The International Trade Administration said it received the following applications for duty-free entry of scientific instruments. Comments are due by Aug. 8 to Statutory Import Programs Staff, Room 3720, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 20230.

The International Trade Administration's Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee will meet at 9 a.m. Aug. 28 in Room 4830, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20230. Topics will include the ITA's Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative Update and Civil Nuclear Trade Promotion Activities. A portion of the meeting will be closed. Further information: David Kincaid, 202-482-1706 or david.kincaid@trade.gov.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for July 16:

The International Trade Administration announced it issued an Export Trade Certificate of Review to Panama Poultry Export Quota, Inc. (PAN-PEQ) for the export of chicken leg quarters to Panama. Specifically, the export certificate of review covers chicken leg quarters (or parts of chicken leg quarters, including legs or thighs), fresh, chilled or frozen seasoned or unseasoned, marinated or not marinated, classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule subheadings 0207.13.99, 0207.14.99 and 1602.32.00, subject to some conditions. The ITA said any person aggrieved by this determination may, within 30 days, bring an action in any appropriate district court of the U.S. to set aside the determination on the ground that the determination is erroneous (i.e., by about Aug. 16).

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for July 13:

The Department of Commerce is seeking comments on changes made to Form BE-6, Foreign Airline Operators’ Revenues and Expenses in the U.S. The form is used to get quarterly data from U.S. offices, agents, or other representatives of foreign airline operators that transport passengers or freight and express to or from the U.S. and whose covered revenues or total covered expenses were $5,000,000 or more during the previous year or are expected to be $5,000,000 or more during the current year. Two changes have been made to the survey: (1) Two questions have been added to collect data on the number of passengers transported to/from the U.S. and the revenues associated with these passengers; and (2) the due date for the survey has been changed to 45 days after the end of the calendar quarter (from 50 days). The rest of the form is unchanged from the prior version. Comments are due by Sept. 11.

The Department of Commerce is seeking comments on changes to Form BE-30, Ocean Freight Revenues and Foreign Expenses of United States Carriers, and Form BE-37, U.S. Airline Operators’ Foreign Revenues and Expenses. There are two significant changes to the ocean freight revenues survey: (1) A question has been added to collect data on fuel expenses in foreign ports explicitly (fuel expenses are currently reported indistinguishably within total expenses in foreign ports); and (2) The due date for the survey has been changed to 45 days after the end of the calendar quarter (from 50 days). Major changes to the U.S. airline operators' foreign revenue survey include: (a) fuel expenses will be collected separately; (b) two questions have been added to collect data on the number of passengers transported to/from the United States and the revenues associated with these passengers; and (c) the due date for the survey has been changed to 45 days after the end of the calendar quarter (from 50 days). Comments are due by Sept. 11.

The U.S. goods and services deficit was $48.7 billion in May 2012, down $1.9 billion from revised April 2012, according to the U.S. International Trade in Goods and Services Report, released on July 11 by the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The report showed that, as compared to April 2012 levels, exports were up $0.4 billion to $183.1 billion, and imports were down $1.6 billion to $231.8 billion. As compared to May 2011 totals, exports increased by 4.2% and imports by 3.8%. The U.S. trade deficit with China increased to $26 billion in April 2012, from $24.6 billion in April. Statement by Acting Commerce Secretary Blank available here. International Trade Administration fact sheet available here.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is seeking public comment on data and information on the Pre-Authorization Safety Audit (PASA) for Jose Guadalupe Morales Guevara (DBA Fletes Morales) which applied to participate in the Agency's long-haul pilot program to test and demonstrate the ability of Mexico-domiciled motor carriers to operate safely in the U.S. The approval is part of the Pilot Program on NAFTA Trucking Provisions.

The Commerce Department Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements said it's amending the 2012 Tariff Preference Level for Nicaragua to 96,529,059 square meters equivalent to account for the shortfall in meeting the one-to-one commitment for cotton and man-made fiber woven trousers exported from Nicaragua to the U.S., in a Federal Register notice.