The union that represents workers at International Truck and Engine Corp. has applied for trade adjustment assistance to help individuals laid off in Fort Wayne.

International’s Truck Development and Technology Center still employs 1,000 here, and a high-profile military project may have saved a few local jobs.

Officials with United Auto Workers Local 2911 could not be reached for comment on its application for the assistance, which was filed late in February. The tech center began the elimination of about 140 positions at the start of that month. It is cutting the size of the work force because of reduced orders and an industrywide downturn in demand for heavy trucks.

The Labor Department’s Division of Trade Adjustment Assistance has 60 days once an application is filed to conduct a fact-finding investigation, determine whether criteria for the assistance have been met and notify applicants of a decision. Read more

Source: www.ipsnews.net

NAIROBI - (IPS) - Kenyan activists are fighting to retain cultural designs that have been developed in East Africa but are being patented by companies in rich countries. After losing the kiondo basket trademark to Japan, the popular kikoi fabric design is currently at risk of being patented by a British company.

Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA), a Nairobi-based body of nongovernmental organisations, is taking on the Kikoy Company UK which has applied for registration as the sole trademark owner of kikoi.

Kikoi is a colourful cotton fabric historically worn by men and women along the East African coast. It is also used for making bags, hats and household items including curtains, rugs and bed covers. It has also proved popular in western countries.

This is the second time that a distinctly East African design Read more

From: www.truthabouttrade.org

Seoul, South Korea - As the deadline looms for the potentially historic free-trade talks between the U.S. and South Korea, the biggest obstacles are turning out to involve the same thing as in most trade discussions: food.

The two countries aim to finish a comprehensive trade agreement Friday, the biggest such deal ever for Korea and since 1993 for the U.S., and one that is being closely watched by other countries. They still need to reach major compromises in areas such as automotive trade and investment protections, according to people close to the discussions.

But those aren’t areas that might cause the deal to fall apart, these people say. Instead, it is two commodities that are closer to the hearts of both sides — beef for the U.S. and rice for South Korea. Read more

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–News From USW: For the first time ever, the Commerce Department today decided that countervailing duty law could be applied to non-market economies, possibly leading to new duties on imports of high-gloss paper from China.

Today’s decision reflects the fact that the Administration’s prior practice of refusing to hold non-market economies such as China responsible for granting illegal subsidies is no longer viable in the face of mounting political pressure to address the pervasive unfair trade practices that contribute to the loss of U.S. jobs and the ballooning trade deficit.

The decision came in response to challenges brought by NewPage Corporation and the United Steelworkers (USW) alleging that China massively subsidized its paper industry, allowing it to swamp the U.S. market with cheap imports, costing U.S. jobs and damaging the economy. Read more

Retail boom is likely to give an impetus to the decentralized Indian textile industry. This will reduce the production costs and let the players to remain in the market.

The largest man-made textile industry of India, Surat, is poised to see a retail boom. The textile industry of Surat contributes 65% of the country’s total man-made textile production and is projected to register a growth of 15-20% in synthetic fabrics’ demand.

The Chairman of Federation of Indian Art Silk Wearing Industry (FIASWI), Arun Jariwala, said in a statement reported on February 5, 2007, by The Economics Times, that the retail boom would create demand for polyester fabrics.

Many industrialists opine that demand of polyester textiles is likely to grow as cotton fabrics are dearer by 40%. “Fabrics and garments will have a major concentration Read more

A ban on New Zealand apples entering Australia has been formally lifted, but a set of strict conditions remains.

The Government yesterday welcomed the publishing of Australia’s Final Policy Determination on the import of New Zealand apples, which ends an 86-year ban due to fears local apples could carry the disease fireblight.

However, the new Australian policy still contains a set of strict conditions on New Zealand apple imports that have angered local growers.

Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton and Trade Minister Phil Goff said those conditions remained a concern and the World Trade Organisation disputes process might have to be engaged if the new determination could not deliver “meaningful access”. Read more

New Zealand apple growers say it is not worth their while to export apples to Australia under tough new quarantine regulations.

The national director of Quarantine has just this week signed off on a decision to approve imports, after an 80-year ban due to the risk of the disease fireblight.

Australian growers say they are considering an appeal in the Federal Court.

Phil Alison from the Australian Access Action Group in New Zealand says lifting the import ban is a hollow victory.

“The hurdles that we have to climb to get to Australia are so high, the Australian industry is well aware of how high they are,” he said. Read more

East China’s Shandong Province, a traditional agricultural production base, exported 1.63 billion U.S. dollars worth of farm produce in the first two months of this year, a growth of 46.1 percent year-on-year, local customs sources said on Thursday.

The total included 400 million dollars worth of aquatic products, up 41.4 percent, 190 million dollars worth of apples and apple juice, up 100 percent, and 290 million dollars worth of vegetables, up 29.4 percent. Read more

Gear-Up Sports is trying to change the way athletes look at their socks.

The Orchard Park-based company thinks it can make believers out of players in sports like lacrosse, football, basketball and tennis, to name a few, if it can persuade them to give its sweatfighting product a chance.

To draw attention, Gear-Up Sports is attempting to win over top players at different levels. It has supplied the socks, called the Glide SS, to high-profile college lacrosse teams like Duke, Michigan and Syracuse to gain exposure and credibility. It has also provided some for high school team captains to try, and recently became an official supplier to Major League Lacrosse, a pro outdoor league which has a team in Rochester. Read more

CARE has reaffirmed rating of Abhishek Industries Ltd (AIL) according a ‘CARE A+’ rating to Non Convertible Debenture Programme Long Term Debt for an amount Rs20cr.

Company’s record in terms of growth, terry towels export market share, diversified product range, established clientele and encouraging prospects for textile sector in medium term are factors for according these ratings.

Expansion projects in the pipeline, declining slide in terry towel’s earnings, export sales concentrated with few customers and cyclicality related to raw materials prices, has actually restrained the rating.

Expansion cum modernization project in textile division is also to be taken up at a cost of Rs213cr by AIL. This would be funded from term loans of Rs175cr under TUFS. Read more