The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a press release announcing that it has made a negative determination with regard to its safeguard investigation involving uncovered innerspring units from China.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule which would amend its regulations at 7 CFR Part 319 regarding the importation of wheat from regions affected with Karnal bunt.
APHIS Reopens Comment Period for Proposed Rule to Create a BSE Minimal Risk Category for Canada, Etc
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has reopened until April 7, 2004, the comment period for a proposed rule to amend its regulations regarding the importation of animals and animal products to recognize, and add Canada to, a category of regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) into the U.S. via live ruminants and ruminant products.
On February 12, 2004, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued its first version of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on its final rule requiring the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S.
On March 4, 2004, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 1047, the "Miscellaneous Trade and Technical Corrections Act of 2003."
The Canada Border Services Agency 1 (CBSA) has modified its previous instructions regarding the implementation schedule for the Advance Commercial Information (ACI) initiative for inbound marine cargo in order to change the advance reporting timeframes for i) conveyances for containerized cargo, ii) conveyances for non-authorized break bulk cargo and iii) empty containers.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its weekly quota commodity report as of March 1, 2004. This report includes tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on various products such as beef, tuna, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa powder, tobacco, certain JFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA TRQs, etc. This report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, CBTPA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA tariff preference levels (TPLs) for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics under HTS 9902.51.11 & 9902.51.12, etc. (CBP's weekly quota commodity report, dated 03/01/04, available at http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
The State Department's Washington File reports that chief negotiators in the U.S.-Bahrain free trade discussions announced the successful conclusion of the second round of talks on March 5, 2004, and voiced expectations that negotiations on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would be concluded in the first half of 2004. (Washington File Pub 03/05/04, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=March&x=20040305180207ndyblehs0.8560602&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice stating that it has been directed by the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) to allow entry of textiles and apparel from Daewoo El Salvador, S.A. de. C.V. and to cancel an earlier December 2003 directive denying entries from this manufacturer. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/25/04 news, 04022530, for BP summary of CITA notice allowing entry from this manufacturer.) (TBT-04-005, dated 02/27/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/import/textiles/tbt/tbt2004/tbt_5f04_5f005_2edoc/v1/tbt_5f04_5f005.doc)
On November 11, 2003, President Bush signed into law the "Military Family Tax Relief Act of 2003" (Public Law (P.L.) 108-121) which, among other things, extended the Merchandise Processing Fee (MPF, both formal and informal) and the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) user fees through March 1, 2005.