Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
Reuters reports that Congress will try to approve the free trade agreement with Peru in September. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Charles Rangel, says there is broad congressional support for the FTA but did not state whether Peru's legislature had agreed to implement labor reforms before Congress voted on the FTA, a stipulation made earlier by Democrats. (Reuters, dated 08/06/07, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN06421457)
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1. Congress May Approve Peru FTA in September
2. FDA Advises Consumers Not to Eat Fresh Ginger from China
Fox News reports that the Food and Drug Administration has announced that consumers should avoid eating any Chinese imports of fresh ginger due to a California Department of Public Health report that such ginger sold in northern California may contain aldicarb sulfoxide - a pesticide not approved for use on ginger. (Fox News, dated 07/31/07, available at http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291540,00.html)
3. Major Retail Container Ports to Top Last Year's Record 3-Month High
According to American Shipper's New York Connection, the Port Tracker report states that traffic at the Port of New York and New Jersey and other U.S. major retail container ports will top last year's record high for three months in a row beginning in August as cargo destined for sale during the holiday season begins to move across the docks. (NY Connection, dated 08/03/07, available at http://www.americanshipper.com/nyc/NYC_story.asp?news=65684)
4. Investment in Brazilian Ethanol Growing Despite U.S. Tariff and Subsidies
The Washington Post reports that investment in Brazilian ethanol keeps growing, with $17 billion to be invested in 86 new Brazilian sugarcane processing plants through 2012, despite the 51-cent-per-gallon subsidy paid to American corn ethanol producers and the 54-cent-per-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. A former Brazilian Secretary stated that if the U.S. Senate were to entirely lift the tariff, which has been extended until 2009, demand for ethanol would increase greatly. (The Washington Post, dated 07/31/07, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/30/AR2007073001484_2.html?sub=new)
5. CBP JFK Pipeline Lists Reorganized Commodity Teams
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's JFK Airport has issued a Pipeline announcing the reorganization of commodity teams located at JFK Airport to a configuration of 14 commodity teams. The Pipeline includes an attachment with the current telephone listing for the JFK Commodity Specialist Teams and a revised list of their merchandise assignments based on the HTS. (The change in tariff assignments was effective July 9, 2007.) (JFK Pipeline 07-008, dated 07/09/07, available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
6. CBP Chicago Pipelines on the Conditional Release Program, Binding Ruling Requests
CBP at the Port of Chicago has issued the following Pipelines:
Policy for Submission of Binding Ruling Requests (Pipeline 07-26, dated 07/03/07)
The Conditional Release Program (went into port-wide effect on March 19, 1997 and is still in effect) (Pipeline 07-27, dated 07/03/07)
(Chicago Pipelines available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
7. APHIS Makes Technical Correction to Final Rule Revising Its Fruit & Vegetable Import Regulations
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice announcing that it is making a technical correction to its final rule amending the regulations pertaining to the prevention of pests in imported fresh fruits and vegetables. APHIS is removing the reference to 7 CFR 319.56 through 319.56-8 from a Subpart heading description. (D/NAPHIS-2005-0106, FR Pub 07/31/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14723.pdf)
8. Department of Defense Adopts Interim Rule Amending DFARS
The Department of Defense has adopted an interim rule as final, without change, effective August 2, 2007, amending the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) to implement Section 833(a) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006. Section 833(a) requires the posting of a notice on the FedBizOpps Web site, when certain exceptions to domestic source requirements apply to an acquisition. (Final rule, FR Pub 08/02/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14898.pdf; Interim rule, FR Pub 01/22/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-731.pdf)
9. Various Agencies Seek Comments on Information Collections
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
| Agency | Information Collection | Comments Due |
|---|---|---|
| ATF 1 | Identification of Explosive Materials | 09/24/07 |
| ATF 2 | Application for License Under18 USC Chapter 44, Firearms | 09/24/07 |
| BIS | Special Comprehensive License | 08/26/07 |
| FDA | Hazard Analysis and Critical Control point Procedures for the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Juice | 08/24/07 |
ATF 1 Information Collection (FR Pub 07/24/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14241.pdf
AFT 2 Information Collection (FR Pub 07/24/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14237.pdf
BIS Information Collection (FR Pub 07/26/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14452.pdf
FDA Information Collection (FR Pub 07/25/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-14403.pdf