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Category: Trade

  • MIL-OSI USA: Slotkin Highlights Bipartisan Wins in Speech on House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (MI-08)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-07) took to the House floor today to highlight the passage of three bipartisan bills she championed and call for bipartisan congressional action on additional legislative priorities. This week, the House passed the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act, IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act, and Building Chips in America Act, which are now set to be signed into law.

    Slotkin also called upon her colleagues to work in a bipartisan way on legislation pertaining to other outstanding legislative priorities. She urged Congress to support the Department of Commerce’s efforts to restrict the import of advanced vehicles manufactured by China and pass a bipartisan Farm Bill and National Defense Authorization Act.

    “These bills are evidence that we do not need to be at each other’s throats. In fact, being at each other’s throats is principally against the mission of what it means to be a Representative. It means you’re not getting work done. It means you’re doing things for political posturing. It means that you care more about making a statement that makes the news or goes viral on Twitter than you are about actually moving the ball down the field for your constituents,” said Slotkin. “I hope that when Congress returns in November, and when a new Congress is sworn in next year, we can learn that basic lesson. We do our best work when we work together – even when it’s hard.”

    Slotkin full remarks on the House floor can be found HERE

    A transcript of Slotkin’s remarks as delivered can be found HERE

    The bipartisan Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism Pilot Program Act would cut red tape for companies that transport goods across our borders by allowing more freight and warehouse companies to participate in Customs and Border Protection’s CTPAT program. 

    Through partnership between supply chain leaders and the federal government, the CTPAT program expedites freight through the country, reducing disruptions in international trade and supply chains while keeping the border secure.

    Slotkin introduced the bill, which is co-led by Reps. Rob Menendez (NJ-08), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01), and Morgan Luttrell (TX-08). Its Senate companion is led by Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), James Lankford (R-OK), and John Cornyn (R-TX). 

    The bipartisan IMPACTT Human Trafficking Act would ensure survivors of human trafficking and law enforcement officers working to combat these terrible crimes receive the resources and support they need.

    The bill would make permanent and expand the Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program that helps provide support and services to individuals impacted by human trafficking. It would also make permanent the Investigators Maintain Purposeful Awareness to Combat Trafficking Trauma (IMPACTT) Program which supports the employees and partners who are exposed to repeated stress through their work combating these crimes. 

    Slotkin is an original co-sponsor of the bipartisan legislation, which is led by Rep. Dave Joyce (OH-14) and co-led by Ann Wagner (MO-02) and Dina Titus (NV-01). Its Senate companion is led by Sens James Lankford (R-OK) and Gary Peters (D-MI). 

    The bipartisan Building Chips in America Act, of which Slotkin is a cosponsor, would streamline approval processes for domestic semiconductor manufacturing projects that receive funding through the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act.

    And on Monday, the Department of Commerce announced a new proposed rule to restrict the import of advanced, connected vehicles manufactured by China that pose a risk to U.S. national security. Slotkin applauded the announcement, and called upon Congress to pass her legislation that would strengthen America’s ability to address the threat posed by these vehicles.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Joint statement by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    We, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, reaffirm, here in Ottawa, the strong bond between Canada and France. This meeting reflects the importance of our historical and cultural ties and the enduring friendship between our nations that is rooted in a shared history, a common language and the values that drive what we do. 

    We also enjoy a strong trade relationship. Together, we are working to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, as well as a transparent, rules-based multilateral trade system. Since the provisional implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017, trade between Canada and France has grown significantly (over 53% for Canadian exports and nearly 46% for French exports in the span of seven years). Our bilateral trade helps to make life more affordable for our citizens and create good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

    In an international context marked by many different overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, our two countries are determined to protect fundamental democratic principles in the face of authoritarian, populist and hateful ideologies. We stand up for human rights, fairness, and the rule of law, with due respect for international law and state sovereignty.

    Canada and France are facing foreign information manipulation and interference operations. Canada and France will strengthen their exchanges to effectively respond to these threats. In particular, Canada and France will work closely within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to create tools to guide countries in developing public policy focused on strengthening information integrity. In addition, through fora such as the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) and the Forum on Information & Democracy, we are also developing collective approaches to counter other threats to democracy and will continue to advance these objectives in our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026.

    Enhancing our bilateral cooperation 

    This year, we commemorated the sacrifices made by Canadians, the French and our Allies on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landing. We will work to step up our bilateral cooperation in security and defence in order to improve our ability to respond to geopolitical crises. To that end, the Canada-France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership, which we are announcing today, will enable us to provide more effective support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen our cooperation in modernizing our armed forces, and combat foreign information manipulation and interference. 

    To support French and Canadian citizens around the world, we also wish to strengthen our cooperation with respect to emergency preparedness and crisis management. We applaud the work of Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre and France’s Centre de crise et de soutien in this area.

    Fighting climate change and protecting the ecosystems and environment

    In response to the triple planetary crisis of climate warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we will continue to step up our cooperation, particularly in the fight against climate change and ocean protection. We will do this through our bilateral and multilateral actions, in line with the France-Canada Partnership, which was renewed in April, in which we pledged to work together, in particular to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework and to strengthen our climate and energy commitments, as well as our shared commitment to adopting a legally binding international agreement to address plastic pollution.

    Our Canada-France Declaration on the Ocean speaks to our readiness to put oceans at the heart of the bilateral and international agenda—with recognition of their critical role in the environmental and climate balance—in preparation for the June 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice. We also underscore their importance in providing food and energy sources, a vector for economic exchanges, and a vital link between countries and communities. The Prime Minister and the President also emphasized their commitment to working together in the fisheries sector, as demonstrated by the recent agreement reached on the Atlantic halibut fishery.

    Our two countries will also pursue their political commitment towards the adoption of a legally binding treaty to put an end to plastic pollution that meets our peoples’ expectations, with ambitious measures throughout the life cycle of plastic, from production to waste management. 

    To keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C target within reach, we will accelerate efforts on operationalizing the global stocktake’s decision on transitioning away from fossil fuels, including in the context of our G7 presidencies. We will continue to work with determination to align financial flows with the Paris Agreement, in particular by disclosing climate change risks and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. We will continue our work together to expand the scope and use of carbon market instruments, while supporting countries that are interested in implementing these instruments.

    Canada is pleased to join France and the many countries that support The Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) in responding to the dual challenge of combatting poverty and preserving the planet. Further, to encourage increased funding in support of sustainable development, our two countries will continue to participate actively in the United Nations Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus Leaders’ Group.

    Our responses to energy security concerns will aim to secure long-term energy supply in keeping with our climate objectives, and in a manner that ensures continued prosperity for both of our countries. Building on the Joint Statement Between Canada and France on Nuclear Energy Cooperation of fall 2023, we are working together to step up civil nuclear cooperation between our two countries, with a focus on identifying project funding solutions and upgrading skills and training for the trades. We will also work to accelerate the global phase-out of coal through our support for the Powering Past Coal Alliance and the Coal Transition Accelerator. 

    Recognizing the key role of critical minerals in supporting a green and digital economy, our two countries will work on the need to explore opportunities for joint investment in critical minerals projects, with the aim of securing their respective value chains. Canada and France are also founding members of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, which aims to promote on a global scale sustainable and socially inclusive mining, processing and recycling practices, and responsible critical minerals supply chains. We will continue to work with like-minded countries to reaffirm these values. Lastly, Canada and France will work together to develop low-carbon, efficient, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, whether in the aviation, rail or marine sectors.

    Embracing artificial intelligence responsibly

    Canada and France consider science and technology to be important levers for meeting the major challenges of the 21st century. We are mindful of the importance of developing a responsible approach to artificial intelligence (AI) that takes into account both risks and benefits, as demonstrated in the joint launch of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence in 2020. The Canada-France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence published today reiterates our commitment to responsible, safe AI that respects human rights and democratic values. To promote and support scientific research in the field of AI, we welcome the recent call for proposals from last July for new funding, launched under the auspices of the Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation uniting our two countries. 

    Expanding Canada-France collaboration in all areas of AI, we will further our work together at the AI Action Summit, to be hosted by France on February 10 and 11, 2025. With a view to promoting outreach and cooperation between our companies and business organizations and providing solutions, Canada is proud to announce that it will be Country of the Year at VivaTech 2025 in Paris. Responsible use of AI can create economic benefits for everyone, and adopting it can increase economic productivity and growth, for the benefit of all workers and businesses.

    In addition, our two countries will continue to work together to establish a digital dialogue on platform governance and ensure that AI is designed, developed, and deployed ethically and in compliance with copyright. This would allow us to recognize the important shared challenges in the digital space that have a considerable impact on the strength and health of culture and media in Canada and France.

    Promoting the French language throughout the world

    Canada and France reaffirm their support for the promotion of French and for the institutions of La Francophonie, and they commit to concluding a Canada-France Memorandum of Understanding on the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française on the margins of the upcoming Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France, on October 4 and 5. With our partners in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, we will support linguistic and cultural diversity, peace, democracy, and human rights. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to strengthen education, research, and innovation in French, as well as economic and digital cooperation for sustainable development. 

    Addressing geopolitical challenges

    We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia’s more than 900-day war of aggression in Ukraine. In the face of this war, which jeopardizes the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, we reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in all areas, for as long as it takes. We continue to work towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law, and in particular the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. In line with the NATO Washington Summit Declaration, we will continue to deepen our support for Ukraine, to give it the means to defend itself and deter Russian aggression. We are pursuing our efforts to support Ukraine in its reform process, notably in the fields of justice, the fight against corruption, and promotion of the rule of law. We also underscore the efforts of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Canada with the participation of France. Finally, we are committed to helping to operationalize the agreement reached at the G7 Summit in Apulia to leverage immobilized Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

    We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the October 7 massacres perpetrated by Hamas against Israel, and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law. We are extremely concerned by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and by the appalling situation of the civilian population, which has been repeatedly displaced within the country and is unable to meet its most basic needs. Canada and France therefore call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the unfettered access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Canada and France support the two‑state solution, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state, living in peace and security, alongside the State of Israel.

    We also wish to maintain our support for Haiti, to help re-establish security, the rule of law, and democracy. While we remain concerned about the humanitarian and security situation there, we are nevertheless pleased to note the progress made, including the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council, a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers. We also welcome the fact that the creation of the Provisional Electoral Council is well underway. We are committed to supporting preparations for free, fair, and transparent elections. Canada and France will continue to work closely together to support the Haitian National Police, the Multinational Security Support Mission, and the strengthening of the justice sector and the fight against corruption and financial crime. 

    In the Indo-Pacific region, our two countries will study the deployment of joint patrol missions in the future, and will maintain their participation in multilateral exercises. To this end, our two countries will work on the possibility of integrating Canadian support into the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

    Coordinating our successive 2025 and 2026 G7 presidencies

    We will strengthen strategic coordination between our governments in the context of our bilateral and multilateral exchanges, and with a view to our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026. We are determined to meet today’s global challenges, guided by our shared desire to build a better future based on our common values, and supported by the rich and dynamic relationship between our two countries.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Ministers LeBlanc and Anand announce trucking pilot to improve movement of goods

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, (September 26), 2024 – Today, at the Committee on Internal Trade (CIT) meeting, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, and the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Transport, announced the launch of a pilot project to mutually recognize regulatory requirements in the trucking sector.

    The ministers thanked the coalition of willing jurisdictions: Ontario; Nova Scotia; Manitoba; Prince Edward Island; Saskatchewan; Alberta; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Yukon; and Nunavut for joining this effort to improve the efficient movement of goods — a crucial aspect to Canada’s productivity and affordability. The pilot project will be co-chaired by Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada.

    Mutual recognition agreements in key sectors, such as transportation and trucking, have the potential to boost Canada’s productivity and economic growth. Experts forecast that adopting mutual recognition as a means to reduce barriers to internal trade could increase Canada’s economy by $200 billion per year.

    Under this new trucking pilot, participating provinces and territories will commit to recognizing each other’s regulatory requirements, even where differences exist, such as oversized vehicle signage requirements, to allow trucks and the goods they carry to move across Canada more effectively, without compromising safety and security measures. The pilot, the first of its kind on this scale within Canada, will help governments test and measure what can be achieved through mutual recognition and will help drive future work in other important sectors of the economy, including labour mobility.

    Today’s announcement is an important first step towards wider, national adoption of mutual recognition and builds on the Government of Canada’s demonstrated leadership and action to liberalize trade and boost Canada’s economic productivity.

    Through federal leadership, including the Federal Action Plan to Strengthen Internal Trade, the Government of Canada has:

    • Launched the Canadian Internal Trade Data and Information Hub, providing open and accessible information on domestic trade and trade barriers in key economic sectors;
    • Removed and narrowed 1/3 of federal exceptions in the Canadian Free Trade Agreement, providing Canadian businesses with more opportunities to be competitive across the country;
    • Strengthened regulatory cooperation through the harmonization of building codes and energy efficiency regulations and exempting oil rigs from duplicative requirements; 
    • Funded the development of a National Registry of Physicians, led by the Medical Council of Canada, a foundational element that will support labour mobility for physicians;
    • Reviewed the Red Tape Reduction Act and made it a requirement for the one‑for‑one rule to control the administrative burden on business and to take into account burden reduced as a result of regulatory cooperation between the Government of Canada and other jurisdictions;
    • Advanced regulatory cooperation through the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council and the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table to reduce regulatory barriers to trade and make it easier for businesses to operate across multiple jurisdictions; and
    • Held regional roundtables in Canada and the United States to better understand the regulatory challenges businesses face when conducting business across internal and international borders.

    Additionally, as announced in August 2024, the Treasury Board of Canada is setting up a working group to examine productivity in Canada’s public sector and inform the government’s economic plan. The working group will be comprised of various experts from academia, think tanks, private and public sectors, and will engage with unions. It will examine the delivery of services to Canadians and the role of technology in helping address barriers to achieving greater efficiencies for Canadians and businesses. The working group’s mandate and terms of reference will be finalized and made public in the coming weeks.

    Gabriel Brunet
     Press Secretary
    Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc
    Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
    819-665-6527
    gabriel.brunet@iga-aig.gc.ca

    Myah Tomasi
     Press Secretary
    Office of the President of the Treasury Board of Canada
    myah.tomasi@tbs-sct.gc.ca
    343-543-7210

    Media Relations
     Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
    Telephone: 613-369-9400
    Toll-free: 1-855-TBS-9-SCT (1-855-827-9728)
    Email: media@tbs-sct.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Statement from President Joe  Biden on the Passing of William “Bill”  Lucy

    Source: The White House

    Bill Lucy was a courageous labor leader who dedicated his life bending the arc of history toward justice.

    Of his seven decades as a giant in the movement, Bill spent nearly forty years as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. He also founded the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. No matter the title or the place, he worked tirelessly to advance civil rights and labor rights for all Americans, changing the course of history and redeeming the soul of America.

    His dedication led to increased benefits and protections for America’s public servants who keep our communities safe, care for the sick, and so much more.

    A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he marched with Dr. King to secure the rights of sanitation workers. Bill’s decree, “I Am a Man,” shed light on the humanity of our Nation’s laborers and became a nationwide rallying cry for dignity and equality, two of our most sacred American values.

    Over the course of his towering leadership, I saw Bill in action. He believed, like I do, that working class issues and civil rights issues are deeply intertwined, as he strengthened the role of Black Americans in our Nation’s unions and fought to dismantle apartheid in South Africa.

    He will forever be remembered for his unrelenting commitment to justice, fairness, and equality—at home and abroad.

    Jill and I send our love and condolences to his family, the labor movement he empowered, and every worker whose life he made better.

    May God bless Bill Lucy, a great American, and a good man.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Working lunch of the leaders of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet on the sidelines of the UNGA.

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Acting unitedly to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4Ps) agenda in support of an ambitious reform of the international financial architecture

    Just over a year after the June 2023 Summit for a New Global Financial Deal, the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week provided an opportunity for world leaders to reaffirm their support for the 4P agenda to reform the international financial system. They also expressed their commitment to establishing a 4P Senior Officials Group that will play a strategic facilitative role in delivering ambitious outcomes for the upcoming major events in 2024, ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville in 2025.

    On this occasion, the United Kingdom, Mauritania, Togo, Seychelles, Gambia and Guinea Bissau joined the Compact, bringing the number of 4P member countries to 66. Just over a year after its launch, the 4P is now a vibrant network involving countries from all income levels and continents. It offers the international community a unique opportunity to work together in a spirit of solidarity and equality to develop constructive measures and overcome bottlenecks. Heads of State and Government welcomed the establishment of the Compact Secretariat (housed at the OECD as an independent body) and are committed to supporting its important role in implementing the 4P agenda.

    Numerous operational coalitions have been established under the Compact, enabling countries and interested stakeholders to work together in concrete ways to improve outcomes, including the Debt, Nature and Climate Review Process by International Experts, the Coalition for the Inclusion of Debt Suspension Clauses in the Event of Climate-Related Natural Disasters, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, the Global Roadmap on Biodiversity Credits, the Global Green Bonds Initiative, and the Coalition for Paris-Compliant Carbon Markets.

    Despite an increasingly difficult international context, encouraging results have been achieved, but greater efforts will be needed to accelerate progress. Accordingly, in the presence of the UN, WTO, OECD, and IMF, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to work together, in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Pact and in synergy with other relevant initiatives, such as the Bridgetown Initiative.

    They have in particular:

    affirmed their commitment to accelerate efforts to increase the participation and representation of developing countries and emerging economies in the decision-making bodies of international development finance institutions and other international economic and financial institutions. They supported the ambition of the Brazilian G20 presidency to work towards a fairer system of global governance, in particular with regard to the reform of the international financial architecture; stressed the need to provide concrete solutions to alleviate the debt burden and vulnerabilities of developing countries, including through innovative instruments, such as debt-for-climate or environmental swaps or the adoption, based on good practices, of debt service conditions, including debt suspension clauses in the event of climate-related natural disasters, as well as solutions to address liquidity issues and a voluntary reallocation of Special Drawing Rights to increase fiscal space for countries most in need; affirmed their commitment to support the scaling up of concessional financing for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including to ensure that the 21st replenishment of the International Development Association is successful; stressed the importance of cooperation to support multilateral development banks (MDBs) and international financial institutions in following the recommendation to achieve a “1:1” ratio for private finance mobilized by public resources, and they recognized the need to mobilize private financial flows for their common priorities by reducing the mismatch between real and perceived investment risks. To this end, Heads of State and Government recognized the need to work together to develop a roadmap and establish a constructive dialogue between regulators, rating agencies, private investors, States and other stakeholders to improve the transparency and accuracy of country ratings and risk assessments, including to maximize the risk reduction impact and the mobilization of private financing by MDBs, development finance institutions and bilateral donors; recalled the need to increase public financing from all sources, including by exploring the possibility of globally targeted levies and other measures to develop fairer and more efficient tax systems, and by further supporting capacity building and the sharing of expertise to increase domestic resource mobilization. To advance these priorities, Heads of State and Government will continue to coordinate their efforts with other members of the Compact and raise the level of ambition in all fora, in order to contribute to ensuring that the best possible outcomes can be achieved. be obtained at the COPs, the International Conference on Financing for Development and other major international events.

    List of signatories:

    Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French RepublicMacky SALL, Special EnvoyAziz AKHANNOUCH, Head of Government of the Kingdom of MoroccoLolwa AL-KHATER, Minister of State for International Cooperation of the State of QatarGabriel BORIC, President of ChileMohamed Ould EL-GHAZOUANI, President of the Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMoussa FAKI, President of the African UnionMette FREDERIKSEN, Prime Minister of DenmarkLuiz Inácio LULA DA SILVA, President of the Federative Republic of BrazilAmina MOHAMMED, Deputy Secretary-General of the United NationsLuís MONTENEGRO, Prime Minister of the Portuguese RepublicMia MOTTLEY, Prime Minister of BarbadosGustavo PETRO, President of the Republic of ColombiaWilliam RUTO, President of the Republic of KenyaPedro SANCHEZ, Prime Minister of SpainKeir STARMER, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Northern IrelandJonas Gahr STØRE, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of NorwayTo LAM, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Kelly Announces Kansas is Awarded STEP Funds to Expand Exporting Efforts for Kansas Businesses – Governor of the State of Kansas

    Source: US State of Kansas

    TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly announced today that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has awarded the Kansas Department of Commerce a $450,000 State Trade Expansion Program (STEP) grant for potential or current exporting businesses in Kansas. These funds will further elevate the state’s robust export sector, which hit an all-time high of $14.08 billion in 2023.

    “The production and export of more Kansas-made products has bolstered the state’s economy and has assisted our local and small businesses reach a larger customer base and accelerate their efforts outside the United States,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This support from the SBA will spur business expansion and provide resources to reach markets worldwide.”

    The agency’s International Division oversees the administration of the STEP award, enabling eligible businesses to leverage these funds for conducting focused activities that promote export growth. The STEP program plays a crucial role in equipping Kansas small businesses with the necessary resources and knowledge to excel in export-related endeavors, offering assistance to both existing exporters and companies venturing into international markets for the first time.

    The SBA began administering STEP in 2011 as part of federal legislation encouraging trade. Through STEP, states competitively apply for and receive financial awards to assist small businesses with export development. The award will allow the State of Kansas to assist small businesses with activities such as foreign trade missions and trade shows, obtain market entry support services provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and participate in training workshops.

    “Investing resources to help broaden the Kansas exporter base is good for our small businesses and the entire state economy,” Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of Commerce David Toland said. “As the global marketplace continues to present new opportunities for Kansas companies, we want our businesses to take advantage of them. Our International Division will utilize the STEP grant to help Kansas firms start exporting or expand their exporting efforts.”

    Since the program’s inception in 2012, more than 240 Kansas small businesses have participated and achieved more than $56 million in actual export sales.

    “Many Kansas small businesses have limited resources to venture into new markets or are uncertain how to begin exporting their products,” International Division Director Laura Lombard said. “The STEP funding allows us to tackle those challenges, assist them in growing their businesses, and taking advantage of the global market.”

    To learn more about the STEP program, visit the Kansas Department of Commerce website here or the SBA site here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Digital trade in spotlight at global expo

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The exhibition area of humanoid robots is pictured at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Greater efforts are needed to strengthen international cooperation in digital trade and to collectively formulate international rules related to such business activity, a sector which has injected new impetus into world economic growth, officials and experts said.

    China is willing to work with other nations to support the deeper application of cutting-edge technologies, promote the balanced development of digital trade in all fields, and help small and medium-sized enterprises worldwide achieve sustainable development through digital and intelligent transformation, said Zheng Jianbang, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislature.

    Zheng made the remarks at the launch ceremony of the third Global Digital Trade Expo, which opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Wednesday.

    He said China has attached great importance to the development of digital trade, which is regarded as one of the three pillars supporting the development of a strong trading nation, alongside trade in goods and services.

    Zheng stressed the need to deepen dialogue and cooperation with other countries in the aspect of governance and to actively take part in the formulation of multilateral, bilateral and regional rules concerning digital trade, so as to create an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for the development of global digital trade.

    Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said his ministry will strengthen the construction of digital trade mechanisms, promote high-standard opening-up, and work with all parties to build digital trade into a new engine for common development, ultimately injecting new momentum into global economic growth.

    Wang said more than 400 new products and technologies are being showcased during the expo, while a future-oriented industry exhibition area has been set up for the first time, demonstrating cutting-edge technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence.

    Featuring Kazakhstan and Thailand as guests of honor, the expo, with the theme of “Digital Trade, Global Access”, has attracted more than 1,500 companies from 32 countries and regions, with more than 30,000 professional buyers having registered for the event, including over 6,000 overseas buyers.

    Digital trade in China has made remarkable progress in recent years. Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that China’s import and export of digitally-delivered service trade rose 3.7 percent year-on-year to 1.42 trillion yuan ($202.2 billion) in the first six months of 2024, a record-high.

    Moreover, the country’s cross-border e-commerce imports and exports reached 1.22 trillion yuan in the first half of the year, an increase of 10.5 percent year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

    Yi Lianhong, Party secretary of Zhejiang province, said the province will accelerate the building of industrial chains of digital trade, vigorously develop new business models such as digital product trade and digital service trade, ease market access in the digital domain, and bolster safe cross-border data flows.

    Zhaslan Madiyev, minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, said the expo provides an unique opportunity to showcase innovative technologies, products and ecosystems in global digital trade, while offering an open forum for exploring new markets and fostering opportunities for economic and trade collaboration.

    Kazakhstan has established strong cooperation relations with major Chinese e-commerce platforms like Alibaba and JD, further strengthening its role in the global digital trade arena, while Chinese delivery company YTO Express is partnering with Kazakhstan to build the largest e-commerce logistics center in Central Asia, he noted.

    He added that his country looks forward to further deepening its collaboration with China in areas such as logistics, digital trade and the creation of new technological hubs.

    This photo taken on Sept. 25, 2024 shows the China Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    People visit the Silk Road E-commerce Zone during the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    People visit the Kazakhstan Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    People visit the Thailand Pavilion at the third Global Digital Trade Expo in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Sept. 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese publishers shine at Indonesia International Book Fair

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    People visit the booth of China Publication during the 2024 Indonesia International Book Fair at Jakarta Convention Center in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 25, 2024. A delegation of Chinese publishers on Wednesday showcased more than 700 volumes of premium Chinese books at the 2024 Indonesia International Book Fair (IIBF), held from Sept. 25-29 in Jakarta. Organized by China National Sci-Tech Information Import & Export Co., Ltd, the collection featured over 400 types of books, covering topics such as traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin learning, literature, social sciences, children’s books, and traditional Chinese medicine. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

    A delegation of Chinese publishers on Wednesday showcased more than 700 volumes of premium Chinese books at the 2024 Indonesia International Book Fair (IIBF), held from Sept. 25-29 in Jakarta.

    Organized by China National Sci-Tech Information Import & Export Co., Ltd, the collection featured over 400 types of books, covering topics such as traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin learning, literature, social sciences, children’s books, and traditional Chinese medicine.

    The delegation set up a digital reading stand showcasing Chinese history, culture, and advancements in fields like economics and ecology. The stand’s interactive photo feature allowed visitors to capture memorable moments.

    A highlight of the event was a signing ceremony between China’s publisher Higher Education Press and Indonesia’s PT Legacy Utama Kreasindo, which secured the Indonesian language rights for “Experiencing Chinese for Primary Schools (International Version).” This comprehensive series, designed for overseas elementary students, will be published in Indonesia later this year.

    IIBF Chairperson Wedha Stratesti remarked that the 2024 event, featuring publishers from 15 countries, represents a milestone for the fair. 

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets Nauruan counterpart

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Nauruan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met with Nauruan Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Lionel Aingimea on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that in January this year, China and Nauru resumed diplomatic ties, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries.

    China attaches great importance to its relationship with Nauru and is committed to strengthening communication and exchanges at all levels with Nauru on the basis of equality and mutual respect, he said.

    China is also keen on actively expanding practical cooperation to continuously advance the bilateral relations, Wang added.

    Aingimea, for his part, said that the resumption of diplomatic ties with China was undoubtedly a correct and historic decision.

    He also expressed the hope of continuing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields to support Nauru’s economic and social development.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN BISHOP SUPPORTS BIPARTISAN BILL TO REIN IN PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS, PROTECT SMALL PHARMACIES VITAL TO RURAL AMERICA

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sanford D Bishop Jr (GA-02)

    WASHINGTON – Last week, Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) joined a bipartisan group of legislators in front of the U.S. House to raise awareness about H.R. 9096, the Pharmacists Fight Back Act. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Congressman Jake Auchincloss (MA-05) and Congresswoman Diana Harshbarger (TN-01). This bill would prohibit large Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) from manipulating drug prices, and restricting network access and patient choice in federal healthcare plans. It also protects pharmacies, patients, and taxpayers from other unfair PBM practices.

    “Pharmacy benefit managers are fleecing independent pharmacists and consumers to the tune of billions of dollars every year… I have visited innovative pharmacies across my district over the last several years and I have seen the spreadsheets and seen the abuses they have suffered,” said Congressman Bishop. “PBM reform is an issue that cannot wait. I promise you that I will do everything in my power along with my colleagues to help pharmacists, particularly independent pharmacists and their customers, fight back.”

    WATCH: Congressman Bishop’s Remarks

    America’s seniors, active-duty service members, national guard/reserve members, military retirees, medal of honor recipients, and federal employees/retirees will see their drug costs lowered, and their choice of pharmacy protected via this bill.

    Joining members of Congress were pharmacists from across the country, including Vic Johnson, owner of Living Well Pharmacy in Augusta and Nikki Bryant, owner of Adams Family Pharmacy in Preston.

    WATCH: Nikki Bryant’s Remarks

    WATCH: Vic Johnson’s Remarks

    Bil and Sharon Schmidtknecht of Wisconsin, also spoke at the event. They are the parents of Cole Schmidtknecht who passed away when a PBM increased the price of his necessary daily asthma medication to nearly the same price as his rent.

    The Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into PBMs in 2022. In July 2024, it published its interim report which found that the six largest PBMs in the U.S.—Caremark, Express Scripts, OptumRx, Humana, Prime Therapeutics, and MedImpact—had come to manage nearly 95% of all scripts filled in the United States. Using “vertical integration,” these six PBMs had come to own or be owned by or otherwise linked to some of the largest health plans or pharmacies in the nation.

    The report went on to show exactly how this monopolistic situation affects independent pharmacies and their customers. According to the report, the largest PBMs often “exercise significant power over” drug availability and cost and which pharmacies Americans choose to use―while steering people toward larger pharmacies. By prioritizing chain pharmacies, PBMs put forward contract terms that can harm independent pharmacies by cutting into their payment.  They can also harm customers by limiting access to lower-cost generic competitor drugs.

    H.R. 9096, the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, addresses prescription drug coverage in federal programs such as Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicaid managed care, Tricare, and the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program. It proposes a transparent reimbursement model for federal programs that bans spread pricing and caps costs for patients.  In addition, it prohibits PBMs from “steering” patients to specific pharmacies by allowing beneficiaries to use any in-network pharmacy.

    The bill also prohibits PBMs from requiring a beneficiary to use a branded drug when there is a less expensive generic alternative available, among other provisions. The legislation makes it a felony with a $1,000,000 fine for each violation of the act. Finally, it empowers patients by allowing individuals to take civil action against PBMs that breach provisions in this bill.

    ###

    PHOTO CAPTION: Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr., (GA-02) discusses H.R. 9096, the Pharmacists Fight Back Act with reporters in front of the U.S. Capitol.

    PHOTOS CAPTION: Nikki Bryant, owner of Adams Family Pharmacy in Preston, and Vic Johnson, Vic Johnson, owner of Living Well Pharmacy in Augusta, speak to reporters about the effects that PBMs have had on pharmacists like them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade – UAE Trade agreement: High-quality and comprehensive dairy outcome

    Source: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)

    The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) welcomes the announcement of a trade agreement between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and New Zealand. The deal will deliver the complete elimination of all dairy tariffs from day one.
    “New Zealand exported approximately NZ$ 700 million worth of dairy products to the UAE in the last year, making it our 10th largest dairy market. Eliminating all dairy products provides important certainty to continue growing this trade,” says DCANZ Executive Director Kimberly Crewther.
    “DCANZ congratulates Trade Minister Todd McClay and New Zealand trade negotiators on this outstanding achievement. They have demonstrated that high-quality agreements that eliminate all dairy tariffs are still possible even in an increasingly complex international environment.”
    A 2023 report from Sense Partners estimated that New Zealand dairy tariffs were subject to over NZ$ 1 billion of tariffs across all markets and that 86% of global dairy consumption occurred behind tariff barriers of 10% or more. This included ongoing tariffs in some markets where New Zealand has trade agreements, such as the European Union and Japan.
    “The UAE agreement is a positive step towards a less protectionist international environment for New Zealand dairy products. We strongly encourage the Government to continue pursuing such high-quality outcomes with other negotiating partners, including upgrading existing trade agreements that have not yet secured dairy tariff elimination.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade – NZ-UAE Trade Agreement welcomed by export sector

    Source: BusinessNZ

    New Zealand exporters will welcome the news of a new free trade agreement between New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates signed today, says ExportNZ.
    “The deal between the UAE and NZ looks to be a comprehensive agreement between our two countries, and the immediate tariff reductions will be warmly welcomed by NZ businesses exporting goods and services into the Gulf State,” ExportNZ Executive Director, Josh Tan said.
    “Once enforced, the FTA will eliminate 98 per cent of tariffs on NZ goods entering the UAE, streamline customs entry for goods, and will help to reduce other barriers to trade.”
    NZ’s current main exports to the UAE include dairy, meat, industrial products, horticultural products and tourism.
    “The deal will also open up new opportunities in both in the UAE and further into the Middle East, as the UAE acts as an important hub in the region for travel, imports and exports, and business,” Josh Tan said.
    “We congratulate the negotiators on both sides for taking this agreement from launch to signature in four months – a record time.”
    The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Trade Deal is no deal for Workers

    Source: Council of Trade Unions – CTU

    “Today’s announcement of a possible trade deal with the United Arab Emirates is not a cause for celebration”, says NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi President Richard Wagstaff. “There is no evidence of a deal with no enforceable rights for workers, protections against forced labour or modern slavery. Nothing has been noted abut enhancing the rights of women in the UAE.”

    “We don’t currently know the real value of the deal. No National Impact Analysis or economic analysis has been made public. The International Trade Union Confederation states the UAE has one of the worst records for absolute denial of fundamental workers’ rights. No Independent Trade Unions are allowed under UAE law, nor is there any right to strike. One thing we do know is that this deal does nothing to help tackle climate change.”

    “We will be working with the Government, parliament, and allies to highlight the problems that this trade deal will create. Migrant workers in the UAE make up 88 percent of the overall workforce, yet they have little or no protections at work. This agreement does nothing to protect them. We should send this agreement back so that a properly enforceable trade deal can be signed,” said Wagstaff.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Security: Met Sets Out New Strategy to Protect Children from Crime

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Met Sets Out New Strategy to Protect Children from Crime

    • New five-year strategy to transform Met Police approach to keeping children safe from crime;
    • All officers to undertake training in childhood vulnerability while continuing to take tough action where the public is at risk;
    • Met Police commit to 36 concrete actions to build trust, keep children safe and bring to justice those who abuse and exploit them.

    Today (Thursday 26th September) the Metropolitan Police has launched its new Children’s Strategy to keep children in London safe, build their trust and bring to justice those who abuse and exploit them.

    Around 2 million children live in London and the policing challenges they present are wide ranging: from a 13 year old being exploited and forced to transport drugs to an 8 year old growing up amid domestic abuse, or a violent 17 year old with a knife. In 2023, there were approximately 61,000 child victims of crime and 51,000 children who were suspected of committing a crime.

    This new five year strategy will ensure that police officers have the tools, systems and training they need to effectively manage the range of very different ways that children experience crime.

    As part of the strategy all officers will receive new training in childhood vulnerability and adultification bias. This training will ensure the force can effectively implement a “Child First” approach while continuing to take tough action where communities or individuals (including children) are put at risk.

    Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said:

    “This is a major milestone in our mission to keep children in London safe from crime. It will give officers the training and support they need to recognise vulnerability and safeguard individual children, while ensuring that they can still effectively protect the public from criminal behaviour.

    “Importantly, the strategy also recognises what the Metropolitan Police has not always got right in the past: that in policing the line between vulnerability and criminality, we may have sometimes focused too hard on the criminality we can see, not the vulnerability that lies behind it. This does not mean a free pass for childhood criminality, rather it will ensure we are taking a “Child First” approach to policing which takes into account the unique needs of children impacted by crime and brings to justice those who exploit or abuse them.”

    London’s Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, Sophie Linden, said:

    “I welcome the Met’s new strategy to protect children from crime which will rightly place greater emphasis on recognising the vulnerabilities of young people as well as being able to respond appropriately to criminal behaviour.

    “Enhanced training for all officers will help ensure a “Child First” approach is embedded in policing in London – which the Mayor and I have long called for – and will fulfil a key recommendation from the Baroness Casey and HMICFRS reviews.

    “This new approach is an important step forward in the Met’s work to keep vulnerable young people in our city safe, rebuild their trust in the police and bear down on anyone who abuses or seeks to exploit them in our communities and online. The Mayor and I will continue to do everything we can to support the Met and key partners to build a safer, fairer London for everyone – where no child is left unprotected.”

    Anne Longfield, Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives and former Children’s Commissioner for England, said:

    “The Centre for Young Lives is pleased to have supported the development of this children’s strategy by providing the Met with the opportunity to hear the experiences and insights of children and young people.

    “Children want to be confident that the Met are there to protect and to serve them.

    “Ensuring the Met understands the experience of young people and the challenges they face and interacts with them in a respectful and safe way is a crucial part of building trust.”

    Ade Adetosoye CBE, Chair of the London Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive, said:

    “On behalf of the London Safeguarding Children Partnership Executive, I welcome the publication of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Children’s Strategy and their commitment to improving the experience of London’s children when they engage with the police. This strategy provides an opportunity for the police to reset its relationship with children and young people. As a board, we welcome and support the Metropolitan Police Service`s Children’s strategy and we look forward to continuing to work with the Metropolitan Police as they continue their improvement journey.”

    In addition to new training for all officers, the Met will undertake work to improve relations between officers and children in London, as well as work better in partnership with agencies whose primary responsibility is to keep children safe. The Children’s Strategy also commits to:

    • Increasing the size of our child exploitation teams with an additional 72 officers across London;
    • Integrating trained schools officers into Neighbourhood Ward teams; and
    • Establishing a new Public Protection Referrals desk to identify children who are experiencing domestic abuse and help facilitate a multi-agency response.

    The full Children’s Strategy including all 36 actions the Met Police are taking can be found in the full strategy (see below).

    MIL Security OSI –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI China: Closer China-ASEAN cooperation boosts regional high-quality development

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NANNING, China, Sept. 25 — Visitors arriving at this year’s China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) will encounter an intriguing blend of fresh innovations and familiar attractions. A new section spotlights emerging industries such as artificial intelligence and lithium batteries, while longstanding crowd favorites, like durian, longan, and rice, continue to draw attention.

    This evolving landscape mirrors the deepening partnership between China and ASEAN. China’s commitment to expanding high-standard opening-up and the rapid industry upgrading in ASEAN nations has fostered stronger economic ties between the two sides. Together, these efforts drive regional high-quality development while sharing China’s development opportunities with ASEAN.

    EMPOWERING ASEAN SMES

    Stepping into the Thai Pavilion at CAEXPO, visitors are greeted by the distinct aroma of durian mingling with the herbal scent of Zam-buk, a popular Thai remedy for insect bites. A booth showcasing the collaboration between TOPTHAI and China’s e-commerce leader, JD.com, drew significant interest.

    TOPTHAI store on leading e-commerce platforms is an initiative launched by the Thai Department of International Trade Promotion this year. It aims to help Thai small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expose their products to more overseas markets, among which the Chinese market is a crucial destination, said Dr. Nisachol Thaithong, a Thai trader and researcher in China-Thailand cross-border e-commerce.

    For SMEs and small-scale farmers in ASEAN countries, participating in e-commerce with China has transformed their businesses.

    “It (CAEXPO) is moving forward dynamically in terms of the more areas of cooperation, in terms of engaging wider stakeholders,” said Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN, in an interview on the sideline of CAEXPO and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (CABIS). “Now they are involved in the Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), for example. MSMEs are really the backbone of the economy on both sides. We have to get them involved, in addition to the big cooperations. I think this is the right direction that we are taking.”

    Frequent exchanges between China and Malaysia leadership have set a positive tone for SMEs, said Ravenna Chen, the CEO of TusStar Malaysia, an innovation and entrepreneurship platform.

    Huang Aimin, chairman of the first council of the Guangxi Cross-border E-Commerce Association, said cross-border e-commerce has the potential to be a critical platform for promoting in-depth economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN.

    Collaborating with China has sped up modernization in Laos. For instance, working with China to digitize businesses and develop e-commerce skills has been advantageous for both businesses and young individuals in Laos, according to Thanongsinh Kanlaya, Vice President of the Lao National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

    UPGRADING AGRIBUSINESS

    At a durian orchard in Thailand’s Chanthaburi province, Kosai, the 32-year-old owner and a Chinese social media influencer, was promoting durians to Chinese netizens through the live streaming e-commerce platform Tmall.

    Kosai is proud that his orchard is a smart orchard jointly built by the Commercial Association for Sustainability of Agriculture in Thailand and the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center of China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

    The Internet of Things installed by the Chinese side in Kosai’s orchard, which includes meteorological, water level, and soil moisture monitoring, could provide data support for the scientific cultivation of durian and the improvement of fruit quality.

    Modern farming is a sector with a promising future for cooperation between Malaysia and China, said Low Kian Chuan, president of the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia.

    Despite the difference in size and population between Brunei and China, CAEXPO and CABIS have offered a platform for Brunei enterprises to conduct win-win cooperation with Chinese peers, said National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Brunei Darussalam President Haji Abdul Saman bin Haji Ahmad.

    Platforms like CAEXPO and CABIS incentivize Brunei SMEs to grow “more resilient and more proactive” by exposing their products and services to the Chinese market, said Saman, adding that he sees particularly promising opportunities for Brunei’s halal food.

    GREEN TRANSITION

    Leading Chinese renewable energy firms are working closely with ASEAN enterprises and investing in new facilities to produce innovative, locally adapted products, thus actively contributing to ASEAN’s green transition.

    In July, BYD opened an electric vehicle plant in Thailand, the automaker’s first Southeast Asian factory, a fast-growing regional EV market. The same month Eve Energy announced a plan to build a new factory in Kulim, Kedah state, Malaysia to meet the fast-growing demand for energy storage and consumer batteries in the South East Asia region.

    In August, Gotion High-tech announced that a battery assembly plant project in Malaysia is under negotiation, in addition to its assembly plants in Indonesia and Thailand. The battery manufacturer’s Vietnam factory is expected to begin production in October this year.

    Malaysia’s East Coast Rail Link under the Belt and Road Initiative is expected to drive economic development in the east coast areas and promote more balanced development among regions within the countries, said Anthony Loke Siew Fook, the minister of transport of Malaysia.

    As outlined in the National Automotive Policy 2020 and National Energy Transition Roadmap, Malaysia is developing its renewable energy battery sector and welcomes leading battery manufacturers to invest in it, said Loke.

    Malaysia encourages Chinese companies to form partnerships with local companies to further promote the use of electric and hybrid vehicles in Malaysia, not only in terms of car manufacturing but also in the entire ecosystem, from charging networks to battery manufacturing, said Zalina Zainol, deputy chief executive officer of investment development at Malaysian Investment Development Authority.

    Malaysia highly encourages such cooperation to further create high-skilled jobs in engineering, research and development, and advanced manufacturing, thereby boosting economic growth here, Zainol added.

    MIL OSI China News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £1bn investment secures over 300 jobs in North Wales

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK and Welsh Government have announced £1 billion of investment into Shotton Mill in North Wales.

    • Major joint investment in Deeside will safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220.
    • Shotton Mill will become UK’s largest recycled paper manufacturer helping the UK’s transition to net zero and creating jobs in green industries of the future.
    • Stronger relationship between UK and Welsh Government delivers boost to local economy.
    • Announcement comes ahead of Investment Summit which will bring together international business leaders to boost growth.

    A major investment of over £1 billion in the redevelopment of Shotton Mill in Deeside, North Wales, will safeguard 147 jobs and create a further 220 when fully commissioned, the UK and Welsh governments have confirmed today [Thursday 26 September].

    Cabinet ministers from both the UK and Welsh government will visit the historic industrial centre of Wales to meet with members of Eren Holdings, who acquired Shotton Mill in 2021. There, they will hear more about the site’s transformation, which will turn the area into the UK’s largest paper manufacturing site.

    The announcement comes ahead of the Investment Summit next month which will make clear that the UK is “open for business” as the UK government resets relations with trading partners around the globe and creates a pro-business environment that supports innovation and high-quality jobs at home and supports our mission to deliver growth.

    The Welsh Government has provided nearly £13 million in funding alongside £136 million in support from UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government’s export credit agency.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    This is a massive vote of confidence in the Welsh economy and this government’s plans to make Britain the destination of choice for investments in the industries of tomorrow. This transformative investment will not only support local skilled jobs but raise living standards in the community.

    The deal being announced today is testament to what can be achieved when the Welsh and UK governments work hand in hand. 

    We’re also proud to celebrate National Manufacturing Day, where we recognise the tremendous innovations taking place right across the sector, not least here in Shotton Mill.

    Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said:

    Deeside has a long and proud history as one of Wales’ key industrial centres and this significant investment from our two governments will secure jobs and help bring a prosperous future for the area.

    We have reset the relationship between the UK and Welsh Government. Working together in close partnership we are delivering growth and good jobs to people across Wales.

    Economy, Energy and Planning Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Evans said:

    This is excellent news for Deeside and the wider Welsh economy and is a prime example of how, through our commitment to a prosperous, green economy we are able to attract investment, and create good, sustainable jobs whilst reducing waste.

    Once fully operational, instead of transporting paper waste many hundreds or thousands of miles overseas to be processed it will be turned into recycled packaging here in Wales. This, alongside the nature of the technology, means a net reduction in carbon emissions equivalent to emissions from 190,000 homes a year.

    Our £13million support will help ensure this is delivered whilst safeguarding and creating local jobs and ensuring that the community is at the heart of the business’ success for many years to come.

    Eren Holding is a leading containerboard and corrugated cardboard manufacturer from Turkey and ranks among the leading producers in Europe. Their plans will see Shotton Mill become the UK’s largest paper-manufacturing campus, boosting UK paper production by recycling wastepaper which would otherwise go overseas or into landfill.

    The plant will produce nearly 100% recycled paper and will have an environmentally friendly production model as it purifies its own wastewater, recycles and reuses it in the system, helping to create good, highly paid jobs in the green industries of the future.

    UKEF supported by issuing a guarantee which allows HSBC and UBS to arrange debt financing for the project. 

    The Eren investment is expected to boost Welsh and UK exports in paper, with UKEF support offered on the understanding that Shotton Mill will export 10% of its turnover within 5 years. This is also expected to reduce UK reliance on imports of paper.

    Hamdullah Eren, Senior board member of the Eren Holding Group said:

    “Production at our new plant at Shotton Mill will be based on state-of-the-art technology, making this the most advanced paper campus in Europe. Our custom-built plant will deliver sophisticated and sustainable manufacturing solutions well into the 21st century. This is the first major Eren Holding cap ex project outside Türkiye and we are delighted to have chosen Deeside as an ideal location to meet our ambitions for growth. We are putting down deep roots on a site of historic industrial significance. We believe this new plant will bring prosperity, leadership in our industry, and long-term employment prospects that will be the pride of Deeside, Wales and Türkiye.”

    Northeast Wales is a key industrial centre, with Deeside being one of the largest industrial parks in Europe. Shotton steelworks once operated on site, with industrial activity at the Mill dating back over 100 years.

    The investment represents a new lease of life for the site and will support economic stability in Deeside and the North Wales area as both governments look to deliver long-term, sustainable, growth right across the UK.

    The announcement also falls on National Manufacturing Day as the government celebrates the nation’s first-class manufacturing industry. The UK government’s upcoming modern industrial strategy will back workers and give international investors the confidence they need to invest in Britain, creating jobs and growth across the UK.

    The UK remains an attractive destination for green investment and this announcement will help create jobs, grow the economy and export high-quality, sustainable goods around the world.

    Notes to Editors

    • More information on the UK’s trading relationship with Turkey can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66e937f47f20ecc7ec3aa226/turkey-trade-and-investment-factsheet-2024-09-20.pdf

    • UK Export Finance (UKEF) is a government department which provides loans, guarantees, and insurance to help UK exporters access international trading opportunities. It is the UK’s export credit agency and works closely with the Department of Business and Trade.

    • UKEF’s support has come in the form of a financing guarantee issued under its Export Development Guarantee (EDG) product, which helps UK exporters to access high-value debt facilities.
    • A financial guarantee is an arrangement which can help a borrower to access debt financing such as loans and lines of credit. It involves a guarantor agreeing to ensure that the lender is repaid if the borrower defaults.
    • In this case, UKEF has provided an 80% guarantee worth £136 million covering a £170 million financing facility being made available by other institutions to Shotton Mill, with HSBC and UBS acting as arranging banks.
    • This is the second time that UK has used its EDG product to support an overseas business looking to increase its UK exporting capacity through an ‘invest-to-export’ arrangement.

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    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Rubio Responds to WSJ on U.S. Trade with China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

    ICYMI: Rubio Responds to WSJ on U.S. Trade with China

    Sep 25, 2024 | Press Releases

    Letter to the Editor: On U.S. Trade Policy with China

    U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

    September 25, 2024

    Wall Street Journal

    …When our leaders established so-called free trade with state-subsidized Chinese companies, 2.4 million Americans lost their jobs…. It took policy makers over a decade to catch up with reality, but their efforts to stem Beijing’s anti-market onslaught are now accepted as common sense.

    Mr. Furman hearkens to a different era. He asserts that the Biden administration “was wrong to keep and add to the tariffs Mr. Trump placed on China” and celebrates how Vice President Kamala Harris “doesn’t seem enthusiastic” about tough trade policies. Does Mr. Furman mean for us to ignore the past 25 years?

    Allowing China to acquire supply-chain dominance clearly threatens U.S. national security. The Chinese regime hasn’t been shy about this: …Last month it began cutting America off from antimony, a metal crucial to the construction of bullets, missiles and nuclear weapons. Mr. Furman offers no solution to this threat.

    Those who favor re-establishing so-called free trade with China are welcome to make their case. But the burden is on them to show it is in America’s interest to let a communist dictatorship run rampant over the U.S. economy….

    Read the rest here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand concludes trade agreement with the UAE

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have concluded negotiations on a trade agreement, which will unlock economic opportunities for Kiwi exporters and create stronger supply chains with one of our most important trading partners in the Gulf region.

    This agreement was concluded in just over 4 months following the launch of negotiations on 7 May this year, making this New Zealand’s fastest-ever trade agreement negotiation, and the most trade liberalising of any of the UAE’s CEPAs to date. 

    “This shows the Government’s commitment to opening doors and reducing costs and barriers for Kiwi exporters,” Mr McClay says. 

    The announcement follows formal talks between Trade Minister Todd McClay and his UAE counterpart Minister of State for Foreign Trade Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi in Wellington.

    “Our Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with the UAE will eliminate duties on 98.5 per cent of New Zealand’s exports immediately on entry into force, rising to 99 per cent within three years. This will create new opportunities for New Zealand businesses in the dynamic UAE market, contributing to our ambitious target of doubling exports by value in ten years,” Mr McClay says. 

    “The UAE is a key export destination and hub in the Gulf region. In the year to June 2024, two-way trade was valued at NZ$1.3 billion. The UAE is one of our largest markets in the Middle East, and a top 20 export market overall.” 

    New Zealand dairy exports to the UAE amounted to $718 million, industrial products $237 million, red meat $46 million, horticulture $44 million, and tourism $31 million. 

    New Zealand imported $152 million of products and services from the UAE over the same period, including plastics, carpets, travel services and glass.

    In addition to removing tariffs, the CEPA includes new commitments which will provide greater certainty for New Zealand services exporters when operating in the UAE. 

    The CEPA’s Investment Facilitation chapter, and a Bilateral Investment Treaty concluded alongside the CEPA, will together provide a framework for broadening and strengthening our investment relationship and help increase two-way investment with the UAE. The agreement does not include Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS).

    Professional services, education services, and the audio-visual and gaming sectors, as well as engineering and environmental services will all benefit from this Agreement.

    The CEPA also includes chapters on intellectual property, sustainable development, labour, sustainable agriculture, climate, and on indigenous trade. We have also secured New Zealand’s Treaty of Waitangi exception to allow us to meet treaty obligations. 

    H.E. Dr Al Zeyoudi says New Zealand is a long-standing and highly valued trade partner of the UAE. 

    “The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement will further strengthen our bilateral relations and boost private-sector opportunity in both nations. The conclusion of our CEPA is also an important step forward in realizing our shared ambition to secure long-term prosperity for our peoples and nations alike.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Hassan Introduce Bill Targeting Counterfeit Imports

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) introduced legislation to detect and halt counterfeit imports. Specifically, the bipartisan bill authorizes Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to share suspected counterfeits’ packaging and shipping information with intellectual property rights holders, e-commerce platforms and transportation carriers. The text of their legislation has been included as an amendment in the “manager’s package” of the committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.
    “Counterfeits are an affront to consumers’ well-being, economic vitality and common decency,” Grassley said. “Our bipartisan bill establishes a straightforward approach to cut back on counterfeits by boosting information sharing between CBP, rights holders and commerce professionals.”  
    “This bipartisan bill gives Customs and Border Protection the tools that they need to more effectively stop counterfeit goods from crossing our borders,” Hassan said. “By strengthening law enforcement efforts to identify and interdict counterfeit imports, we can better protect American businesses and create jobs.”  
    Background
    Grassley is the co-chair of the Congressional Trademark Caucus and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. Grassley’s 2019 “Fight Against Fakes” report, released during his time as Finance Chairman, detailed bad actors’ efforts to exploit the marketplace at the expense of consumers’ pocketbooks and personal safety. Building on the report, Grassley first introduced legislation in 2021 to enhance information sharing between CBP and private sector partners.
    The Grassley-Hassan bill (S.5160) is supported by the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP Global), American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), Automotive Anti-Counterfeiting Council (A2C2), International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition (IACC), Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), The Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM), The Toy Association and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
    Download bill text HERE.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawley Brings Bipartisan Momentum to Bill Boosting Warehouse Worker Safety

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo)

    Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) joined U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) in reintroducing the Warehouse Worker Protection Act.
    The bill would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The newly reintroduced legislation includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses.
    “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley.
    “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.”
    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act was also sponsored by Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa). With Senator Hawley’s support, the legislation now has bipartisan momentum.
    Senator Hawley has consistently advocated for American workers, including standing with and voting to support rail workers as they sought a fair deal with sick leave, fighting to keep jobs here in the U.S., and protecting United States Postal Service workers. More information about his past work in support of the American worker can be found on his website.
    A copy of the reintroduced legislation can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Introduces Five Bills to Combat Chinese Communist Party Influence

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    September 25, 2024
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced five pieces of legislation aimed at combatting the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in America’s agriculture and financial sectors.
    “The CCP is the single greatest threat to America’s national security and financial independence,” said Senator Ricketts. “A CCP-led world would mean coercion instead of choice, tyranny instead of liberty, and dictatorship instead of democracy. The only way to combat this threat is with a strong, strategic, all-of-government approach. These bills move us closer to that.”
    The Securing American Agriculture Act bolsters and protects our domestic food and agriculture supply chains and reduces America’s reliance on foreign adversaries.
    The Protecting Endowments from our Adversaries Act disincentivizes endowments from investing in adversarial entities flagged by the U.S. Government as threatening to our national security.
    The No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act eliminates tax breaks for investments made in companies based in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Belarus.
    The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act prevents Wall Street firms from using Americans’ investment dollars to effectively underwrite the CCP’s human rights abuses and aggression.
    The No China in Index Funds Act prevents index mutual funds from holding Chinese stocks.
    The bills were first covered by Fox News here.
    BACKGROUND:
    Securing American Agriculture Act – The PRC’s strategic control over crucial sectors of our food and agricultural supply chain poses a serious national security threat. In recent years, the PRC gained significant market share in the production of essential agricultural inputs like vitamins, veterinary pharmaceuticals, and crop protection tools. China now controls over 90% of vitamin C and vitamin B6 production and up to 85% of amino acids used in animal feed.
    Losing access to these key inputs could drastically reduce agricultural productivity, increase food prices, and undermine domestic food security. A University of Wisconsin-Whitewater study found that, if left unchecked, the PRC’s domination of the amino acids market would destroy 30,000 U.S. jobs and reduce economic activity by $15 billion per year. The Securing American Agriculture Act bolsters and protects our food production supply chain.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in conjunction with the U.S. Trade Representative and the Department of Commerce, to conduct an annual threat assessment of critical food and agricultural supply chains.
    Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide recommendations to mitigate potential threats from the PRC and for legislative and regulatory actions to reduce barriers to domestic critical input production.
    U.S. Representatives Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-07) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Mike Braun (R-IN), John Barrasso (R-WY), John Cornyn (R-TX), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Jim Risch (R-ID), Rick Scott (R-FL), and Eric Schmitt (R-MI).
    A one-pager on the bill can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    Protecting Endowments from Our Adversaries Act (PEOAA) – U.S. University endowment dollars have helped fund technology behind the CCP’s surveillance of Uyghur Muslims in China. Many endowment fund portfolios own Chinese stocks listed on American exchanges, either directly or indirectly. Tax-advantaged endowment dollars are supposed to be used to lower tuition costs and improve education, not to fund our adversaries.
    Specifically, the bill:
    Imposes a 50% excise tax on initial investments in adversarial entities on the Entity List, Military End User List, Unverified List, or FCC Covered List.
    Imposes a 100% excise tax on the realized gains derived from listed investments one year after an entity is listed.
    Applies to private college and university endowments over $1 billion.
    U.S. Representative Greg Murphy (R-NC-3) has introduced companion legislation in the House. The Senate bill is co-sponsored by Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) And Deb Fischer (R-NE).
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act – According to a comparative analysis of capital gains tax rates by the Law Library of Congress, many countries have investment incentives not applicable to some foreign investments. For example, China provides investment incentives through its tax code, but foreign investments are eligible only with the pre-approval of the Chinese government. The No Capital Gains Allowance for American Adversaries Act stops subsidizing our adversaries’ investments in the United States. 
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Eliminates the capital gains tax break for investments in companies based in China, Russia, Belarus, Iran, and North Korea.
    Eliminates a related tax break, the “step-up in basis” at death, for investments in such companies.
    Requires disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) that no tax breaks are available for these stocks.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    People’s Republic of China (PRC) Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act – A recent report identified 144 Chinese companies, or their affiliates, whose practices were so adverse to U.S. interests that it is illegal for Americans to buy their products. Most of these companies have been found to violate human rights. Others play an integral role in the CCP’s military-industrial complex. While buying the products of these companies is illegal, it is still legal to buy their stock. The PRC Military and Human Rights Capital Markets Sanctions Act fixes this problem.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding publicly-traded securities of companies that appear on sanctions lists or have an affiliate on the sanctions list.
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding publicly-traded securities that are derivatives of securities issued by a sanctioned company.
    Prohibits Americans from purchasing, selling, or holding securities that provides investment exposure to a publicly-traded security issued by a sanctioned company or affiliate.
    Requires divestment from the prohibited securities within 180 days.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.
    No China in Index Funds Act – Index mutual funds minimize their expenses by simply investing in all the companies in a certain market sector, without looking closely at the individual companies. There are unique difficulties in evaluating the risks of investing in Chinese companies. Americans should not invest in these companies without carefully evaluating the risk. The No China in Index Funds Act will keep these hard-to-evaluate Chinese stocks out of index mutual funds.
    Specifically, the bipartisan bill:
    Prohibits index funds from investing in Chinese companies.
    Requires index funds to divest from such investments within 180 days.
    U.S. Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA-32) and Victoria Spartz (R-IN-05) haveintroduced companion legislation in the House.
    One-pager can be found here. Bill text is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEWS: Sanders and Colleagues Move to Block Arms Sales to Israel

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Vermont – Bernie Sanders
    Today, with colleagues, I introduced Joint Resolutions of Disapproval seeking to block certain arms sales to Israel. The Senate will vote on these resolutions when it reconvenes in November. Let me explain why these arms sales must not proceed.
    Israel clearly had the right to respond to Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on October 7th, which killed 1,200 innocent Israelis and took hundreds of hostages. But Prime Minister Netanyahu’s extremist government has not simply waged war against Hamas. It has waged all-out war against the Palestinian people, killing more than 41,000 Palestinians and injuring more than 95,000 – 60 percent of whom are women, children, or elderly people. Netanyahu has bombed hospitals and schools, starved children, destroyed infrastructure and housing stock, and made life unlivable in Gaza. The United States must end its complicity in this atrocity.
    Sending more weapons is not only immoral, it is also illegal. The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and the Arms Export Control Act lay out clear requirements for the use of American weaponry – Israel has egregiously violated those rules. American weapons have been used indiscriminately, and several of the systems included in these sales are responsible for a large number of civilian casualties. There is a mountain of documentary evidence demonstrating that these weapons are being used in violation of U.S. and international law. It is also clear that Israel has blocked U.S. humanitarian aid, making it ineligible for U.S. security assistance under Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act.
    There are also clear policy reasons not to proceed with these arms sales. For months, the Biden Administration has been trying to reach a ceasefire deal that would secure the release of the hostages and allow more aid to flow into Gaza. Every time an agreement appears close, Netanyahu introduces new demands and sinks the deal. It is clear that Netanyahu is prolonging the war to cling to power and avoid prosecution for corruption. Meanwhile, his government has also overseen record illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank and unleashed a wave of violence there that has killed nearly 700 Palestinians, including 150 children, and several Americans over the last 11 months.
    And now the world must contend with the dramatic escalation in Lebanon.
    President Biden has emphatically called for de-escalation and said that a “full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest.” He has underlined that a ceasefire for hostage deal in Gaza is the key to a diplomatic solution to the wider conflict. That is the policy of the United States: to pursue a ceasefire for hostage deal that will prevent further escalation, stop the killing and the rocket attacks, allow displaced people to return to their homes sooner, and finally bring the hostages home.
    Netanyahu has resisted these calls. Instead, at every stage of this conflict, when presented with the choice between military escalation and diplomacy, Netanyahu has chosen to escalate to preserve his coalition at home.
    For all of these reasons – moral, legal, and strategic – sending more weapons to Netanyahu’s extremist government is unacceptable. That is why many of our closest allies have already stopped offensive arms transfers. Congress must now act to uphold U.S. and international law and use our leverage to advance U.S. policy goals.
    The Joint Resolutions of Disapproval are as follows:
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of additional Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs);
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of 120mm tank cartridges;
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges;
    Sanders, Welch, Merkley to block the sale of enhanced JDAM receivers;
    Sanders and Welch to block the sale of Modified M1148A1P2 Medium Tactical Vehicles;
    Sanders to block the sale of fifty new F-15IA aircraft, associated weapons and parts, as well as upgrade kits for existing F-15 aircraft.
    Read the fact sheet, here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bipartisan Momentum Builds for Warehouse Worker Protection Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF)

    Washington (September 25, 2024) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security, along with new co-sponsor Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), applauded the bipartisan momentum behind the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The legislation as re-introduced includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses. Senator Markey, along with Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), first introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act in May.

    “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.”

    “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley.

    “The momentum to protect workers is growing. These big companies hold a lot of power, they are literally controlling the lives of workers minute by minute with their productivity metrics and quotas,” said Senator Smith. “With this bill, we are saying, enough is enough. We’re putting accountability into this system and power back in the hands of workers subjected to systems that drive profits for billionaires while they wring workers dry.”

    “I have long fought to ensure that workplaces protect the health and safety of their employees. When giant corporations use intrusive surveillance technology and AI to track productivity, they can force warehouse workers to skip breaks and jeopardize their health and the health of their colleagues—all to meet quotas set by algorithms,” said Senator Casey. “By cracking down on dangerous surveillance technology, this legislation will help workers stand up for their own health and safety.”

    A copy of the reintroduced legislation can be found HERE.

    It is cosponsored by Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.).

    The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is endorsed by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the United Food and Commercial Workers, the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the Athena Coalition, and Oxfam America.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: PASSED SENATE: The National Fossil Act to name the mastodon America’s fossil

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Mike Braun (Indiana)

    WASHINGTON – The National Fossil Act has now passed the Senate. This bill names the mastodon as the U.S. national fossil, and was introduced by Senator Mike Braun and Senator Gary Peters and cosponsored by Senator Eric Schmitt and Senator Maggie Hassan.

    This is Senator Braun’s 5th standalone bill to pass the Senate just this year, and if signed into law will be his 10th in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) to become law, including provisions on veterans healthcare, opioids, and budget reform. 

    The National Fossil Act aims to celebrate the unique natural history of the United States, and encourage interest in paleontology.

    If the National Fossil Act is passed by the House and signed into law, the mastodon would join the bald eagle, bison, rose, and oak tree as enduring national symbols of the United States.

    The mastodon lived more than 13,000 years ago in the Pleistocene era, predominantly on land that would eventually become the United States of America. A fully grown mastodon was over 10 feet tall, weighed more than 11 tons, and was preceded by a pair of 16-foot-long tusks. Unlike its distant cousin, the mammoth, the mastodon was found exclusively in the United States, with its bones being unearthed in every state across the continental U.S.

    Mastodon fossils are frequently found in Indiana and Michigan.

    The mastodon was made the Indiana state fossil in 2022.

    Mastodons have been found in nearly every Indiana county, including notable discoveries in Hebron, Fort Wayne, and Seymour.

    “Mastodons embody the spirit of exploration, resilience, and strength that exemplifies our great nation. As a uniquely American symbol, mastodons inspire us to embrace our heritage and to protect our country’s natural treasures. I hope making Indiana’s state fossil our national fossil will inspire young Hoosiers to take an interest in our country’s rich natural history that may be in their own backyard.” – Senator Mike Braun

    “Michigan made history when we uncovered one of the most complete skeletons of the Mastodon ever found, and we continue to find traces of this prehistoric giant all throughout our state,” said Senator Peters. “The Mastodon represents a unique piece of both Michigan’s and our nation’s history. By establishing the Mastodon as our national fossil, we can better preserve that history and inspire a new generation of scientists and researchers to continue their pursuit of discovery.”

    The National Fossil Act:

    • Section 1 designates the bill as the National Fossil Act.
    • Section 2 establishes findings on the role of the Mastodon in American public life.
    • Section 3 designates the Mastodon as the national fossil under Title 36 U.S. Code, and makes necessary conforming amendments.

    Senator Braun’s legislative wins this Congress:

    As mentioned, this is Senator Braun’s 5th standalone bill to pass the Senate just this year, and if signed into law will be his 10th bill in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) to become law. 

    Some other Braun bills to become law or pass Senate in the 118th Congress (2023-2024) are:

    (Became Law) The Federal Prison Oversight Act

    • A bill to provide independent oversight to improve conditions for staff and prisoners in federal prisons like Terre Haute. 

    (Became Law) COVID-19 Origins Act

    • A bill that required the intelligence community to declassify important information about the origins of COVID, specifically the Wuhan Institute of Virology. 

    (Became Law) The Wounded Warrior Access Act

    • A bill that streamlines the claims process for veterans with a new online tool, helping those who previously had to get their claims information through the mail or by driving to a regional VA location.

    (Became Law) Department of Defense Overdose Data (DOD) Act

    • A bill to ensure naloxone and any other medication to reverse opioid overdose is available on all military installations and in each operational environment.

    (Became Law) Reforming Benefits for Children of Vietnam Veterans with Spina Bifida

    • A bill to help the children of Vietnam Veterans suffering from spina bifida due to their father’s exposure to Agent Orange get access to medical benefits for the rest of their lives

    (Became Law) Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Act

    • A bill which requires agencies to propose pay-fors to offset expensive government regulations.

               (Passed Senate) VA Home Loan Awareness Act 

    • A bill to inform veteran homebuyers of their eligibility for the VA Home Loan Program, which helps more veterans achieve the dream of homeownership.

    (Passed Senate) Working Dog Health and Welfare Act of 2023

    • A bill to improve conditions for dogs used in the detection of explosives, narcotics and patrol duties by federal agencies, by instituting programs that detect abuse and neglect and ensure emergency medical care, food and water, and rest time.

    (Passed Senate) Mark Our Place Act

    • A bill to provide special headstones upon family request for all veterans who have received the Medal of Honor.

    If signed into law, the National Fossil Act will join the following Braun bills signed into law:

    BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 118TH CONGRESS (2023-2024).

    • Federal Prison Oversight Act
    • The COVID-19 Origins Act (Public Law 118-2)
    • The Administrative Pay-As-You-Go Act (included in Public Law 118-5)
    • Reforming Benefits for Children of Vietnam Veterans with Spina Bifida (Public Law 118-8)
    • The Wounded Warrior Access Act (Public Law 118-21)
    • The Korean American VALOR Act (Public Law 118-20)
    • The Department of Defense Overdose Data (DOD) Act (Public Law 118-31)
    • Supporting the Provision of Veteran Survivor Benefit Plans (Public Law 118-31)
    • Flexibility and Funding for the World Trade Center Health Program (Public Law 118-31)

    BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 117TH CONGRESS (2021 – 2022):

    • Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-67)
    • A bill to properly implement the ALS Disability Insurance Access Act (Public Law 117-3)
    • The Consider Teachers Act (Public Law No: 117-49)
    • The Growing Climate Solutions Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The STREAM Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Small Business Establishment Registration Waiver Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The Make It in America Act (Public Law 117-58)
    • The DUMP Opioids Act (Public Law 117-29
    • Better ODDS to Reduce Diversion Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-328)
    • FREED of Opioids Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The Access for Veterans to Records Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Apply the Science Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The Emergency Use Transparency Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The Recovery Startup Assistance Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Promoting Access to Critical Countermeasures by Ensuring Specimen Samples (ACCESS) to Diagnostics Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Predetermined Change Control Plan Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • Protecting Patients from Counterfeit Medical Devices Act (Public Law 117-328)
    • The PLUM Act (Public Law 117-328)

    BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW IN THE 116TH CONGRESS (2019 – 2020):

    • The Safeguarding Small Business Act
    • Healthcare Transparency
    • the Whistleblower Act of 2019
    • the VA Directly Returning Opioid Prescriptions Act
    • the Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019
    • Restore Harmony Way Bridge Act
    • Richard Lugar Post Office Act
    • Payment Integrity Information Act
    • ALS Disability Insurance Access Act
    • OTC Reform
    • The Fair Care Act
    • Braun Provisions in the WRDA Reauthorization in the OMNI

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17)

    The bill is supported by an unprecedented coalition of gun violence prevention organizations, Veterans Service Organizations, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman and Navy veteran Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17) Congressman, former FBI Special Agent and federal prosecutor Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01), and Congressman Greg Landsman (D-OH-01) introduced the new, bipartisan veteran suicide prevention bill the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024. This bill authorizes a program for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide free firearm lockboxes to veterans. Limiting the ease by which at-risk individuals can access firearms has been shown to prevent suicide deaths.  

    Firearms are the most common means used by veterans who die by suicide. Approximately 73% of male veteran suicide deaths and 52% of female veteran suicide deaths are with firearms, rates that greatly exceed those of nonveterans. Fifty-one percent of veterans report owning one or more personal firearms, and of those, over half report storing firearms loaded and/or unsecured. A third of veterans who store their firearms loaded and unlocked don’t own a lockbox or safe.  

    “It is unacceptable that we have such high rates of veteran suicide when we know there are things we can do to help save the lives of those who served,” said Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17). “I am proud to introduce the Save Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024 alongside my colleagues to provide free firearm lockboxes to my fellow veterans. It is a simple bipartisan idea, supported by organizations from across the political spectrum—let’s get this done and fight back against the crisis of veteran suicides.” 

    “The alarming and tragic reality is that our veterans face a suicide rate 57% higher than that of civilians. The Saving Veterans Lives Act will create a program within the VA to provide secure firearm lockboxes to veterans, ensuring they have the tools to safeguard themselves during moments of crisis. This commonsense, bipartisan initiative is more than a solution—it’s a lifeline. By providing access to lifesaving resources, we can prevent devastating outcomes and stand with our veterans as they navigate their darkest hours. It’s simple: we must come together and deliver the support our veterans deserve and have rightfully earned,” said Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1). 

    “Our veterans sacrificed so much for our country, and it’s our responsibility to support them in all ways,” said Congressman Greg Landsman (OH-01). “Free gun storage boxes is a simple yet critical step in reducing the risks of firearm-related harm. We’re proud to support this initiative in helping to keep our veterans and their loved ones safe.” 

    The bill has been endorsed by the following organizations: National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), The American Legion, GIFFORDS, Everytown for Gun Safety, Brady, American Psychological Association (APA), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Association of VA Psychologist Leaders (AVAPL). 

    “NSSF – The Firearm Industry Trade Association – supports the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024 introduced during National Suicide Prevention Month. NSSF has a longstanding partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs with the goal of trying to reduce suicide by firearm among our nation’s veterans. Gun owners have a responsibility to securely store their firearms when not in use to make sure they are inaccessible to those who should not possess them including someone experiencing a mental health crisis,” said NSSF’s Senior Vice President Lawrence G. Keane. “Responsible firearm storage can create time and space between a person in crisis and a gun. Rep. Deluzio’s bill helps provide veterans with the means to secure their firearms.” 

    “The American Legion and its 1.6 million members are dedicated to our “Be the One” mission to reduce the number of veterans lost to suicide,” said American Legion National Commander, James LaCoursiere. “ Did you know that in some cases only 10 minutes elapse between an individual having suicidal ideation and acting? The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act is an important part of preventing suicide as it will provide veterans with the information and means to securely store their firearms to prevent suicide, while still protecting their Second Amendment rights. The Legion commends Representative Deluzio and his team for bringing this bill forward and for their continued dedication to the welfare of our nation’s veterans.” 

    “Firearms are by far the most prevalent method of veteran suicides, used 72% of the time–a rate that is much higher than nonveteran suicide. Safe gun storage creates time and space which interrupts the impulse of suicidal thoughts and ideation–and gives people an opportunity to hesitate, reconsider and seek help. The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024 aims to provide eligible veterans with items for the secure storage of firearms, a public education campaign on the availability of these items and on how to use them as a suicide prevention strategy. DAV is proud to support this impactful bill, and we thank Representative Deluzio for his continued leadership on this critical issue,” DAV National Legislative Director, Joy Ilem.

    “One in five adult firearm suicide victims is a veteran,” said Emma Brown, GIFFORDS Executive Director. We can and must do better for the Americans who put their lives on the line to serve our country. Rep. Deluzio’s bill takes a significant step in addressing the issue of veteran suicide, and provides real, tangible solutions that will help keep veterans safe, as well as promoting safe storage tools in the process. We look forward to seeing this legislation move forward in this Congress.” 

    “The devastating rise of firearm suicide among veterans is another reminder of the terrible consequences that can arise when someone in crisis has access to a firearm. Our leaders should be doing everything in their power to protect those who have protected our nation, and we applaud Congressman Deluzio for introducing this legislation to promote secure gun storage and save lives.” – John Feinblatt, President of Everytown for Gun Safety.

    “Our nation’s Veterans are battling a firearm suicide crisis, but it doesn’t have to be this way,” said Mark Collins, Director of Federal Policy, Brady. “Safe storage is proven to decrease the risk of suicide and save lives. Brady applauds Congressman Deluzio for introducing legislation that will help ensure Veterans can safely store their firearms and strengthen the Department of Veteran Affairs’ efforts to protect those who have served our country.” 

    “Suicide is a public health crisis impacting far too many veterans and their families,” said American Psychological Association (APA) CEO Arthur C. Evans, Jr. PhD. “We commend Rep. Deluzio’s tireless efforts to bring gun owners and the health care community together with Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024. Research shows that impulsivity is a key factor in many suicide attempts and that secure firearm storage can prevent these tragedies.” 

    “Suicide is the 13th leading cause of death for Veterans in the United States, and research indicates that one in four Veterans store firearms in an unsafe manner, which increases the risk of suicide,” said Laurel Stine, J.D., M.A., Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. “We thank Representative Deluzio for introducing the Saving Our Veterans Lives Act, which will make it easier for Veterans to access secure firearm storage devices, raise awareness about the importance of lethal means safety, and help to prevent firearm suicide among Veterans and their families.” 

    “The Saving Our Veterans Lives Act of 2024 provides the funding and incentive to accomplish exactly what it states – to save Veteran lives by offering Veterans free lockboxes to securely store their firearms,” said Jennifer Presnall-Shvorin, President, Association of VA Psychologist Leaders (AVAPL). “AVAPL proudly supports this bill as one of the best commitments our Nation can make to serving those who have served.”  

    Since 2012, VA’s Suicide Prevention Program has distributed free firearm cable locks to any veteran who requests one. However, many veterans overwhelmingly favor lockboxes and safes to secure their guns.   

    A pilot program is currently offering free lockboxes to Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enrolled veterans with elevated risk for suicide who requests that one be mailed to them. Here are four ways that the Save Our Veterans’ Lives Act of 2024, full text available here, would enhance the pilot: 

    Issue 

    Current Pilot  

    Saving Our Veterans Lives Act 

    Veteran eligibility for free lockbox 

    Only covers VHA-enrolled veterans assessed as moderate to high-risk for suicide   

    Applies to all veterans, with and without identified risk, with and without VHA enrollment 

    Allocations needed for program staffing 

    No dedicated funds 

    Would cover need for: a program manager, statistician, evaluator, and prosthetics staff 

    Allocations needed for lockboxes 

    No dedicated funds 

    Assures sufficient funding for many tens of thousands of lockboxes to be distributed to veterans 

    Educational campaign informing veterans of program 

    None  

    Promotes public education campaign, including through trusted allies 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sep 25, 2024 ATU: FTA’s General Directive Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers is Long Overdue and Needs to Quickly Lead to Meaningful Changes to Save Lives

    Source: US Amalgamated Transit Union

    Silver Spring, MD – Calling the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) General Directive on transit worker assault an encouraging first step, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the largest union representing transit workers in the U.S., calls on the agency to do more to ensure the safety of transit workers and riders. This is the first-ever General Directive issued by the agency.

    “Each day, hundreds of transit workers are assaulted on the job. ATU members have been shot, stabbed, and struck with canes, fire extinguishers, screwdrivers, hammers, and garbage cans. They have been attacked with pepper spray, burned with hot coffee, and doused in urine and spit. Bus drivers have been robbed for pocket change and operators are regularly sexually assaulted. This constitutes a regular day on the job in the transit industry,” says ATU International President John Costa. “We applaud the FTA for acknowledging for the first time that transit workers are facing hazards on a ‘national level.’ However, in order to keep operators safe, transit systems need to begin immediately the process of retrofitting all fixed route buses with quality floor-to-ceiling-to-windshield barriers to protect transit bus operators from continual vicious attacks.”

    FTA’s directive requiring transit agencies to conduct a safety risk assessment related to assaults on transit workers and to identify safety risk mitigations or strategies to improve transit worker safety using joint labor-management Safety Committees is great news for transit workers.

    The FTA’s action is a welcome contrast to the Trump Administration, which in 2019 issued a notice in the Federal Register disgracefully stating that it was “not necessary” to take any further actions to address transit worker assaults.

    “The ATU is grateful for the FTA’s step forward today,” said Costa. “The agency will soon learn what we have known for years: transit agencies across the country are not doing nearly enough to stop the constant attacks on our members.”

    “Once this information is collected, we hope the agency will then pivot immediately to requiring minimum vehicle safety standards for transit buses, as authorized by the FAST Act nine years ago,” Costa continued.

    “Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, airplane pilots have been protected in the cockpit by barriers. Now, it is time to provide bus drivers with the same level of protections. Like planes, all unauthorized persons should be blocked from gaining access to the bus operator workstation,” said Costa. “Until such infrastructure is mandated by federal regulations, we will continue to see bus operators get hijacked, punched, slapped, shot, stabbed, sexually assaulted, and spit upon. Minimum vehicle safety standards for U.S. buses are needed right now! Not One More operator needs to go through this horror!”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Adnan Zaylani Mohamad Zahid: Keynote address – IFN Asia Forum 2024

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Good morning, distinguished guests.

    It always is a pleasure to be back at the IFN Asia Forum 2024. A year ago, we discussed the potential of Asia and the potential contributions of Islamic finance in strengthening regional financial intermediation. Well Asia is certainly delivering amidst global headwinds. Asia’s economic growth continues to gain momentum, driven by stronger domestic demand, rebound in tourism, and robust export activity. Undoubtedly there are pockets of weaknesses but the areas of strength offsets these. In 2023, the region recorded 5% growth, exceeding the global growth of 3.3%. Asia also offers many opportunities for the green economy. The market for green businesses in Asia is projected to grow between USD4-5 trillion by 2030, generating over 14.2 million green-related jobs. The region also requires an annual investment of at least USD1.1 trillion to meet climate and mitigation adaptation needs.

    As for Malaysia, our long-term GDP growth from 2011-23 averaged 4.3%. This surpassed the median long-term growth rates of regional and A-rated peer countries of 3.6% and 2.9% respectively. We have a positive outlook for the economy. We’re expecting this year to be around 5% above our long-term average. Unemployment rate is low, households are still spending, and we have a healthy pipeline of new and on-going projects to support investment in Malaysia. National initiatives under the National Energy Transition Roadmap, New Industrialisation Master Plan 2030 and Green Investment Strategy provide strategic direction as to where we hope capital will flow. So notably, Malaysia recorded a 326% y-o-y growth in green investments to USD1.03 billion in 2023, signalling favourable opportunity in this space.

    Malaysia’s economic prospects are indeed quite favourable. The ringgit, along with regional currencies, have been appreciating against the US dollar notably since early July following greater clarity on the interest rate path of developed countries, especially the US Federal Reserve. The narrowing of interest rate differentials with the US would be conducive to favour portfolio inflows, especially given Malaysia’s positive economic prospects. The domestic landscape is also quite positive. Ongoing government structural reforms, subsidy rationalisation and social protection enhancements offer a window of opportunity to pursue meaningful change. Furthermore, the coordinated actions between the Government and BNM, which has already facilitated a better balance for flows, will continue and this will provide sustainable support for the ringgit. Importantly, ongoing structural reforms by the Government coupled with improving economic prospects will continue to sustain global interest for investment in Malaysia. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI USA: CFTC Orders Swap Dealer to Pay $1.5 Million Penalty for Position Limit Violations, and Supervision and Position Limit Monitoring Failures

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Commodity Futures Trading Commission today issued an order filing and settling charges against Merrill Lynch Commodities, Inc., based in Houston, for exceeding the federal and ICE Futures U.S. position limits in contracts that reference natural gas futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange and for swap dealer supervision and position limit monitoring failures.

    MLCI admits the facts in the order in section II.C.1, Position Limit Violations; acknowledges its conduct in that section violated the Commodity Exchange Act and CFTC regulations; and otherwise, neither admits nor denies the findings of fact.

    “Federal and exchange position limits are important guardrails that help ensure the integrity of our markets and entities must comply,” said Director of Enforcement Ian McGinley. “Additionally, swap dealers must comply with the business conduct standards in the CEA and CFTC regulations, including diligently supervising their employees and agents and monitoring for position limit violations.”

    The order requires MLCI to pay a $1.5 million civil monetary penalty, cease and desist from further violations of the CEA and CFTC regulations as charged, and comply with conditions and undertakings specified in the order. 

    Case Background

    The CFTC established federal speculative position limits for certain physical-delivery referenced contracts, including the NYMEX Henry Hub Natural Gas Futures (NG) contract. The financially settled ICE Henry LD1 Fixed Price Futures (H) contract references the monthly settlement price published by NYMEX for its NG futures contract. The federal speculative position limit for ICE H contracts, as well as the exchange-set limit, is 2,000 NYMEX NG futures equivalents.

    The order finds on certain trading days during March and April 2023, MLCI held positions in the April 2023, and May 2023, ICE H futures contract, respectively, that ranged from more than 200 contracts to nearly 1,000 contracts in excess of both the federal speculative position limit and the exchange speculative position limit, and MLCI’s positions did not meet the requirements for an exemption under CFTC Regulation 150.3. MLCI also had not been granted an exemption applicable to the relevant positions by the exchange in accordance with ICE’s rules during the relevant period.     

    The order also finds MLCI, a swap dealer registered with the CFTC, did not establish and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to monitor for and prevent violations of applicable federal, exchange, or swap execution facility position limits and to monitor for and prevent improper reliance upon any exemptions or exclusions from such position limits. Additionally, the order finds MLCI did not diligently supervise its employees by lacking an early warning system and written policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and alert its senior management when position limits were in danger of being breached.

    The order acknowledges MLCI’s cooperation and its representations concerning its remediation in connection with this matter.

    The CFTC thanks ICE for its assistance in this matter.

    The Division of Enforcement staff responsible for this matter are Karin N. Roth, Carrie Kennedy, Gates S. Hurand, Lenel Hickson, Jr., and Manal M. Sultan.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister, Shri Kiren Rijiju highlights key achievements of Ministry of Minority Affairs in the first 100 days of new Government

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 25 SEP 2024 3:52PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary  Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju briefed media about the significant achievements of the Ministries  of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs at a press conference held  today  in  CGO Complex,New Delhi  . Shri George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs was also present on the occasion .

    Shri Rijiju highlighted the following key accomplishments of the Ministry of Minority Affairs during the first 100 days of the Government :

    Lok Samvardhan Parv:

    Union Minister for Minority Affairs, inaugurated the ‘Lok Samvardhan Parv’ which was organized as part of the 100 days’ programme by NMDFC, of the Ministry of Minority Affairs. The Parv was organised to showcase the schemes, programmes and achievements of the Ministry and to highlight the activities undertaken in convergence with partner organisations and success stories under its various schemes. A Credit Plan of National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for extending credit of over Rs.1000 crores to over 2.5 lakhs beneficiaries during 2024-25 was also released by the  Minister.

    Signing of MOUs between National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC) and three Banks and state Skill Development Missions of three States:

    MOUs between NMDFC and Indian Bank, Union Bank of India and Punjab Gramin Bank were signed for implementation of various schemes of NMDFC through these banks. This would facilitate in extending loans in the un represented areas.

    Announcement of package for Laddakh and interaction with beneficiaries of NMDFC:

    • In the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Minister for Minority Affairs, participated in a Beneficiary Interaction Programme held in Kargil on 14th July, 2024. Organized by the Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation (JKLFC) in collaboration with the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC).
    • The programme highlighted a strong commitment to fostering socio-economic development of Minority communities through financial assistance and support.
    • The sanction of Rs. 10 crore was announced to the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation (SIDCO) and Rs. 21.00 crores to JKLFC for the financial year 2024-25.

    Launch of PM VIKAS:

    “Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan” (PM VIKAS) is an integrated scheme of the Ministry of Minority Affairs converging its five erstwhile schemes namely Seekho aur Kamao, USTTAD, Nai Manzil, Nai Roshni, and Hamari Dharohar. The PM VIKAS scheme aims towards socio-economic upliftment of minorities through various initiatives, including:

     

    • Providing skill development training in courses covering both modern and traditional job roles.
    • Organizing capacity-building workshops for artisans.
    • Preserving the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of minority communities.
    • Promoting minority women’s leadership and entrepreneurship.
    • Educational support to minority youth through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS)
    • Addressing infrastructure needs in convergence with the Ministry’s PMJVK scheme.

    Additionally, the scheme will facilitate credit linkages by connecting beneficiaries with loan programs offered by the National Minorities Development & Finance Corporation (NMDFC). Beneficiaries would also be supported for market linkages through EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) to enhance their livelihood.

    Launch of Haj Suvidha App:

    1. A game changer in Haj Management during Haj-2024.
    2. Provides the pilgrims access to training content, accommodation and flight details, baggage information, an emergency helpline (SOS), grievance redressal, feedback, language translation, and miscellaneous information and services related to the pilgrimage and also facilitates better coordination and control of the pilgrims by the Indian administration in KSA.
    3. Has been a great enabler in better grievance redressal and dissemination of information, and also for a more cohesive response mechanism from the administration.
    4. The application process from aspiring pilgrims has also been onboarded onto the App for Haj-2025, thereby taking another important step towards the objective making the App an end to end digital solution for the pilgrims.
    5. A bilateral visit to Saudi Arabia is proposed to improve coordination and cooperation between the authorities in India and Saudi Arabia w.r.t. Haj administration.

     

    Preparation of Operational Manual for conducting of Urs for Durgah Khawaja Saheb, Ajmer:

    Urs of Khawaja Moin ud din Chishti, a complex logistics event, organised and made successful by the close coordination of the Durgah Committee, the District Administration, the various religious functionaries and the general Public.

    Urs provides a major boost to the economy of Ajmer and benefits the Small and Medium businesses and generating income and employment. For the first time, an Operational Manual to codify and standardize the conduct of Urs of Khawaja Moin-ud-din Chishti has been made, to ensure a smooth and satisfactory experience for the countless pilgrims who throng Ajmer during Urs.

    Usage of Digital Technology for facilitating pilgrims in various aspects of Durgah Khawaja Saheb, Ajmer:

    Ministry of Minority Affairs has also developed a DKS Suvidha Mobile App & a Web portal for Durgah Khawaja Saheb.

    This Web Portal and Mobile Application shall allow pilgrims from far flung corners of the Country unable to visit Ajmer to participate in the activities of the Durgah and feel the warmth and blessings of the Khawaja Gharib Nawaz.

    Launch of Jiyo Parsi Web Portal:

    The “Jiyo Parsi Scheme Portal” was launched by  Minister of Minority Affairs on 13th August, 2024.

    The Portal would enable them to apply online, check the status of their application and to receive the financial assistance online through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode.

    Adopting circuit based approach targeting minorities within minorities:

    MoMA is adopting a circuit-based approach for growth of minorities within minorities especially Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs. For the same, the projects have been undertaken and sanctioned for Buddhist community and for Jain, Sikh and Parsi Communities across States/UTs such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra amounting to Rs.401.37 Crore.

    Aanganwadi to Artificial Intelligence:

    PMJVK has also enhanced its approach in terms of sanctioning of projects. Now the Scheme, apart from civil infrastructure, has also brought digital infrastructure under its purview. As part of this, with continued financial support for Aanganwadi centres, MoMA takes an instrumental initiative under its PMJVK to grant 100% finance for boosting AI through 5G & Cyber Security labs at NIT Jalandhar ensuring trained workforce for digital India.

    Integration with Gati Shakti Portal:

    These 100 days have also been focussed towards strengthening of the existing ecosystem through digitized Scheme processes and evaluation mechanisms. Under PMJVK, to ensure optimum utilisation of funds, MoMA has initiated use of PM GatiShakti portal to include needy areas under the scheme. This will add in ensuring zero overlaping of efforts and identify the areas of implementation.

    The Scheme is also working towards strengthening of on-ground monitoring of infrastructure assets as it has taken a stride in geo-tagging of all its infrastructure units across States/UTs on BHUVAN Portal of ISRO / NRSC in addition to presence of these units on PM GatiShakti portal. In continuation of digitization initiative, new PMJVK web-portal for overall digitised approval processes is also being developed.

    Bhashini technology adaptation for a minority language:

    The Ministry of Minority Affairs has successfully integrated the BHASHINI initiative into its official website, minorityaffairs.gov.in. By incorporating Web Translation of BHASINI platform, the ministry aims to provide multilingual access to its services and information, ensuring that citizens from diverse linguistic backgrounds can easily navigate and engage with government programs. This implementation underscores the government’s commitment to fostering inclusivity and enabling equal access to resources for all communities.

    ***

    SS/KC/PRK

    (Release ID: 2058606) Visitor Counter : 68

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 22, 2025

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Make in India Celebrates 10 Years: A Decade of Transformational Growth

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Make in India Celebrates 10 Years: A Decade of Transformational Growth

    India’s Manufacturing Revolution Gathers Momentum with Focus on Innovation, Investment, and Self-reliance

    Posted On: 25 SEP 2024 3:52PM by PIB Delhi

    The ‘Make in India’ initiative, launched on 25th September 2014, completes a landmark decade of empowering India to become a global manufacturing hub. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the program has played a pivotal role in boosting domestic manufacturing, fostering innovation, enhancing skill development, and facilitating foreign investment.

    10 Years of Impact: A Snapshot

    Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Since 2014, India has attracted a cumulative FDI inflow of USD 667.4 billion (2014-24), registering an increase of 119% over the preceding decade (2004-14). This investment inflow spans 31 States and 57 sectors, driving growth across diverse industries. Most sectors, except certain strategically important sectors, are open for 100% FDI under the automatic route. FDI equity inflows into the manufacturing sector over the past decade (2014-24) reached USD 165.1 billion, marking a 69% increase compared to the previous decade (2004 -14), which saw inflows of USD 97.7 billion.

    Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme: The PLI Schemes introduced in 2020 have resulted in ₹1.32 lakh crore (USD 16 billion) in investments and a significant boost in manufacturing output of ₹10.90 lakh crore (USD 130 billion) as of June 2024. Over 8.5 lakh jobs have been created directly and indirectly due to the initiative.

    Exports & Employment: India’s merchandise exports surpassed USD 437 billion in FY 2023-24. Exports have surged, with an additional ₹4 lakh crore generated due to the PLI schemes, while total employment in the manufacturing sector increased from 57 million in 2017-18 to 64.4 million in 2022-23.

    Ease of Doing Business: India’s commitment to improving business conditions is evident in its sharp rise from 142nd rank in 2014 to 63rd rank in 2019 in the World Bank’s Doing Business Report. Over 42,000 compliances have been reduced, and 3,700 provisions has been decriminalized. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, passed by Lok Sabha on 27th July 2023 and Rajya Sabha on 2nd August 2023, which has decriminalized 183 provisions across 42 Central Acts.

     

     

    Key Reforms

    Semiconductor Ecosystem Development: Semicon India Program, worth ₹76,000 crore, aims to provide an impetus to semiconductor and display manufacturing by facilitating capital support and technological collaborations.  India has developed policies to support every segment of the semiconductor ecosystem, not just focusing on fabs but also including packaging, display wires, OSATs, sensors, and more.

    National Single Window System (NSWS): Launched in September 2021, this platform simplifies the investor experience, integrating clearances from 32 Ministries/ Departments and 29 States/UTs, facilitating rapid approvals.

    PM Gatishakti: PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), a GIS based platform with portals of various Ministries/Departments of Government, was launched in October, 2021. It is a transformative approach to facilitate data-based decisions related to integrated planning of multimodal infrastructure, thereby reducing logistics cost.

    National Logistics Policy (NLP): Aimed at reducing logistics costs and increasing efficiency, the NLP, launched in 2022, is key to making Indian products more globally competitive.

    Industrial Corridors & Infrastructure: The development of 11 industrial corridors under the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme has seen the approval of 12 new projects with a projected investment of ₹28,602 crore. These corridors enhance India’s competitiveness by providing world-class infrastructure.

    One-District-One-Product (ODOP): Promoting indigenous products and craftsmanship across India, the ODOP initiative has fostered local economic development, with Unity Malls being set up in 27 states to provide platforms for these unique products.

    Startup India: The Government with intent to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation and encouraging investments launched the Startup India initiative on 16th January 2016. Sustained efforts by the Government under the Startup India initiative have led to an increase in the number of recognised startups to 1,40,803 as on 30th June 2024, which have created over 15.5 lakh direct jobs.

    Government of India has undertaken a comprehensive and multi-faceted approach to boost both domestic and foreign investments, fostering a robust and dynamic economic environment. From landmark reforms such as the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the reduction in corporate tax, to far-reaching measures aimed at improving ease of doing business and streamlining FDI policies, every step is geared towards creating a more investment-friendly ecosystem. Initiatives like the Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP), public procurement orders, and Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are focused on driving domestic manufacturing and enhancing product quality.

    The Government’s proactive response to the challenges posed by COVID-19, through the Atmanirbhar Bharat packages and targeted investments under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and National Monetization Pipeline (NMP), has turned adversity into an opportunity for growth. Tools such as the India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS), and the National Single Window System (NSWS) further streamline processes for investors. Additionally, Project Development Cells (PDCs) in various Ministries ensure that investment proposals are fast-tracked, making India a more attractive destination for global and domestic investors. These efforts collectively reinforce India’s position as a burgeoning hub for manufacturing and innovation.

    As India moves into its next decade of growth, Make in India 2.0 focuses on furthering sustainability, innovation, and self-reliance. With strategic interventions in renewable energy, green technologies, and advanced manufacturing, the initiative is ensuring that Indian products meet the highest global standards.

    *****

    AD/VN/AM

    (Release ID: 2058603) Visitor Counter : 95

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

    January 22, 2025
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