NewslineVolume V, Issue 20 - September 24, 2004The Carpet and Rug Institute news for industry executives
In This Issue: CRI will be featured this Saturday night, September 25, in the show Health
Watch which will air at 8 p.m. on The Discovery Health Channel. The show is
taken from articles in the New England Journal of Medicine and the subject matter
for this show is asthma. CRI President Werner Braun was interviewed for the
segment as was Dr. Michael Berry and Dr. John Ouellette. IIDA Promotes CRI Video in National Newsletter The September 29 issue of DesignMatters, the national member newsletter of
the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), will highlight CRI's new
video, "Healthy Patients and Healthy Numbers: The Results of Evidence-Based
Design." The video, which has recently been distributed to over 12,000
healthcare administrators and decision makers across the country, has resonated
with the architect and design community. IIDA will also feature the video on
its website, in the "Healthcare Forum" section, which "seeks
to provide members a venue with which to discuss the latest trends and design
concepts, as well as disseminate knowledge through education, resources and
communication." Visit the IIDA Healthcare Forum U.S. Launches WTO Complaint The U.S. has launched a wide ranging World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint
against the European Union (EU), charging that the lack of uniform customs rules
and procedures among the 25 EU member states is a barrier to U.S. exports. The
move is aimed at pressuring the EU to harmonize customs regulations and to create
new legal mechanisms that would allow foreign companies to appeal adverse decisions
to a tribunal with EU wide authority. The U.S. takes the position that the WTO
rules require uniform and impartial administration of customs laws and tribunals
for prompt appeals. The U.S. argues that the lack of a uniform system means
its exporters face different and costly rules on import taxes, tariff classifications
inspection of shipments and licensing requirements. The U.S. advanced its case
after exhausting efforts to persuade the EU to resolve the issue informally.
China Making WTO ProgressChina is making dramatic progress in ratifying the committments it made when
it joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
indicates that China has made substantial headway in almost every area except
the enforcement of intellectual property rights (IPR). The positive assessment
could pay dividends for the Bush administration that has opted for collaborative
negotiations with China rather than launching a series of WTO disputes aimed
at compelling Chinese compliance. John Kerry has said that as President, he
would use the WTO's dispute settlement mechanism far more aggressively. The
Bush administration and U.S. companies point to the rapid growth of U.S. exports
to China as a sign that the softer approach is working. Exports to China from
U.S. companies rose 29% last year and are up 75% over the past three years.
U.S. companies, however, continue to insist on immediate and demonstrable evidence
that IPR issues are improving, or a WTO case on the issue may be forthcoming.
Core Product Co., Inc. is Newest CRI MemberCRI is pleased to recognize and welcome our newest associate member, Core Product
Co., Inc., whose primary business is the manufacture of premium industrial cleaners,
odor control products and specialty items. Evans to the West Wing?If President Bush is elected to a second term in November, it is anticipated
that current United States Department of Commerce Secretary Don Evans will move
to the White House to replace the present Chief of Staff Andy Card. Senior administration
officials have said that Evans is the only name that has been circulated as
a Card replacement assuming he decides to leave as expected. CRI Participates in National Symposium on Healthcare DesignAt the 17th Annual National Symposium on Healthcare Design, "the premier
industry event... for all healthcare design professionals," CRI's Joan
Seelaus joined representatives from vinyl flooring manufacturers Associated/ACC
and TOLI International in a panel discussion about flooring in healthcare facilities.
As part of the presentation, Ms. Seelaus showed the video, "Healthy Patients
and Healthy Numbers - The Results of Evidence Based Design," and discussed
the carpet industry's sustainability efforts and carpet's benefits in the indoor
environment. Meanwhile, CRI's Louise Dobbs educated conference attendees about
CRI's programs and carpet's benefits at CRI's booth in the exhibition hall.
Study Details Clean Air Act ImprovementsDrawing on available EPA and government data, a study released this week by
the Foundation for Clean Air Progress demonstrates that America's air quality
has improved dramatically since the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. According
to BNA's Daily Environment Report, every county in the U.S. is meeting air quality
standards for nitrogen dioxide and sulfur dioxide. Since 1970, the levels of
lead in the air are down 98 percent, particulate matter is down 82 percent,
sulfur dioxide is down 49 percent, and volatile organic compounds are down 48
percent. Seventy percent of the nation's population breathes air that meets
EPA's current one-hour standard for ozone, and 55 percent of the population
lives in areas that meet the more stringent 8-hour standard set to go into effect
later this year. What's more, these improvements came despite increases of almost
50 percent in the population, more than 150 percent in vehicle miles traveled,
and 175 percent in economic output. Yet despite these dramatic improvements,
a public opinion poll completed in conjunction with the study's release shows
that 70 percent of Americans believe the overall air quality has diminished
or stayed the same. Advantages of CRI Membership . . . Members Get $$$ ResultsEarly this year, CRI alerted members of an opportunity from AXIOM Solutions,
a national professional services firm. The focus of Axiom is the financial side
of business innovation and they assist various types of companies in optimizing
their existing and future investments in technology; in particular, this opportunity
related to R&D tax credits. Since notification, the CRI members who took
advantage of this opportunity have realized 3.1 million dollars in tax credits
- an average of $500,000 to $600,000 per company. Environmental Groups Attack US Stance on REACHIn a letter sent August 24 to the United States Trade Representative (USTR),
the activist group Environmental Defense (ED) protests the White House opposition
to the EU's proposed chemical policy known as REACH. According to Chemical Policy
Alert, the ED letter challenges U.S. concerns regarding REACH. USTR, which speaks
for the administration on trade policy matters, submitted its comments on REACH
to the World Trade Organization, which is evaluating the potential trade impact
of the proposal. The USTR argues that REACH would prove unworkable and disruptive
to global trade, and that the complexity and administrative burden of the proposal
could put the companies at a competitive disadvantage - a position supported
by the U.S. chemical industry. CRI Meetings* CRI Board of Directors, September 29, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m., CRI Boardroom CRI Participation in Upcoming Events* Council of State Governments (CSG) Annual State Trends & Leadership Forum/CSG-WEST
Annual Meeting, September 25-29, Anchorage, Alaska If you are aware of other events that present significant opportunities to deliver our messages to our critical audiences, please contact Louise Dobbs at 706.428.2104. Check our website calendar for other industry related events |
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