The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a report entitled, Textiles and Apparel: Assessment of the Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the U.S. Market.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued its first version, dated February 12, 2004, of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) concerning its final rule which amended the Customs regulations to require 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.
According to Washington Trade Daily, negotiations are ongoing for the following proposed free trade agreements (FTAs): U.S. Central-American (ongoing with Dominican Republic; completed with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua), Free Trade Area of the Americas, U.S.-Southern African Customs Union, U.S.-Morocco, U.S.-Bahrain, U.S.-Thailand, U.S.-Andean nations, and U.S.-Panama. The article also states that the U.S.-Australia FTA has already been negotiated and is pending implementation. (WTD dated 02/14/04-02/15/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a set of 40 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), dated February 12, 2004, concerning its final rule which amended the Customs regulations to require 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.
In December 2003, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a notice announcing that the 2004 annual $125 user fee that is assessed for each permit held by an individual, partnership, association, or corporation is due by February 27, 2004.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that the U.S. intends to initiate free trade negotiations with Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia (Andean countries). (See ITT's Online Archives or 11/26/03 news, 03112620, for BP summary of USTR's press release announcing its Congressional notification on this matter.)
The International Trade Administration (ITA) is amending its antidumping (AD) duty order, as well as its final and amended final affirmative AD duty determinations, on certain non-frozen apple juice concentrate from China as there is now a final and conclusive court decision affirming the ITA's remand determinations for this investigation.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted to its Web site information on a series of public meetings that will provide an overview of the FDA's October 10, 2003 interim final rules on the registration of food facilities and the prior notice of imported food shipments.
WTO News states that the World Trade Organization's (WTO) General Council has given Cambodia another six months (to March 31, 2004) to ratify its membership agreement and join the WTO. (WTO News, dated 02/11/04, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news04_e/gc_cambodia/11Feb04_.e.htm
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has made available a list of 71 frequently asked questions (FAQ) regarding the State Department's control of exports. As this list of questions appears to have been posted in April 2002, some questions may be outdated. (State Department questions, dated 04/02, available at http://www.cbp.gov/ImageCache/cgov/content/export/documents_5flicenses_5frequirements/qstate_2epdf/v1/qstate.pdf.)