The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) was been implemented on Thursday, March 15.  As this state-of-the-art agreement enters into force, 80% of the tariffs American products face when entering the Korean marketplace will be eliminated. NAEDA, along with a large trade coalition, worked to see this agreement approved by congress and the president. This agreement will now allow U.S. businesses to take advantage of increased market access to this $1 trillion economy.   Read More...

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar recently announced a $33 million partnership with farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to rehabilitate and protect wildlife habitats, which include at-risk species. "Agricultural lands with healthy and abundant wildlife habitat support strong incomes for our farmers and ranchers and provide great opportunities for enhancing hunting and fishing, outdoor recreation and wildlife viewing," said Secretary Tom Vilsack.  Read More...

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will propose a new rule later this week updating import regulations for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) which would potentially increase the imports of bovines and bovine products.  Currently, APHIS is seeking reviews and comments on the proposed rule. 
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Aging baby boomers and their echo boomer children will significantly impact trends in the nation’s housing market over the next 20 years. In a new report released by the Bipartisan Policy Center, “Demographic Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Housing Markets,” researchers at the National Association of Realtors®, The Urban Institute, and the University of Southern California analyze key demographic trends and their likely influence on housing and homeownership in the U.S.  Read More...

In conjunction with the Coalition for a Democratic Workforce (CDW), NAEDA has agreed to sign onto a letter in support of S.J. Res 36 and H.J. Res 103, which will stop a proposal by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to decrease the time between filing a petition to unionize and the election date.

The current median of 38 days would be shortened to as little as 14 days, substantially limiting the time employers have to become properly informed about the issues, talk with their employees and appropriately respond to union statements. Read More...

U.S. construction equipment exports increased 43 percent in 2011 compared to the previous year for a total $23.5 billion of machinery shipped to other nations, according to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM). This follows growth of 28 percent in 2010 after a 2009 decline of 38 percent in the depths of the recession.

“Export sales continue to help U.S. construction equipment manufacturers stay open for business and sustain American jobs, especially with the domestic construction sector still recovering,” stated Al Cervero, AEM vice president construction sector. Read More...

President Obama will ask Congress to scrub the corporate tax code of dozens of loopholes and subsidies to reduce the top rate to 28 percent, down from 35 percent, while giving preferences to manufacturers that would set their maximum effective rate at 25 percent, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.  Read More...

Federal officials on Tuesday struck a major blow to satellite venture LightSquared, saying the government plans to revoke initial permission it granted for the company to operate as a mainstream high-speed wireless network.  Read More...

Regulations approved by President Barack Obama over the first 32 months of his term cost businesses an estimated $25 billion, more than double the total of each of his two predecessors, according to White House data. Obama signed off on fewer total regulations, however, than Republican President George W. Bush during the same period of his tenure, the data shows.  Read More...

President Barack Obama on Monday sent Congress a new budget that seeks to achieve $4 trillion in deficit reduction over the next decade while at the same time showering billions of dollars of increased spending on areas aimed at giving the economy a quick boost. Read More...