EU import tax
This article was originally published in The Rose Sheet
Executive Summary
Public notice of the United States Trade Representative's definitive list of retaliatory 100% ad valorem tariff measures on a variety of consumer products imported from the European Union has been delayed. The U.S. is considering placing a tax on certain products imported from the EU, including a number of bath products, if the Union fails to implement World Trade Organization recommendations on bananas ("The Rose Sheet" Dec. 7, p. 4). In a Dec. 15 statement, European Commission VP Leon Brittan, representing the EU, urged the U.S. not to publish the list, stating that such a course would "be further evidence of an unwillingness to pursue the agreed multilateral dispute settlement process." Brittan implored the U.S. "to turn away from unnecessary confrontation when we are both faced with wider and more important challenges." The list is now scheduled to be made public the week of Dec. 21
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Marketing In Brief
ModiFace launches forecasting tool: Toronto-based virtual makeover firm introduces ShadeCast, a makeup sampling and forecasting tool based on behavioral tracking. ShadeCast is used in conjunction with iPhone application MakeUp, which allows consumers to virtually try on makeup in hundreds of shades from brands including Revlon, Cover Girl, Lancome and Clinique. ShadeCast offers 1,000 cosmetic shades from 40 brands and assigns a ShadeScore "to approximately position the [app's] hottest and most sampled color." ModiFace exec Nikkie Gatto likens the app to radio music playlists, helping consumers "looking to capture the current look, but also provide vital market intelligence to our retail channel partners," she says in Nov. 3 release. "The value of data to demonstrate the aggregate behavior will help the industry predict the latest trends and help cosmetic manufacturers better understand the color and products which most resonate with online and iPhone virtual makeover users," the company says