Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The State Department's Washington File reports that on June 7, 2004, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned a lower court ruling that required the Department of Transportation (DOT) to conduct an environmental study on the impact that Mexican trucks would have on air quality if permitted to operate in the U.S. In response, DOT Secretary Mineta stated that the Supreme Court decision opens the way for DOT to continue working with Mexican authorities to move forward with long-haul bus and truck operations. (Washington File article dated 06/07/04, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=June&x=20040607153418ASrelliM0.1072199&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html.)
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1. Supreme Court Rules President Can Open U.S. Highways to Mexican Trucks
2. Cement Shortage in U.S. Due to China Contractors Tying Up Shipping
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported that the construction boom in the U.S. faces a potentially serious new threat from cement shortages, which began a month ago in Florida and are spreading to other states. Among other factors in the shortage, WSJ reports that Chinese contractors have tied up global shipping lines for transport of other building materials, so there aren't enough ships to haul cement to U.S. ports from major exporters like Colombia and Thailand. (WSJ Pub 05/20/04, www.wsj.com)
3. NAFTA Panel Denies ITC's Request that its Decision on Softwood Lumber be Reconsidered, Etc.
According to International Trade Commission (ITC) sources, on June 2, 2004, the NAFTA Binational Panel denied the ITC's request that the Panel reconsider its April 19, 2004 decision which remanded in part the ITC's affirmative antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) threat of injury determination on remand with respect to certain softwood lumber products from Canada. ITC sources also state that the NAFTA Binational Panel denied the ITC's request for an extension of time to reopen this record.
As a result of these denials, ITC sources state that the ITC has been ordered to file a second determination on remand by June 10, 2004. (See ITT's Online Archives 05/13/04 news, 04051399 5, for BP summary of earlier ITC request to postpone due date for its second determination on remand.) (ITC Request for Reconsideration available at http://www.usitc.gov/7ops/nafta-swl.reqreconsider.pdf)
4. USTR Reports Increased Exports to Chile Since FTA's Entry into Force
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a fact sheet which states, among other things, that in the three months following the entry into force of the U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA), total U.S. exports to Chile increased by 24% compared to the same period of 2003, and U.S. exports of manufactured goods (particularly certain construction equipment, medical equipment, and paper) to Chile increased by 19.5% January/March 2004, from $570.9 million to $682.3 million. (USTR fact sheet, dated June 2004, available at http://www.ustr.gov/new/fta/Chile/2004-06-03-factsheet-earlyrecord.pdf; USTR press release on first U.S.-Chile Free Trade Commission meeting, 2004-49, dated 06/03/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/06/04-49.pdf;)
5. English/Spanish Guides Available for FDA Final Rule on Trans Fat Labeling
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) makes available on its Web site English and Spanish versions of a guide entitled "Trans Fat Now Listed With Saturated Fat and Cholesterol on the Nutrition Facts Label" for its July 11, 2003 final rule requiring trans fat to be listed on nutrition labeling, effective January 1, 2006. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/14/03 news, 03071420, for BP summary of final rule. See ITT's Online Archives or 08/27/03 news, 03082799 2, for BP summary of a small entity compliance guide for the final rule.) (Guide (English), updated 03/03/04, available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/transfat.html; Guide (Spanish), updated 03/03/04, posted 06/02/04, available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/stransfa.html)
6. Federal Register Publication of Executive Order Closing Federal Government on June 11, 2004
Executive Order (EO) 13343, in which President Bush ordered the closing all executive departments, independent establishments, and other governmental agencies on Friday, June 11, 2004 as a mark of respect for Ronald Reagan, was published in the Federal Register on June 8, 2004. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/08/04 news, 04060899 1, for previous BP summary on EO 13343.) (EO 13343, FR Pub 06/08/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-13123.pdf.)