The House Rules Committee scheduled a Nov. 13 hearing on legislation that would grant Russia Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR). The bill (HR-6156) would repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which limits U.S. trade with communist countries. The bill being considered by the Rules Committee also includes the so-called Magnitsky rule, which calls for repercussions for Russian leaders thought to be involved in the death of a Russian lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. The Magnitsky language was a sticking point for several lawmakers involved with the PNTR bill.
Tim Warren
Timothy Warren is Executive Managing Editor of Communications Daily. He previously led the International Trade Today editorial team from the time it was purchased by Warren Communications News in 2012 through the launch of Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. Tim is a 2005 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts and lives in Maryland with his wife and three kids.
CBP issued its Nov. 7 Customs Bulletin (Vol. 46, No. 46), which contains 4 notices of the following ruling actions:
CBP should revoke an additional 2008 ruling regarding the tariff classification of insulated cooler bags, Igloo Products said in comments to CBP. The comments were submitted in response to CBP's proposed revocation of three other rulings included in the agency's Oct. 10 bulletin. Igloo's lawyer, Gregory McCue of Steptoe and Johnson, filed the comments on behalf of Igloo.
CBP released its finalized Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA) for Low Energy X-Ray Inspection Systems (LEXRIS). The PEA analyzes the potential environmental impacts due to the deployment and use of LEXRIS. The PEA included a "Finding of No Significant Impact."
The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel postponed its annual conference in New York that was scheduled for Nov. 14. The conference is now scheduled for Jan. 9 in the same location, Bridgewaters South Street Seaport.
CBP posted documents on changes to the ACE ABI Customs and Trade Interface Requirements (CATAIR).
CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related issues:
CBP updated its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding the process toward achieving mutual recognition arrangements (MRA) and bilateral understandings between two customs administrations. Among new material included since the previous version, CBP notes "an MRA is expected to be signed with Taiwan in the Fall of 2012." The update also includes additional detail on the process for mutual recognition of the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) program and foreign industry partner programs
CBP named Pete Flores as the new director of field operations in San Diego. Flores previously was assistant director of border security in the San Diego Field Office
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to begin a new pilot early next year aimed at improving document review, said Michael Mullen, executive director of the Express Association of America (EAA). The pilot, which would allow for more timely FDA review of documents at the border, is expected to begin during the first quarter of 2013, said Mullen in an interview. Mullen, who met with FDA officials Nov. 2, is leading an industry push for an update to FDA customs processes. Mullen said the pilot isn't expected to require formal announcement through the Federal Register.