Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

Star-Telegram reports that due to opposition from landowners, the Department of Homeland Security may scale back on its plans for a controversial border fence in Texas to build as little as 40 to 50 miles of fencing, instead of the originally planned 153 miles of fencing. (Star-Telegram.com, dated 10/02/07, www.star-telegram.com)

3. U.S. Urges Brazil to Take Lead in Making Concessions in WTO Trade Talks

Yahoo! News reports that the U.S. has urged Brazil to lead other developing nations in making concessions to free up their trade in manufactured goods to match the U.S.' recent proposal to limit its trade-distorting farm subsidies to a range between $13-$16.4 billion in order to reach agreement in the latest round of World Trade Organization negotiations. (Yahoo! News, dated 10/10/07, available at http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071010/brazil_us_commerce_secretary.html?.v=2)

4. Judge Suspends Some Arizona-Mexico Border Fence Work

MSNBC reports that on October 10, 2007 a federal judge temporarily delayed construction of a 1.5-mile section of a border fence in a wildlife conservation area on the Arizona-Mexico line due, in part, to the government not explaining why it hurried through an environmental assessment and began building the fence. (MSNBC, dated 10/11/07, available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21247257/)

5. TSA Cites Remote-Control Toys as a Security Threat

PortSecurityNews reports that the Transportation Security Administration recently issued a statement citing "credible specific information" which indicates that terrorists are looking at using remote devices that can trigger an explosion. Specifically, they are looking at remote-controlled toys; therefore, TSA has called on airport security screeners to step up scrutiny of such toys. (PSN, dated 10/08/07, available at http://portsecuritynews.com/news/templates/registered.asp?articleid=1775&zoneid=1)

6. Supreme Court Agrees to Consider Technology Patent Case on Royalties

According to The New York Times, the Supreme Court has said that it would consider a technology patent case that could have far-reaching ramifications for computer makers and other industries with global supply chains. At issue is whether a patent holder can seek royalties from multiple companies as a patented product works its way through the manufacturing process. (NY Times, dated 09/26/07, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/26/washington/26patent.html)

7. GAO Finds Patent Backlog Despite Patent and Trade Office Hiring Efforts

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report to the House of Representatives' Committee on Oversight and Government Reform entitled, "U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Hiring Efforts are Not Sufficient to Reduce the Patent Application Backlog." (GAO Report, GAO-07-1102, dated September 2007, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071102.pdf)

8. WTO Director-General Speech on Effects of Regional FTAs

World Trade Organization Director-General Lamy, in opening the conference on "Multilateralizing Regionalism," stated that the WTO needs to look at the manner in which regional free trade agreements operate, and to reflect on whether regionalism is causing harm to multilaterally-based trading relationships. (Lamy speech, dated 09/10/07, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/sppl_e/sppl67_e.htm)

9. DOE to Hold Public Meeting on Proposed Energy Standards for Dryers/ACs

The Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has issued a notice announcing a public meeting on October 24, 2007 as part of a data collection process that could result in the establishment of amended energy conservation standards for residential clothes dryers and room air conditioners. DOE also requests written comments by November 6, 2007. (DOE notice, D/N EERE-2007-BT-STD-0010, FR Pub 10/09/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-19808.pdf)

10. CITA Corrects DR-CAFTA Fabric Commercial Availability Determination

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has issued a technical correction to its "commercial availability" determination under the U.S.-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) that certain woven fabrics classifiable in HTS 5211.31.0020 cannot be supplied by the domestic industries in commercial quantities in a timely manner. (See ITT's Online Archives or 08/30/07 news, 07083030, for BP summary of CITA's determination.) (CITA notice, FR Pub 09/11/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-17894.pdf)

11. CBP Columbus Pipeline on Centralized Examination Station

U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Port of Columbus has issued a Pipeline advising the importing community of applications received for operation of a Centralized Examination Station (CES) in the Columbus, Ohio area, and to invite public comments thereon. (Columbus Pipeline 07-011, dated 08/21/07, available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)

12. FDA Publishes FY 2008 Fee Rates, Payment Procedures for Medical Device User Fees

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice publishing the fee rates and payment procedures for medical device user fees for fiscal year 2008. The FY 2008 fees apply from October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008. (FR Pub 10/12/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-5051.pdf)

13. APHIS Pest Risk Analysis for Importation of Australia Sweet Cherries

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice advising the public that it has prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the continental U.S. and Hawaii of sweet cherries from Australia. (D/N APHIS-2007-0128, FR Pub 10/12/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-20166.pdf)

14. FSIS, FDA CFSAN, CDC to Cosponsor Meeting on E. Coli

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a notice announcing that it, along with the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, and the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will co-sponsor a public meeting on October 17, 2007 in Arlington, VA. The purpose of the meeting is to consider the public health significance of non-Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. (D/N FSIS-2007-0041, FR Pub 10/09/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-4975.pdf)

15. FDA Public Workshops in China, U.S., Ireland on Pharmaceutical CGMPs

The Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice announcing a series of educational workshops on quality pharmaceutical production under current good manufacturing practice (CGMP). The workshops will be held in November, December, and April in the U.S., Ireland, and China. (See FR notice for details). (FR Pub 09/20/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-18556.pdf)