by Gonzalo Rojon

Ahora que la renegociación del Tratado de Libre Comercio, ahora llamado United States, México, Canadá Agreement (USMCA), llegó a su fin sabemos que se incluyeron disposiciones sobre comercio electrónico y propiedad intelectual que hace 24 años eran inexistentes. De lo anterior destaca lo siguiente:

          

Comercio Digital 

Como parte de las disposiciones de Aduanas y Facilitación Comercial, se elevaron los niveles de minimis en el caso de Canadá para envíos express eximiendo de aranceles a productos por hasta 150 dólares canadienses (CAD). Para el resto de las importaciones (no express) los minimis en Canadá pasaron de $20 a $40 CAD tras las últimas negociaciones US-CAD. En principio, México intentó aumentar de $50 a $100 USD sus minimis, pero se retractó tras el anuncio del conservador aumento de Canadá por lo que permaneció inmóvil, dejando bajas las expectativas de la industria del e-commerce que recomendaba elevarlos incluso hasta los $300 USD. En México, productos entre $50 y $117 USD solamente pagaran IVA, el resto seguirán siendo gravados sin excepciones. Existe además el compromiso por la simplificación de procedimientos para envíos con un valor menor a $2,500 USD.

El capítulo de Comercio Digital también contiene disposiciones fundamentales para incentivar el desarrollo y comercio de servicios digitales. Entre estas se encuentran la prohibición de medidas de discriminación para productos digitales distribuidos electrónicamente como libros electrónicos, video, música, software, entre otros.

También se considera reducir los límites regulatorios sobre la ubicación del procesamiento y almacenamiento de datos. Igualmente se prohibe cualquier restricción sobre transferencia de datos a través de las fronteras. Para algunos, esto resulta problemático pues vuelve aún más complicado garantizar la protección adecuada de los datos.

Propiedad Intelectual

Según el acuerdo, la autoridad judicial de los países tiene la atribución de establecer  sanciones en caso de infringirse una violación en términos de propiedad intelectual. El USMCA también establece que cada parte puede tomar como ofensa criminal las prácticas de intercepción señales satelitales o  creación de equipos que faciliten este tipo de prácticas ilegalmente. Al mismo tiempo se revela una cláusula que salvaguarda a los Proveedores de Servicios de Internet (ISP) en caso de violarse los derechos de autor por medios digitales. Sin embargo, esta provisión incluye un anexo para clarificar que Canadá está exento de esta aplicación.

Contar con reglas de intercambio claras ayudará a fortalecer ambos segmentos (e-commerce y derechos de autor) al mismo tiempo que sentará nuevas discusiones en torno a la regulación y comercio de bienes y servicios digitales que tanto imperan en nuestras economías hoy en día.

Comercio Electrónico y Propiedad Intelectual en el USMCA

• Canadá Comercio México Tratado de Libre Comercio United States USMCA
• At 10/09/2018 09:46:00 p.m.
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Dear Reader,

The 2016 election battle is over. Donald Trump is to be sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

And he will soon radically change America forever!

So claims David Horowitz in his just-released bestseller "Big Agenda: President Trump’s Plan to Save America."

He also reveals that Barack Obama will try to create a “government in exile” to stop Trump.

Horowitz warns that the enraged Democrats will never accept defeat.

They will lie, cheat, and steal to delegitimize Trump’s presidency. They have already started!

In his timely and provocative new book, "Big Agenda," Horowitz reveals Trump’s winning battle plan for his first 100 days and beyond.

It has been hammered out behind closed doors, with little media attention.

But Horowitz has the inside scoop, the secret plan.

In "Big Agenda," Horowitz shows how Trump will defeat the left’s destructive agenda, rolling back Obama’s nightmare policies of Obamacare, massive regulations — even his war on God!

But it won’t be easy, Horowitz says.

“The election battle may be over, but many more battles lie ahead for President Trump and conservatives,” Horowitz writes.

Now, his insider "Big Agenda" is the FIRST book written about the new Trump presidency.

David Horowitz, a New York Times bestselling author, is one of America’s leading conservative thinkers. Few know Trump’s team of advisers like Horowitz.

Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter are urging conservatives to read "Big Agenda!"

You need to get your copy today because you can help Donald Trump save America!

New Bestseller Reveals Trump’s Secret Plan

• Bestseller Book Donald Trump President United States
• At 1/22/2017 06:50:00 p.m.
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If someone had pulled aside the signers of the Declaration of Independence 240 years ago and told them that, one day, the country they founded would be home to the largest number of imprisoned people in the world, they might have been more than a little disappointed.
Yet this is where we find our country today: The United States, founded on the basis of liberty and justice for all, suffers from that distinction. Twenty five percent of all imprisoned people on our planet are imprisoned right here in America. And the fact of the matter is that, at the federal level, the majority of those imprisoned aren’t hardened, violent prisoners. Far too many are nonviolent, low-level drug offenders.
Thanks to policies enacted by Congress, our federal prison population has exploded by nearly 800 percent over the past the 30 years. And to pay for it, we’ve had to increase our prison spending by almost 400 percent. But the fact that these polices were enacted by our government in the first place should serve as a reminder that we have the agency to change them.
Momentum is building across America -- in states, in the federal government, in both political parties -- to change this misapplication of justice that so grossly misrepresents our priorities as a nation.
A diverse coalition of individuals, groups, and organizations -- ranging from Democrats to Republicans to law enforcement officials and clergy -- have come together to call for a comprehensive change in the trajectory of our justice system. And under President Obama’s leadership, the collective vision of these groups has found a home and a voice in the White House.
I have been proud to stand by President Obama as he has taken courageous steps in recent years to make our justice system more just.
Today, the White House is announcing that over 300 companies and organizations have signed the Fair Chance Business Pledge, a commitment to eliminate unnecessary hiring barriers facing people with a criminal record. Along with this step and a series of Administrative actions to enhance the fairness and effectiveness of the criminal justice system, he’s shown that the federal government can lead the way to progress.
President Obama has created a legacy of bold action that we must carry on to elevate the cause of criminal justice reform, from Congress to statehouses across the country.
Learn more about what’s at stake in the effort to reform our broken criminal justice system: Make sure to check out the White House discussion today, where a coalition of leaders and activists will join together to discuss what’s next for criminal justice reform.
But the conversation can’t stop there, and neither can the work. We must once again declare that we are a nation of independence, rooted in the spirit of interdependence. What happens to any of us, happens to all of us -- and we won’t get where we want to go faster by leaving anyone behind.
I look forward to standing shoulder to shoulder with you in this fight to reclaim our criminal justice system in the years to come.
Thank you,
Cory Booker
U.S. Senator

What's next for criminal justice reform:

• America Criminal justice reform Declaration of Independence Liberty and justice United States
• At 12/01/2016 05:33:00 p.m.
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At this time of Fidel Castro’s passing, we extend a hand of friendship to the Cuban people. We know that this moment fills Cubans - in Cuba and in the United States - with powerful emotions, recalling the countless ways in which Fidel Castro altered the course of individual lives, families, and of the Cuban nation. History will record and judge the enormous impact of this singular figure on the people and world around him. 
For nearly six decades, the relationship between the United States and Cuba was marked by discord and profound political disagreements. During my presidency, we have worked hard to put the past behind us, pursuing a future in which the relationship between our two countries is defined not by our differences but by the many things that we share as neighbors and friends - bonds of family, culture, commerce, and common humanity. This engagement includes the contributions of Cuban Americans, who have done so much for our country and who care deeply about their loved ones in Cuba.
Today, we offer condolences to Fidel Castro's family, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Cuban people. In the days ahead, they will recall the past and also look to the future. As they do, the Cuban people must know that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.

Statement by the President on the Passing of Fidel Castro

• Cuba Fidel Castro President Barack Obama United States
• At 11/28/2016 12:32:00 p.m.
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When I was 6 years old, my family fled Laos, a country in Southeast Asia the size of Minnesota. As refugees welcomed by the United States, my parents' wish for their children was to not look back, but to take every opportunity provided in our new homeland to live a happy, fulfilled life.

It wasn't until I was an adult, long after we settled in Virginia, that I learned of the painful past my parents had left behind.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. dropped more than 2 million tons of bombs over Laos -- more than the number of bombs dropped on Germany and Japan combined during all of World War II. Sadly, the people in Laos continue to feel the tragic consequences, long after the last bomb fell.

Too many of these bombs did not detonate at the time. The war left most of the land contaminated with active, unexploded ordnance (UXO), in the form of cluster bombs, bullets, grenades, and mines. They've taken the lives of over 20,000 Lao -- often a child playing outside, or a farmer who has no choice but to cultivate on contaminated fields.

As a Lao American, I felt I couldn't help but do something. So I devoted the past 12 years of my life to promoting greater awareness of the aftermath of war and to advocating for the resources needed to address its painful legacy.

That's why I'm so proud to say that this week, President Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Laos, where he discussed his work to address this legacy of war and a new path forward to rebuild our relationship with Laos.

Part of my job is to visit with dozens of families in Laos who have lost a child, father, mother, husband, wife or neighbor to a 40-year-old bomb. Just last week, I met five boys who were recently involved in an accident. Their bodies were covered with fresh wounds and stitches that will leave scars for years to come. Fortunately, they survived, but they might not be so lucky next time.

Every day, teams of clearance technicians go out into the fields to detect and safely clear these bombs. It's painstaking work. But in a country that depends on agriculture for economic development, it couldn't be more important.

Under President Obama's administration, and with our advocacy and support from Congress, funding for UXO clearance and support has more than tripled. And today, the President announced additional support.

These critical resources support the teams of clearance workers, as well as additional projects like a national survey to locate unexploded ordnance, support for survivors, and better public awareness on how to avoid these bombs.

When our family left Laos, I never thought I would see my birth country again.

And I never thought that an American president would come to Laos to acknowledge the wounds that we still suffer from a decades-old war while offering resources to build a new legacy of peace.

I am grateful for his leadership and so especially proud today to be American and Lao.

Kop chai lai lai - thank you,

Channapha

Channapha Khamvongsa
Washington, D.C.

After war, a new legacy of peace

• Barack Obama President Refugees United States
• At 9/07/2016 11:32:00 p.m.
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Tune in at 9:00 a.m. to watch President Obama welcome His Holiness Pope Francis to the White House.

You can watch live right here.

During this historic event the Pope will give the first address of his three-city tour of the United States, and one of the few he will deliver in English.

It's the biggest state arrival of this Presidency. Fifteen thousand people will crowd the South Lawn. Tens of thousands more will line the streets.

This is Pope Francis' first trip to the United States, and he's starting it right here in Washington, DC. For more information on the Pope's visit, follow along atWH.gov/PopeVisit.

he Holy See State Arrival Ceremony

• Barack Obama Pope Francis President United States Washington
• At 9/24/2015 09:41:00 p.m.
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The President is touring through Alaska this week, meeting with residents of the state and seeing the effects of climate change on the ground. He's sharing what he sees along the way. Read his entry from yesterday below, and follow along with the trip here.

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Hi, everyone — checking in on day two. Right off the bat, I’ll note that I’ve got to come back here once I’m done being President.

You just can’t see Alaska in three days.

I spent the day hiking through Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park — where the mountains collide with the ocean and fields of ice. When the team handed over the camera, I did my best to do this place justice:

Visitors from around the world come here to see its Harding Icefield — one of the largest ice fields in the United States — covering hundreds of square miles. As the climate warms, glaciers are shrinking more and more rapidly — and throughout the park, there are signs marking where the glacier line used to be.

This is as good of a signpost as any when it comes to the impacts of climate change.

I also had the chance to tour the area by boat and experience the beauty and wildlife of Resurrection Bay. It was spectacular to see the horizon of ice and snow, but it’s melting. And if we don’t act, this simply won’t be here for future generations to enjoy.

Glaciers in Alaska, and the greater Arctic, are shrinking and it’s changing the way Alaskans live. And considering the Arctic’s unique role in influencing the global climate, it will accelerate changes to the way that we all live. Since 1979, the summer sea ice in the Arctic has decreased by more than 40%, a decrease that has dramatically accelerated over the past two decades.

One new study estimates that Alaska’s glaciers alone lose about 75 gigatons — that’s 75 billion tons — of ice each year. What does a gigaton look like? To put that in perspective, one scientist described a gigaton of ice as a block the size of the National Mall in Washington — from Congress all the way to the Lincoln Memorial, four times as tall as the Washington Monument. Now imagine 75 of those ice blocks. That’s what Alaska’s glaciers alone lose…each year.

And the pace of melting is only getting faster.

It’s now twice what it was between 1950 and 2000 — twice as fast as it was just a little over a decade ago. And it’s one of the reasons why sea levels rose by about eight inches over the last century, and why they’re projected to rise another one to four feet this century.

If we do nothing, temperatures in Alaska are projected to rise between six and 12 degrees by the end of the century, triggering more melting, more fires, more thawing of the permafrost, a negative feedback loop, a cycle — warming leading to more warming — that we do not want to be a part of.

The fact is that climate is changing faster than our efforts to address it. That must change — and we’re not acting fast enough.

Alaska: Day 2

• Alaska Glaciers politic President Barack Obama United States
• At 9/03/2015 09:34:00 a.m.
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 La suspensión temporal de la emisión de visas ha generado pérdidas millonarias en los campos agrícolas de Estados Unidos, informó The Wall Street Journal.

Desde el pasado 9 de junio el Departamento de Estado determinó suspender la entrega tras registrar fallas en las bases de datos. Por ahora trabajadores agrícolas temporales esperan en la frontera de México con Estados Unidos la entrega de visas.

La falta de trabajadores ha impactado estados como California donde las pérdidas diarias oscilan entre los 500 y el millón de dólares. Pero el problema se extiende a una vasta región agrícola del oeste, centro y sur de Estados Unidos.

El problema que afecta la entrega de visas esta relacionado con la base de datos biométricos como las huellas dactilares de los solicitantes de visas.

La categoría que se ve afectada en la labores agrícolas es la H-2A, que se concede de acuerdo con peticiones hechas por empresas agrícolas, que se comprometen al traslado y alojamiento temporal de los trabajadores del campo.

En algunas regiones los productos que están listos para ser recogidos se están perdiendo por una maduración temprana.

Ante ello las empresas agrícolas han hecho un llamado a que legalice la situación de centenares de miles de trabajadores agrícolas que están en Estados Unidos en situación migratoria irregular. Actualmente las empresas que emplean a jornaleros “ilegales” son sancionadas por las autoridades

Los cultivos más afectados son bayas, cerezas, duraznos, maíz, verduras y tabaco.

Perdidas millonarias en campos agrícolas de EU por problema informático para entregar visas

• Campos Cosecha Cultivos Productos Trabajadores United States Visas
• At 6/18/2015 11:15:00 a.m.
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