Business News
Congressional Wine Caucus Co-Chair Mike Thompson (CA-05), Co-Chair Dan Newhouse (WA-04) and 106 bipartisan Members of the caucus have written to United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer asking him to refrain from including wine in potential retaliatory tariffs in response to the European Union’s illegal Airbus subsidies.
Signers highlighted the potential harmful effects on the American wine community, which has a year impact of $220 billion on our economy.
The bipartisan letter to Ambassador Lighthizer is below.
The letter was signed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Nita Lowey (NY-17), David Price (NC-04), Eleanor Homes Norton (DC-AL), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Ken Calvert (CA-42), Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Peter T. King (NY-02), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Michael Doyle (PA-18), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Steve Chabot (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Greg Walden (OR-02), William Lacy Clay, Jr. (MO-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Adam Schiff (CA-28), Tom Cole (OK-04), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jim Costa (CA-16), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Ed Perlmutter (CA-07), Peter Welch (VT-AL), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Bill Posey (FL-08), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Judy Chu (CA-27), John Garamendi (CA-03), Tom Reed (NY-23), Steve Stivers (OH-15), Mark Amodei (NV-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Ami Bera (CA-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Paul Cook (CA-09), Lois Frankel (FL-29), George Holding (NC-02), Jared Huffman (CA-02), David Joyce (OH-14), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Scott Peters (CA-52), Tom Rice (SC-07), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Lou Correa (CA-46), Charlie Crist (FL-13), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Josh Gottheimer (NY-05), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), TJ Cox (CA-21), Joe Cunningham (SC-01), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Max Rose (NY-11), Donna Shalala (FL-27), David Trone (MD-06), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), and Greg Murphy (NC-03).
January 14, 2020
Robert E. Lighthizer
United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20508
Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:
As members of the Congressional Wine Caucus, we write to express our strong concern about U.S. retaliatory tariffs on European wine. These retaliatory tariffs cause economic harm to the thousands of U.S. wineries, exporters, importers, retailers, and restaurants who depend on a vibrant, healthy wine market for their livelihood. Any expansion of these tariffs would further exacerbate the harm already caused.
As you know, our local wine communities are a driving force in the national economy with a total economic impact of $220 billion annually. The European Union (EU) and the U.S. are the largest wine producing regions in the world and they serve as each other’s largest export markets. In fact, the combined wine trade between the U.S. and EU totaled $4.7 billion in 2018.
The U.S. is already targeting certain EU wines with a 25% tariff and any expansion of these tariffs will most certainly lead to U.S. wine exports being targeted by the EU, which has already included U.S. wines on a proposed retaliation list in the World Trade Organization aerospace dispute. We understand that you must find appropriate means to address the WTO decision and France’s digital services tax issue, but we ask that you consider the effects it could have on American businesses. Further escalation of these disputes will lead to even greater disruptions in the transatlantic wine trade and jeopardize thousands of small and medium sized businesses and the tens of thousands of U.S. jobs they support across the country.
Additionally, these new tariffs would come at a time when U.S. wineries are already facing significant retaliatory tariffs in China, one of the most important and fastest growing wine markets in the world. These tariffs are significantly harming U.S. exports to China and negotiations so far have not addressed China’s retaliation, resulting in challenging conditions for the entire domestic market.
The U.S. wine community, from grape to glass, is an essential part of our economy and we urge you not to target wine in trade disputes which have nothing at all to do with wine. We hope you will exhaust all means possible to resolve these issues without resorting to retaliatory tariffs on wine. Thank you for your consideration.
Signers highlighted the potential harmful effects on the American wine community, which has a year impact of $220 billion on our economy.
The bipartisan letter to Ambassador Lighthizer is below.
The letter was signed by Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Representatives Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), Peter DeFazio (OR-04), Nita Lowey (NY-17), David Price (NC-04), Eleanor Homes Norton (DC-AL), Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Ken Calvert (CA-42), Anna Eshoo (CA-18), Alcee Hastings (FL-20), Peter T. King (NY-02), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Nydia Velazquez (NY-07), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Michael Doyle (PA-18), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Jim McGovern (MA-02), Bill Pascrell (NJ-09), Gregory Meeks (NY-05), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Steve Chabot (OH-01), John Larson (CT-01), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Greg Walden (OR-02), William Lacy Clay, Jr. (MO-01), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Adam Schiff (CA-28), Tom Cole (OK-04), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), Linda Sanchez (CA-38), Emmanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Jim Costa (CA-16), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Kathy Castor (FL-14), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Joe Courtney (CT-02), Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Ed Perlmutter (CA-07), Peter Welch (VT-AL), John Yarmuth (KY-03), Jackie Speier (CA-14), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Bill Posey (FL-08), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Judy Chu (CA-27), John Garamendi (CA-03), Tom Reed (NY-23), Steve Stivers (OH-15), Mark Amodei (NV-02), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Donald Payne, Jr. (NJ-10), Ami Bera (CA-07), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Paul Cook (CA-09), Lois Frankel (FL-29), George Holding (NC-02), Jared Huffman (CA-02), David Joyce (OH-14), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Alan Lowenthal (CA-47), Scott Peters (CA-52), Tom Rice (SC-07), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Juan Vargas (CA-51), Ann Wagner (MO-02), Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-02), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Lee Zeldin (NY-01), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Lou Correa (CA-46), Charlie Crist (FL-13), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Josh Gottheimer (NY-05), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Stephanie Murphy (FL-07), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Thomas Suozzi (NY-03), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Ralph Norman (SC-05), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), TJ Cox (CA-21), Joe Cunningham (SC-01), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Andy Kim (NJ-03), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Max Rose (NY-11), Donna Shalala (FL-27), David Trone (MD-06), Jennifer Wexton (VA-10), and Greg Murphy (NC-03).
January 14, 2020
Robert E. Lighthizer
United States Trade Representative
600 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20508
Dear Ambassador Lighthizer:
As members of the Congressional Wine Caucus, we write to express our strong concern about U.S. retaliatory tariffs on European wine. These retaliatory tariffs cause economic harm to the thousands of U.S. wineries, exporters, importers, retailers, and restaurants who depend on a vibrant, healthy wine market for their livelihood. Any expansion of these tariffs would further exacerbate the harm already caused.
As you know, our local wine communities are a driving force in the national economy with a total economic impact of $220 billion annually. The European Union (EU) and the U.S. are the largest wine producing regions in the world and they serve as each other’s largest export markets. In fact, the combined wine trade between the U.S. and EU totaled $4.7 billion in 2018.
The U.S. is already targeting certain EU wines with a 25% tariff and any expansion of these tariffs will most certainly lead to U.S. wine exports being targeted by the EU, which has already included U.S. wines on a proposed retaliation list in the World Trade Organization aerospace dispute. We understand that you must find appropriate means to address the WTO decision and France’s digital services tax issue, but we ask that you consider the effects it could have on American businesses. Further escalation of these disputes will lead to even greater disruptions in the transatlantic wine trade and jeopardize thousands of small and medium sized businesses and the tens of thousands of U.S. jobs they support across the country.
Additionally, these new tariffs would come at a time when U.S. wineries are already facing significant retaliatory tariffs in China, one of the most important and fastest growing wine markets in the world. These tariffs are significantly harming U.S. exports to China and negotiations so far have not addressed China’s retaliation, resulting in challenging conditions for the entire domestic market.
The U.S. wine community, from grape to glass, is an essential part of our economy and we urge you not to target wine in trade disputes which have nothing at all to do with wine. We hope you will exhaust all means possible to resolve these issues without resorting to retaliatory tariffs on wine. Thank you for your consideration.
- Details
- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
SACRAMENTO – Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has announced his appointments of the newest members to the Curriculum Board and the California Insurance Guarantee Association, or CIGA, Board of Governors that work to protect the interests of California consumers.
The Curriculum Board oversees the development of prelicensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers to uphold professional standards that protect consumers. This includes a list of preapproved courses of study as well as courses of study for professional designations.
This board also develops standards for providers and instructors who provide courses and other training to licensed agents and brokers.
“I am very pleased to announce my appointment of Neal Bordenave, Jesse Dogillo and Mimi Yoon-Lee as the newest members of the Curriculum Board, whose knowledge and expertise will help to further the goal of ensuring a robust program of study to properly prepare licensees for the insurance business while protecting California consumers,” said Commissioner Lara.
They have been appointed in the insurance agent representative, life agent representative and life agent trade association representative, respectively, with terms ending Jan. 21, 2023.
Bordenave is president and CEO of RiskPro Insurance Services Inc. He has over 25 years of insurance and risk management expertise and also provides insurance litigation consulting and expert witness services.
Bordenave is an adjunct professor at California State University, Chico where he teaches courses in corporate finance as well as risk management and insurance.
Dogillo is the owner of Bay Area Financial and Insurance Services, an independent insurance agency which issues life, health, disability, long term care, and property casualty insurance.
He also teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz as a risk management/insurance instructor and serves as the current chapter president of the Asian American Financial & Insurance Professional Association.
Yoon-Lee is the assistant vice president for investment advisor training at Lincoln Financial Network. She is responsible for the creation and development of the network’s national advisor training programs including national conferences and specialized training.
In her 22 years with the firm, Yoon-Lee has also served as both the director of insurance and the director of marketing. She serves as the president-elect for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California, or NAIFA-California, and trustee for the NAIFA-California State Board.
The CIGA Board of Governors oversees the guarantee association’s general operations and management in order to protect policyholders in the event of an insurance company insolvency.
Established in 1969 by the Governor and California State Legislature, CIGA comprises all insurance companies licensed to sell homeowners, workers’ compensation, automobile, and other specified lines of insurance in California.
“I also have the privilege to announce my appointment of Richard De La Mora as a new representative to the CIGA Board of Governors, a long-standing entity which has the important role of protecting California consumers from loss in the event that an insurer becomes insolvent,” added Commissioner Lara.
De La Mora is the senior vice president and counsel, head of personal lines and strategy at Farmers Group Inc., where he is responsible for legal and regulatory oversight of Farmers Personal Lines products throughout the United States.
Previously, he worked in private civil practice for Barger & Wolen LLP, a California insurance regulatory and litigation firm representing insurers and health care plans in regulatory and litigation matters including conservation and liquidation proceedings.
De La Mora joins the CIGA Board of Governors as the representative for Farmers Group in a member insurer seat for the remainder of an existing term ending Dec. 31, 2021.
The next Curriculum Board meeting will be held on Thursday, February 20, at the department.
The next CIGA Board of Governors meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
More details are available at: www.insurance.ca.gov/boards or you may send an email to:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
The Curriculum Board oversees the development of prelicensing and continuing education curriculum for agents and brokers to uphold professional standards that protect consumers. This includes a list of preapproved courses of study as well as courses of study for professional designations.
This board also develops standards for providers and instructors who provide courses and other training to licensed agents and brokers.
“I am very pleased to announce my appointment of Neal Bordenave, Jesse Dogillo and Mimi Yoon-Lee as the newest members of the Curriculum Board, whose knowledge and expertise will help to further the goal of ensuring a robust program of study to properly prepare licensees for the insurance business while protecting California consumers,” said Commissioner Lara.
They have been appointed in the insurance agent representative, life agent representative and life agent trade association representative, respectively, with terms ending Jan. 21, 2023.
Bordenave is president and CEO of RiskPro Insurance Services Inc. He has over 25 years of insurance and risk management expertise and also provides insurance litigation consulting and expert witness services.
Bordenave is an adjunct professor at California State University, Chico where he teaches courses in corporate finance as well as risk management and insurance.
Dogillo is the owner of Bay Area Financial and Insurance Services, an independent insurance agency which issues life, health, disability, long term care, and property casualty insurance.
He also teaches at the University of California, Santa Cruz as a risk management/insurance instructor and serves as the current chapter president of the Asian American Financial & Insurance Professional Association.
Yoon-Lee is the assistant vice president for investment advisor training at Lincoln Financial Network. She is responsible for the creation and development of the network’s national advisor training programs including national conferences and specialized training.
In her 22 years with the firm, Yoon-Lee has also served as both the director of insurance and the director of marketing. She serves as the president-elect for the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-California, or NAIFA-California, and trustee for the NAIFA-California State Board.
The CIGA Board of Governors oversees the guarantee association’s general operations and management in order to protect policyholders in the event of an insurance company insolvency.
Established in 1969 by the Governor and California State Legislature, CIGA comprises all insurance companies licensed to sell homeowners, workers’ compensation, automobile, and other specified lines of insurance in California.
“I also have the privilege to announce my appointment of Richard De La Mora as a new representative to the CIGA Board of Governors, a long-standing entity which has the important role of protecting California consumers from loss in the event that an insurer becomes insolvent,” added Commissioner Lara.
De La Mora is the senior vice president and counsel, head of personal lines and strategy at Farmers Group Inc., where he is responsible for legal and regulatory oversight of Farmers Personal Lines products throughout the United States.
Previously, he worked in private civil practice for Barger & Wolen LLP, a California insurance regulatory and litigation firm representing insurers and health care plans in regulatory and litigation matters including conservation and liquidation proceedings.
De La Mora joins the CIGA Board of Governors as the representative for Farmers Group in a member insurer seat for the remainder of an existing term ending Dec. 31, 2021.
The next Curriculum Board meeting will be held on Thursday, February 20, at the department.
The next CIGA Board of Governors meeting will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 5.
More details are available at: www.insurance.ca.gov/boards or you may send an email to:
- Details
- Written by: California Department of Insurance
How to resolve AdBlock issue?