemingly eased. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said May 20 that the trade conflict was “on hold.” Mnuchin’s comments followed a commitment by China to significantly increase its purchases of U.S. farm goods and energy products, such as natural gas. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross is scheduled to visit China on Saturday to negotiate the details of that agreement. Some trade experts said the tariff announcement is likely intended to strengthen Ross’s hand. Other analysts, however, say the newly confrontational stance may be intended to appease congressional critics of a deal the Trump administration made Friday that allowed Chinese telecom giant ZTE Corp. to stay in business. The tariff threat is unlikely to derail ongoing talks, they said. “This is really about Congress,” said Derek Scissors, a China specialist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. “I don’t think it blows up a deal with the Chinese.” China’s Ministry of Commerce responded in a mild fashion Tuesday. The Ministry said the White House’s announcement “is contrary to the consensus the two sides have previously reached,” according to China’s official news agency, Xinhua. The statement did not reiterate China’s own previous threats to impose $50 billion in retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods. Members of both parties in the House and Senate slammed the agreement the Trump administration reached with ZTE Friday, in which the Chinese firm agreed to remove its management team, hire American compliance officers, and pay a fine. The fine would be on top of a $1 billion penalty ZTE has already paid for selling high-tech equipment to North Korea and Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. In return, the Commerce Department lifted a seven-year ban on ZTE’s purchase of U.S. components that it had just imposed earlier in May. China had complained strongly that the ban would put ZTE out of business, costing 70,000 jobs. Trump tweeted last month that the ban threatened too many Chinese jobs and he wanted to get the company “back in business, fast.” GOP and Democratic Senators attacked the deal as insufficient punishment for a company that defied U.S. sanctions policy. The White House said Tuesday that it will focus the tariffs on cutting-edge technologies, including those that China has said it wants to dominate as part of its “Made in China 2025” program. Under that program, China aims to take a leading role in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and electric cars. The list of imports subject to the duties will be announced by June 15, the White House said, and the tariffs will be imposed “shortly thereafter.” The list will be based on a previous compilation of 1,300 goods released in April that will be narrowed based on public comments the administration has received. The list includes computer equipment, aerospace parts, medical devices, and industrial machinery. The tariff threat could still disrupt Ross’s China talks. “If Beijing was under the impression that Trump’s $50 billion of tariffs were actually on hold, they may find this confusing,” Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said. “It could very well complicate Wilbur Ross’s visit.” Trump has bemoaned the massive U.S. trade deficit with China — $337 billion last year — as evidence that Beijing has been complicit in abusive trading practices. The White House, and many American companies, say that China forces U.S. firms to turn over technology as part of joint ventures with Chinese companies to gain access to its market. China also subsidizes many favored industries. Trump has frequently focused on the trade deficit, urging China to boost its imports and lower the gap by $200 billion, while China has refused to agree to any dollar amounts. Many experts and U.S. companies, however, warn that China’s efforts to protect its high-tech industries and capture U.S. technology represent the larger threat. The Trump administration said Tuesday that it plans to shorten the length of validity of some visas issued to Chinese citizens as part of a push to counter alleged theft of U.S. intellectual property by Beijing. The State Department said that under the new policy, U.S. consular officers may limit how long visas are valid, rather than the usual practice of issuing them for the maximum possible length. Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that many foreign leaders are learning to not overreact to Trump’s threats, which are frequently seen as just part of negotiating strategy. That’s good for global stability, he added. “But that means the United States’ credibility is incredibly low,” he said. “I don’t think you can keep doing about-faces, and have everyone pretend the threat is as ominous as it was before.” Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
State Commerce Department wins President’s ‘E’ Award for supporting Alabama exports
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross today presented the Alabama Department of Commerce with the President’s “E” Award for Export Service, the highest recognition an organization can receive for contributing to the expansion of U.S. exports. At a ceremony in the nation’s capital, Ross said the Alabama Department of Commerce has demonstrated a sustained commitment to increasing exports. “The ‘E’ Awards Committee was very impressed with the department’s formation of the Export Alabama Alliance,” he noted. “The department’s contributions to the export growth of Alabama companies through international trade missions were also particularly notable. “The Alabama Department of Commerce’s achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs,” he added. Alabama companies exported a record $21.7 billion in goods and services during 2017, led by shipments of motor vehicles, chemicals, primary metals, minerals, aircraft components and paper products to 189 foreign countries. Alabama’s exports have surged 21 percent since 2011 and 50 percent over a decade, reflecting a long-term growth trend. “We are extremely honored to receive the President’s ‘E’ Award,” Alabama Commerce Secretary Greg Canfield said. “Alabama companies are creating good-paying jobs as a result of exporting their products throughout the world, and exports of goods and services continue to be an economic engine that spurs job creation and economic investment.” Finding markets The Alabama Department of Commerce’s Office of International Trade helps businesses across the state identify and penetrate foreign markets for their homegrown products. Over many years, the office has staged a series of trade and business development missions to countries around the globe, most recently to Argentina and Ecuador in April. “The Alabama International Trade program has proven to be a tremendous resource for the state’s small and medium-sized companies,” said Hilda Lockhart, director of Commerce’s Office of International Trade. “Assisting them in finding international markets for Alabama-made products is the key to growing exports and jobs at home. “Receiving this prestigious award validates the hard work that all members of the Export Alabama Alliance have accomplished since it was formed in 2004,” she added. The Export Alabama Alliance is a seamless network of international trade agencies with the fundamental objective of helping Alabama companies expand their business internationally. Lockhart and Beau Lore, an international trade specialist in the Office of International Trade, were on hand at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Herbert C. Hoover building on Constitution Avenue to receive the award. Supporting jobs In total, Ross honored 43 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with the President’s “E” Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity in foreign markets. U.S. companies are nominated for the “E” Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the department’s International Trade Administration (ITA). With offices across the United States and in embassies and consulates around the world, the ITA lends its expertise at every stage of the exporting process. U.S. exports totaled $2.33 trillion in 2017, accounting for 12 percent of U.S. gross domestic product. Exports supported an estimated 10.7 million jobs nationwide in 2016, according to the most recent ITA statistics. Republished with the permission of the Alabama Newscenter.
Kay Ivey: Foreign direct investment – sweet home Alabama
Foreign Direct Investments have changed the course of our state and put Alabama on the map internationally. The first-ever National Aerospace Foreign Direct Investment Expo was held in Los Angeles, California last week hosted by the Aerospace States Association and the U.S. Department of Commerce. I was honored to attend the expo as the Chair of the Aerospace States Association along with several fellow Lt. Governors. Officials from more than 25 states and 20 countries attended seeking foreign investment opportunities in the United States aerospace manufacturing sector. I was so proud when Barry Eccleston, President of Airbus Americas, began his presentation with the song “Sweet Home Alabama” playing to the conference attendees. I am proud to have the first Airbus North American manufacturing plant in Mobile. The world watched and recognized when Airbus chose Alabama as their home. Airbus began assembly of the A320 family passenger jets in September of this year. At full production, they will provide 3,700 Alabamians full time jobs and an estimated annual contribution of $400 million to our state. Airbus joins more than 400 aerospace companies located in our state such as Boeing, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and GE Aviation to name a few. Alabama is no stranger to Foreign Direct Investment. In 1993, Mercedes Benz announced production of their first passenger vehicle factory outside of Germany in Tuscaloosa. Alabama is now home to Hyundai Motor Manufacturing in Montgomery, Honda Manufacturing in Lincoln and Toyota Engine Plant in Huntsville. Alabama was not in the automotive manufacturing industry 22 years ago, now we are recognized as second in the United States in vehicle exports. Industry in Alabama is represented by 31 foreign countries totaling to 419 business investments. As Alabamians, we have a lot to be proud of the course our state has taken in obtaining business investments with foreign companies. Foreign Direct Investments for Alabama stands for high level jobs for Alabamians and investments to sustain our state into the future. Alabama is on the move in making advances in the aerospace and automotive manufacturing industry. Companies from across the world have quickly learned the meaning of “Sweet Home Alabama” and what Made In Alabama represents. Kay Ivey is the Lt. Governor of Alabama. Elected in 2010, she became the first Republican woman to hold the office in Alabama’s history.
