Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
On May 11, 2004, the Senate passed S. 1637, the Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act by a vote of 92 yeas to 5 nays. According to Congressional sources, S. 1637 would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to comply with the World Trade Organization (WTO) rulings on the Foreign Sales Corporation/Extraterritorial Income Tax (FSC/ETI) benefit. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/01/04 news, 04030105, for BP summary on the EU's imposition of additional duties on selected U.S. products due to its dispute with the U.S. over the FSC/ETI tax regime.)(Congressional Record dated 05/11/04, http://thomas.loc.gov/r108/r108d11my4.html.
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1. Senate Passes Bill to Replace FSC/ETI Tax Regime
2. EC and China Sign Customs Cooperation Agreement
Shippers NewsWire reports that the European Commission (EC) has concluded a customs cooperation agreement with China that will provide a framework for increased cooperation between the parties to simplify customs procedures and improve trade in accordance with international customs standards. According to the article, the agreement also sets up a mechanism for mutual administrative assistance for exchanging information and carrying out antifraud inquiries. (American Shipper dated 05/07/04, www.americanshipper.com.)
3. BIS Imposes Civil Penalties, Adds Two Entities to Denied Persons List
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a press release announcing that, in order to settle charges of illegal exports of detector log video amplifiers (DLVAs) to China in violation of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Suntek Microwave, Inc. has agreed to a $275,000 civil penalty and a 20-year denial of export privileges, and Charlie Kuan, former President of Suntek, agreed to a $187,000 civil penalty and a 20-year denial of export privileges. In addition, both Suntek and Kuan have been added to the Denied Persons List. (BIS press release (dated 05/06/04) available at http://www.bis.doc.gov/News/2004/SunTeckMay04.htm; BIS Recent Changes to the Denied Persons List (modified 05/12/04) available at http://www.bis.doc.gov/dpl/recentchanges.asp; Suntek FR notice (D/N 01-BXA-19, FR Pub 05/12/04) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10767.pdf; Kuan FR notice (D/N 01-BXA-18, FR Pub 05/12/04) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10766.pdf)
4. APHIS Final Rule Establishes Procedures for When a Recognized Disease-Free Region Experiences an Outbreak
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective June 9, 2004, which amends 9 CFR Part 92 to establish procedures that will be followed when a region that is recognized as free of an animal disease experiences an outbreak of that disease. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/03/03 news, 03070399 1, for BP summary of proposed rule.) (D/N 02-001-2, FR Pub 05/10/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10523.pdf)
5. ITC Files to Postpone Due Date for its Second Determination on Remand for Softwood Lumber Products from Canada
According to NAFTA sources, the International Trade Commission (ITC) has filed a motion with the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Binational Panel to extend until July (from May 10, 2004) its second determination on remand with respect to the final results of the affirmative antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) threat of injury determination for certain softwood lumber products from Canada (Secretariat File No. USA-CDA-2002-1904-07). (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/11/04 news, 04051135, for BP summary of the International Trade Administration's (ITA's) notice announcing the NAFTA panel's decision.)
6. Foreign-Trade Zones Board Actions
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board (FTZB) has issued the following notices of recent FTZB actions:
| FTZ applicant | Company or action |
| South Carolina State Ports Authority (FTZ 38) | Black & Decker Corporation |
| Port of Houston Authority (FTZ 84) | Michelin North America |
| Board of Harbor Commissioners of the City of Los Angeles (FTZ 202) | expansion and reorganization of FTZ |
| Board of Commissioners of the England Economic and Industrial Development District (FTZ 261) | grant of authority to establish FTZ |
| Greater Detroit Foreign-Trade Zone, Inc. (FTZ 70) | Wacker Chemical Corporation |
| North Carolina Department of Commerce (FTZ 66) | Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation (Inc.) |
| Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce (FTZ 151) | expansion of FTZ |
| Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (FTZ 7) | expansion of FTZ |
| Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board (FTZ 39) | Maxtor Corporation |
| Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (FTZ 40) | expansion and reorganization of FTZ |
| Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority (FTZ 40) | expansion of FTZ |
| Foreign Trade Zone of Central Texas, Inc. (FTZ 183) | expansion and reorganization of FTZ |
FTZ notices (FR Pubs 05/06/04, 05/11/04, and 05/12/04) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10333.pdf, http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10670.pdf, http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10671.pdf, http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10771.pdf, and http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-10770.pdf