The Food and Drug Administration is “very close” to recognizing Canada as having an equivalent food safety system, with a determination possible in the next few months, said Dominic Veneziano, director of FDA’s import division, at a seminar hosted by the American Bar Association Dec. 7 in Washington. The move would largely exempt food imports from Canada from the requirements of FDA’s Foreign Supplier Verification Program.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito is Managing Editor of International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Nov. 23-29:
Apparel maker AG Adriano Goldschmied agreed to give out $4 million worth of free jeans as part of an agreement to settle a class action lawsuit related to the company’s alleged violations of California “Made in the U.S.A.” labeling standards. As part of the proposed settlement, AGAG also agreed to alter its country of origin labels on its apparel products to comply with California law, claiming it already started doing so in November 2014. AGAG did not admit any wrongdoing under the settlement.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Nov. 16-22:
Despite the Food and Drug Administration’s recent release of its long anticipated final rule on the Foreign Supplier Verification Program, some major questions remain as to the implementation of the new regulations, said industry lawyers during a webinar held by the Food and Drug Law Institute on Nov. 19. Food importers both small and large are still digesting the rule’s requirements, and further clarification will come in the form of a draft guidance on FSVP issued by FDA early next year, according to FDA Senior Policy Advisor Brian Pendleton. A major challenge will be getting the word out to importers, who could benefit from training programs currently being developed with FDA input by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, said Pendleton.
The Environmental Protection Agency is withdrawing significant new use rules (SNURs) it recently set for three chemicals, it said (here). EPA said it received objections to three of the 30 SNURs the agency set in an October final rule (see 1510010077), so it will soon begin a formal rulemaking process for those three chemicals with a notice and comment period. The SNURs were originally set to take effect Dec. 1. The three chemicals were the subject of premanufacture notices P-15-221, P-15-247 and P-15-278.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Nov. 9-15:
The Drug Enforcement Administration extended the temporary listing of three synthetic phenethylamines to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (here), continuing strict controls to the import and export of the chemicals because of their potential for abuse. The final order will remain in effect for one year pending completion of a permanent scheduling order. The DEA also on Nov. 13 issued a proposed rule that would make the listing of phenethylamines in Schedule I permanent (here).
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of Nov. 2-8:
BALTIMORE -- Funding is limited for modernization of aging CBP facilities at land ports of entry that are having trouble keeping up with today’s increased trade volumes and security requirements, said CBP officials at the East Coast Trade Symposium on Nov. 4. With congressional appropriations in short supply, CBP’s reimbursement and donation pilots won’t be enough to raise the $5 billion necessary to bring CBP’s land ports up to standard.