GE Working to Bring Air Traffic Management into “The Cloud”

Press release:

18 September 2012

GE Working to Bring Air Traffic Management into “The Cloud”

 

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GE researchers working with NASA to enable NextGen air traffic management to be operated through cloud computing

Will transform the way air traffic is managed

Project part of GE’s global software initiative to build the “Industrial Internet”

NISKAYUNA, NY, September 18, 2012 – A global leader in avionics and software development, the General Electric Company (NYSE: GE) has embarked on an 18-month project with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to help bring NextGen air traffic management (ATM) technology into “The Cloud.” Cloud computing will enable airlines and air traffic controllers to perform their tasks by sharing not only real-time information but also data analysis and decision support tools to improve aircraft operations and airspace efficiency.

Cloud computing is computing that allows a user to tap into a remote location where data storage and computational capabilities are virtually limitless. It already is revolutionizing how information storage and business operations are managed on the ground but has been slower to progress in the aviation sector, especially in safety critical areas such as the ATM arena.

Today, homeowners can use cloud computing to store music, photos, videos and other files in a remote, secure place. If the hard drive on their home computers fails, the information stored in the cloud will not be compromised. Beyond common applications in the home, you are beginning to see more prevalent use of cloud computing in everyday business operations. For example, commercial airlines already are beginning to replace their data centers with cloud computing, which is saving them millions of dollars in capital and maintenance costs.

GE’s program with NASA will identify opportunities within ATM that can benefit from cloud computing.

Liling Ren, electrical engineer and project leader from GE Global Research, “Cloud computing has the potential to fundamentally change how air traffic management operates today. With the transition to it, airlines, pilots, and air traffic controllers will be able to achieve increased information exchange, sharing of decision support automation capabilities that tell them more accurately and reliably about a plane’s current position and future flight path. This will enable them to improve traffic flow and plan more preferable routes and altitudes, which ultimately means more predictable and efficient travel that is on-time for passengers.”

A key program objective is to explore how air traffic controllers, airlines and aircraft can interact more efficiently in a cloud computing environment. Today ATM functionalities and capabilities are developed and hosted separately by each of these entities. The expectation is that this project can help accelerate the transition of NextGen ATM technology, which traditionally would take years or even over a decade to complete.

The effort to bring cloud computing to air traffic management is part of GE’s efforts to build the Industrial Internet. The Industrial Internet represents the next evolution in product development, creating a living network of intelligent machines and systems that allows customers to realize new heights of efficiency and performance in their operations.

In November 2011, GE announced an aggressive expansion of its software programs to harness big data and take industrial product development to the next level. The company has opened a global software headquarters in San Ramon, California, which will employ 400 new software professionals to support these efforts across GE’s business portfolio.

GE researchers will combine its growing capabilities in software with deeply embedded experience in aviation and avionics to revolutionize air traffic management. GE is a key avionics integrator, offering Flight Management System (FMS) capabilities to the world’s most widely operated commercial fleets.

About GE Global Research

GE Global Research is the hub of technology development for all of GE's businesses. Our scientists and engineers redefine what’s possible, drive growth for our businesses and find answers to some of the world’s toughest problems.

We innovate 24 hours a day, with sites in Niskayuna, New York; San Ramon, California; Bangalore, India; Shanghai, China; Munich, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Visit GE Global Research on the web atwww.ge.com/research. Connect with our technologists athttp://edisonsdesk.com and http://twitter.com/edisonsdesk.

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GE’s PACSystems RSTi Standards-Based Distributed I/O Delivers High Performance and System Flexibility

Press release:

05 September 2012

GE’s PACSystems RSTi Standards-Based Distributed I/O Delivers High Performance and System Flexibility

 

• PROFINET connectivity provides high-speed I/O throughput with connectivity to hundreds of third-party devices
• Leverages GE’s expertise in automation and ruggedized computing
• Simplifies system design without sacrificing performance to meet the needs of the Industrial Internet

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — SEPTEMBER 5, 2012—GE Intelligent Platforms (NYSE: GE) today announced the availability of its PACSystems® RSTi, a new, innovative standards-based granular machine I/O integrated with the company’s PACSystems controllers on PROFINET that meets the needs of the Industrial Internet. The RSTi is based on global standards and delivers on the PROFINET promise of a consistent and standard high performance communication link between field I/O and controller. The unit’s integration into the control system also simplifies development and commissioning that results in increased productivity.

The RSTi family of PROFINET-based granular I/O is part of GE Intelligent Platforms’ High Performance Platform that leverages industry standards as well as the company’s experience in embedded technology and automation to deliver long-life higher performance solutions that are easy to configure, manage and upgrade.

“The RSTi, like all of our new control solutions, is based on open standards, leveraging our expertise in automation and ruggedized computing to meet the needs of the Industrial Internet,” said Bill Black, Controllers Product Manager for GE Intelligent Platforms. “In designing our distributed network architecture GE set a goal of making distributed I/O configuration and operation as simple as traditional rack-based systems. With the introduction of RSTi this capability is extended to an entire new range of applications that benefit from the combination of a wide range of high-density, small form-factor I/O types.”

The RSTi provides simplified installation by placing the granular I/O closer to the field devices using standard Ethernet cabling. The distributed nature of the unit provides the flexibility to expand and reconfigure field devices without impacting control-to- device wiring unlike centralized control systems that require new wiring to be installed back to the central control cabinet, thereby lowering the total cost of ownership by reducing the high cost of field wiring. OEMs can build machines in sections with local I/O drops which can easily be assembled at the customer site, connected to the controller by a high performance network, one standard Ethernet cable versus hundreds of wires. And, the compact size will be attractive to equipment builders and end users alike because it allows the modules to be closer to the control devices and therefore reduces wiring and hardware cost.

“Equipment builders are continuously looking for ways to improve the performance of their equipment while augmenting usability and reducing size and complexity,” continued Black. “These requirements extend to the control system. With PACSystems GE provides high performance control solutions with best-in-class integration of distributed, networked, I/O ideally suited for demanding applications.”

The RSTi extends the capabilities of the PROFINET-enabled solution with the addition of a comprehensive line of granular slice I/O that allows users to simplify panel design and reduce the overall size of the control panel while benefiting from the performance, maintainability and upgradeability of the PACSystems platform. There are more than 80 different module types to choose from for discrete, process, motion and specialty applications. In addition, communications protocols like PROFINET, PROFIBUS DP, DeviceNET, MODBUS/TCP, MODBUS serial, Ethernet/IP, EtherCAT, CANopen and CC-Link are available. Users can standardize on the RSTi for a wide range of applications which, in turn, reduces spare parts, training and support costs.

For more information: www.ge-ip.com/rsti.

For Europe’s Economy, a Lost Decade Looms

The following is an excerpt from an article in 

The New York Times
Friday, August 17, 2012

For Europe’s Economy, a Lost Decade Looms

By JACK EWING

FRANKFURT — The euro zone is hurtling back into recession, economists declared after official figures this week portrayed a shrinking economy. But by some measures the downturn has been under way for years.

With the exception of Germany, none of Europe’s biggest economies have returned to the level of economic output they had at the beginning of 2008, before the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States spread across the Atlantic, according to calculations by two U.S. economists, Peter Rupert and Thomas F. Cooley.

The figures suggest that Europe is already well into what could become a lost decade — a period of pernicious stagnation and wasted potential that could have lasting effects on ordinary citizens.

Economic growth not realized represents investments in education that were never made, research that was never financed, businesses that failed and careers that ended too early or never got off the ground.

“There are larger implications that people don’t think about,” said Mr. Rupert, a professor of economics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. “There is a huge decline in human capital.”

Just what marks the beginning and end of a recession is not always easy to define. One common definition is two consecutive quarters of falling output. By that standard, the euro zone is technically not yet in a recession.

Most economists agree, though, that a recession is also defined by other indicators like unemployment, industrial production and investment. The closest thing Europe has to an arbiter on the question is a committee of prominent economists convened by the Center for Economic Policy Research, a research organization in London.

By the committee’s reckoning, the euro zone’s last recession ended after the second quarter of 2009, the point at which the region hit bottom and began to grow again. The economists’ panel, known as the Euro Area Business Cycle Dating Committee, has not yet begun to consider whether the euro zone is in recession again. But few people would argue that Europe, stricken by a self-inflicted debt crisis that began in 2010, has basked in prosperity recently.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

News Release from Hewlett Packard - Helping Print Service Providers

Press Release : March 13, 2012View Press Kit

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HP Helps Print Service Providers Improve Versatility, Productivity and Quality

Company unveils 10 digital printing systems, including first 29-inch-format HP Indigo press

Topics:Graphic Arts

TEL AVIV, Israel -- HP today introduced 10 digital printing systems that offer print service providers (PSPs) greater versatility, productivity and quality for commercial and industrial printing applications such as labels and packaging, direct mail, marketing collateral, and book publishing.

The improved performance of the new portfolio will help PSPs extend the advantages of digital even further into traditional analog print markets, and to produce more high-value personalized and custom materials for their clients. The 10 new systems include:

• Three next-generation 29-inch-format HP Indigo presses capable of producing almost any commercial print job and a much broader range of packaging applications.
• Three updated models of the current HP Indigo portfolio with higher speeds for significantly increased productivity.
• Three high-productivity HP Inkjet Web Press models featuring advanced ink and printhead technology for excellent print quality at increased print speeds.
• HP Print Module Solutions for adding monochrome or full-color content to preprinted offset materials.

HP also announced new options for HP Scitex industrial presses, which are used for large sign and display applications, and a range of new services and solutions to complement HP’s broad portfolio of digital systems.

“With the extraordinary scope and scale of today’s announcements, we are fueling an unstoppable industry transformation from analog to digital printing,” said Christopher Morgan, senior vice president, Graphics Solutions Business, HP. “Our new digital solutions strike at the core of the printing market and are able to meet the toughest requirements of world-class brands, publishers and print service providers.“

HP will display the new solutions May 3-16 at drupa 2012 in Düsseldorf, Germany, where HP will be the largest digital printing exhibitor and will have the second-largest booth at the show.

At drupa 2008, HP introduced a revolutionary color inkjet web press, a new series of HP Indigo presses and the industry’s first latex inks for wide-format printers. Widespread market acceptance of those solutions has driven the graphics transformation and strong growth of high-value digital pages.

Worldwide, HP now has installed more than 60 HP Inkjet Web Presses, more than 6,000 HP Indigo presses and more than 10,000 HP Latex systems. HP also has invested more than $1 billion in research and development of new graphics solutions.

New, larger format for HP Indigo presses  

Three new larger-format HP Indigo models allow PSPs to expand into applications not previously addressable by digital printing, as well as to print more productively and economically for increased profitability.

• The HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press is a 29-inch sheet-fed press suitable for an extensive range of commercial applications.
• The HP Indigo 20000 Digital Press is a continuous-feed press designed for flexible packaging.
• The HP Indigo 30000 Digital Press is a sheet-fed press designed for folding cartons.

New models of the current HP Indigo platform include the flagship HP Indigo 7600 Digital Press, which offers a top speed of 160 pages per minute in Enhanced Productivity Mode – a 33 percent increase over the previous top speed, making it the fastest two-page digital sheet-fed press available on the market.

New HP Inkjet Web Press models

The new high-speed HP T410 and T360 Inkjet Web Press systems offer increased print speeds of up to 800 feet per minute (fpm) in monochrome – up to 25 percent faster than previous models – while continuing to offer color print speeds of up to 600 fpm. To achieve this improved performance, the presses feature new advanced inkjet printhead technology and nanotechnology pigment inks that can support higher speeds with no compromise in image quality.

The HP T230 Inkjet Web Press incorporates the new printheads and inks to increase print speed up to 400 fpm for both color and monochrome, with full color density for maximum quality.

More information is available at www.hp.com/go/HPPredrupa12, www.hp.com/go/drupa and through the HP Graphic Arts Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/hpgraphicarts and YouTube channel atwww.youtube.com/hpgraphicarts. Join or follow the conversation using the #HPdrupa hashtag.

News Release from EPA Region 7 - Cedar Valley Electroplating

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7

901 N. Fifth St., Kansas City, KS 66101

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nine Tribal Nations

EPA Region 7 Orders Cedar Valley Electroplating in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Take Immediate Action to Address Hazardous Wastes

Contact Information: Chris Whitley, 913-551-7394, whitley.christopher@epa.gov

Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., March 9, 2012) - EPA Region 7 is ordering Cedar Valley Electroplating L.L.C., a metal electroplating business, to take a series of immediate actions to address multiple issues with leaking tanks and containers of hazardous waste at its facility in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

Under a unilateral administrative order issued by EPA in Kansas City, Kan., Cedar Valley Electroplating – and R Squared Properties, L.L.C., which owns the property at 5611 Westminster Drive in Cedar Falls where the business is located – are ordered to: 

• Immediately comply with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its implementing regulations.
• Immediately identify and contain any leaking tanks, containers or other vessels on the property.
• Identify all solid and hazardous wastes currently being treated, stored or disposed at the facility.
• Restrict access to solid and hazardous wastes that have been stored and/or disposed at the facility and to areas on the property where hazardous material has been released.
• Develop a plan for the immediate cleanup of releases, an investigation to determine if wastes have migrated off the property, and the cleanup of the building and any surrounding areas that may have been contaminated by the releases. 

Cedar Valley Electroplating is located in an industrial park area of southwest Cedar Falls, approximately 700 feet southeast of a child care facility, approximately 1,000 feet east of a stream, and approximately 1,300 feet east and southwest of the nearest residences.

EPA’s order notes that the business, which ceased operating in 2011, was inspected by EPA representatives in September 2005 and again in September 2010. The 2005 inspection resulted in the business being cited for failure to make a hazardous waste determination on 28 55-gallon containers of waste material. The 2010 inspection cited those same issues, and issues with additional containers.

EPA representatives visited the facility again last week and noted numerous totes, tanks, drums and other containers and materials stored in an unsafe manner throughout the facility, including numerous containers that were open and several that were leaking. Some of the hazardous wastes identified during the limited visit included chromium, ferric sulfate, ferric chloride, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide. During the visit, an EPA representative noted that the containers of chemicals cited in the 2005 and 2010 inspections were still present at the facility, but that some of the containers had since deteriorated to the point of leaking their contents.

Violations of EPA’s order could subject the respondents to civil penalties of at least $7,500 per violation per day. Violations could also trigger unilateral actions by EPA to carry out the terms of the order, under its legal authority. The Agency could also seek judicial enforcement of the order.

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News Release from Dell - VoIP Kiosks

Dell OEM Solutions Helps Gratifon S.A. Power VoIP Kiosks and Prepare for Future Growth

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Date : 3/7/2012

Round Rock, Texas

• Small business Gratifon relies on Dell cloud computing, industrial PCs, and support to deliver innovative VoIP kiosks across Latin America
• Dell OEM Solutions reduces overhead for Panama-based start-up during rapid growth period and enables global expansion

Gratifon S.A. is leveraging Dell OEM Solutions’ OptiPlex XE PCs and cloud services for 50 kiosks that provide sponsored phone calls at no cost to residents and tourists in Panama. With Dell OEM Solutions technology and services, Gratifon can plan for future growth, focus on innovating its core business and deliver new offerings that help connect consumers.

Gratifon (Gratifon.com) has invented a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) kiosk that connects consumers at tourist locations, hotels, airports, malls and supermarkets to any landline or cell phone worldwide at no cost. During the conversation, the kiosk displays interactive video advertisements on its full-color screen. Gratifon’s kiosks help consumers find restaurants, attractions and lodging, and advertisers benefit by being able to place relevant ads at point of sale locations.

Gratifon needed small, quiet, industrial PCs that would withstand the humid, hot weather of Central America to power its kiosks. The company turned to Dell OEM Solutions’ industrial OptiPlex XE PCs, which have an extended three-year lifecycle and can operate in temperatures of more than 110 F. OptiPlex XE PCs help customers decrease field maintenance costs with component-level stability and standards-based remote management while delivering the performance needed to power quick calls, high definition video and a pleasant user experience.

Dell OEM Solutions also provided the Dell Cloud with VMware vCloud® Datacenter Service, a VMware-based public cloud service offering that provides scalable computing power and storage, eliminating the need for Gratifon to build out its own data center, while delivering simplicity, ease of deployment and a single point of contact for support of the overall solution. Managed by skilled Dell technicians, the solution combines VMware’s cloud software with redundant hardware, power, and cooling to deliver high scalability and reliability. Beyond the software and hardware, Dell’s cloud specialists provided configuration assistance and training, as well as ongoing support, through Dell ProSupport to Gratifon.

With Dell solutions technology, Gratifon has been able to expand, deploying 50 kiosks throughout Panama and plans to add another 250 kiosks within the next six months. Longer-term goals are to roll out approximately 3,000 kiosks in Colombia, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil within 12 to 18 months.

Dell OEM Solutions works with its customers to help them leverage Dell hardware and services to bring their intellectual property to new markets with greater efficiency so they can spend more time on their own innovation. A division within Dell, Dell OEM Solutions provides original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with customized services, support and technologies that meet their unique specifications. Many fast-growing, innovative companies looking for a tier-one technology provider turn to Dell OEM Solutions as their single, global source for comprehensive, end-to-end design, manufacturing, logistics, supply-chain and support services to help them improve agility and competitive differentiation.

Quotes:
“As a startup, technology is key to ensuring that our growing business can thrive,” said Oz Yosef, Gratifon CEO. “By leveraging the Dell OEM OptiPlex XEs and cloud services for our kiosks, we were able to cut costs and expand our business in ways we didn’t know possible.”

“We’re pleased to help Gratifon bring their innovative VoIP kiosks concept to the public and grow its business,” said Ron Pugh, executive director and general manager, Dell OEM Solutions, Americas. “By providing Gratifon with a single source for the hardware, services and support to power its kiosk, we give them the reliability and flexibility to expand into new markets.”

About Dell
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. Dell OEM Solutions helps its customers find more balance between execution and innovation with dedicated OEM resources, industry-standard hardware and global services and support capabilities. Dell helps its OEM customers improve their time to profit and run their operations more efficiently for increased competitive edge. Learn more at www.dell.com/oem.

News Release from EPA - Armstrong Envtl. Svc.

Armstrong Environmental Services to Pay $35,000 Penalty for Clean Water Act Violations at Lancaster, Pa. Facility 

(PHILADELPHIA – March 1, 2012) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today announced a settlement with Armstrong Environmental Services (AES) over alleged Clean Water Act violations at the company’s waste processing and disposal facility in Lancaster, Pa. AES agreed to pay a $35,000 penalty for allegedly exceeding permit limits when discharging industrial wastewater pollutants to the City of Lancaster Wastewater Treatment Plant in Lancaster County, Pa. The settlement also requires the company take actions to minimize the likelihood of future violations.

EPA’s complaint alleged AES exceeded its pretreatment permit discharge limits for pollutants oil and grease, pH and copper for a period of five-years. As part of the settlement, AES did not admit liability for the alleged violations, but has certified that it is now in compliance with applicable Clean Water Act requirements.
 The Clean Water Act requires companies discharging pollutants to publicly owned wastewater treatment works (POTWs) to obtain a permit from the POTW limiting the amount of pollution that may be discharged to the plant. This usually requires some type of pretreatment by the discharging facility.

Pretreatment permit limits for pollutants are established in order to prevent impairment of waterways, either as a result of pollutants passing through the POTW -- or interference with the functioning of the treatment plant.

For more information about pretreatment requirements visit:

http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=3

News Release from the DOE - Smart Energy Training

President Highlights Smart Energy Training at U. of Miami

February 24, 2012 

President Barack Obama tours the University of Miami Industrial Assessment Center in Miami, Florida, Feb. 23, 2012. The IAC is where students learn how to become industrial energy-efficiency experts as they help small to mid-sized manufacturers reduce their energy costs. | Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy.

Ginny Simmons

Managing Editor for Energy.gov, Office of Public Affairs

What have IACs accomplished to date?

• 15,000 energy assessments have helped save enough energy to power 5.5 million American homes.
• Participating manufacturers have saved more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.
• 3,000 students have graduated -- with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry.

During his visit to Florida, yesterday, President Obama highlighted the University of Miami's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) as a smart and important piece of the administration's "all-of-the-above" approach to domestic energy sources.

In September of last year, the Energy Department gave 24 universities a total of $30M in grants to help train the next generation of industrial energy-efficiency experts. Each school will receive $200,000 to $300,000 per year for up to 5 years to train students on core energy management concepts. The teams conduct energy assessments in a broad range of manufacturing facilities, which prepare students to compete in today's economy while helping local companies and factories reduce energy waste, save money, and become more competitive.

As President Obama said yesterday, "We're taking a step that will make it easier for companies to save money by investing in energy solutions that have been proven here at the University of Miami -- new lighting systems; advanced heating and cooling systems that can lower a company's energy bills and make them more competitive."

Since the Industrial Assessment Center program began in 1976, university teams have conducted more than 15,000 energy assessments at U.S. manufacturing plants nationwide. To date, more than 3,000 students have graduated from the Industrial Assessment Center program, with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry. Critically, these assessments have helped save over 530 trillion BTUs of energy -- enough to meet the energy needs of 5.5 million American homes -- and have helped participating manufacturers save more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.

If you'd like to apply for an assessment, you can contact one of the 24 schools across the country that currently participate in the IAC Program.

News Release from the DOE - Energy Efficiency Training Centers

President Obama Highlights Energy Department Efficiency Training Centers That Save U.S. Manufacturers $5.6 Billion

February 23, 2012 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – During a visit to the University of Miami to highlight his administration’s all-out, all-of-the-above approach to American energy, President Obama today touted the Energy Department’s cost-cutting Industrial Assessment Program. The program supports university-based Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) across the country, which provide students with critical skills and training to conduct energy assessments in a broad range of facilities, while producing real cost savings for small to mid-size manufacturers. To date, these assessments have helped save over 530 trillion BTUs of energy – enough to meet the energy needs of 5.5 million American homes – and have helped participating manufacturers save more than $5.6 billion in energy costs.

“As President Obama made clear, an American economy built to last will depend on American manufacturing, American energy and skills for American workers,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This is why the Energy Department invests in innovative initiatives like the Industrial Assessment Centers that help to train the clean energy workforce of tomorrow, while cutting energy waste for American businesses and making our manufacturing companies more competitive.”

Through Industrial Assessment Centers at universities throughout the U.S., engineering students receive practical training in industrial processes, energy assessment procedures, and energy management principles, and gain real-world experience by working directly with small and medium-sized industrial and manufacturing facilities in their communities.

For more than 30 years, the Industrial Assessment Program has provided valuable training and experience for students, while saving money for manufacturing plants. Since the program began in 1976, the university teams have conducted more than 15,000 energy assessments at U.S. manufacturing plants nationwide. To date, more than 3,000 students have graduated from the Industrial Assessment Center program, with more than 60 percent going on to careers in the energy industry.

More information and a full list of Industrial Assessment Centers across the U.S. can be found HERE.

News Release from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce

Release Date: Feb 21, 2012Contact: 888-249-NEWS

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U.S. Chamber Applauds Announcement of U.S.-Korea Trade Agreement Implementation

WASHINGTON D.C.—The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded the administration and the U.S. Trade Representative today for their announcement that the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) will enter into force on March 15, 2012.  The landmark trade agreement that would support more than 70,000 export-related jobs was ratified last October through a bipartisan vote in Congress.

“The U.S. business community commends our negotiators for staying the course on implementing a groundbreaking trade deal with South Korea that will create American jobs and boost American competitiveness,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. “We will now be able to play on a level playing field in South Korea’s dynamic market and start creating tens of thousands of new jobs here at home.”

Upon entry into force, tariffs will be eliminated on nearly 80% of U.S. exports of industrial products and nearly two-thirds of U.S. exports of agricultural products to South Korea.  It will also break down non-tariff barriers and strengthen transparency and intellectual property protections in South Korea so that American companies can compete fairly in the South Korean market.

“It is now up to the business community, including the hundreds of thousands of small and medium sized enterprises that make up the backbone of the U.S. economy, to take full advantage of this agreement to grow American exports,” Donohue said. “This agreement is the foundation for moving bipartisan, job-creating policies forward, and we urge the administration to build on the positive momentum of the South Korea trade agreement to continue opening up markets abroad.”

The Chamber is continuing to advocate for implementation of the trade agreements with Colombia and Panama on a commercially sound basis as soon as possible.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.