Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Japan Airlines Pled Guilty, Fined $110 Million for Air Cargo Price Fixing

2. Physicist Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Violate AECA.

The Justice Department reports that Daniel Max Sherman, a physicist that formerly worked at Atmospheric Glow Technologies, Incorporated, in Knoxville, TN pled guilty to conspiracy to violate the Arms Export Control Act by transmitting export controlled technical data related to munitions-type Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or "drones," to a foreign national from China. The Chinese national was a Graduate Research Assistant at the University of Tennessee. (04/15/08, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/April/08_nsd_299.html )

3. Chinese Baby Furniture Co. Indicted for Smuggling Protected Wood

The Justice Department reports that Danny M. Chien, a resident of Shanghai, and President of Style Craft Furniture Co., Ltd., and Style Craft Furniture Co., Ltd. were each recently indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly smuggling furniture containing a CITES-protected wild ramin wood from Indonesia into the U.S. (04/15/08, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/April/08_enrd_300.html)

4. Senators Introduce Bill to Reauthorize the FTC

Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman Inouye joined Interstate Commerce, Trade, and Tourism Subcommittee Chairman Dorgan to cosponsor the FTC Reauthorization Act of 2008. Introduced on April 8, 2008, the measure would reauthorize the Federal Trade Commission for the first time since 1996. (dated 04/08/08, http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=4585a51b-530e-4d5a-8c95-a627b52d1573&Month=4&Year=2008 )

5. USTR Commends Progress by COMESA on African Economic Integration

At a recent meeting with a delegation from the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, Deputy U.S. Trade Representative John Veroneau commended COMESA's work in advancing economic integration in sub-Saharan Africa. (USTR, dated 04/10/08, available at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/April/asset_upload_file88_14740.pdf )

6. APHIS Implements Key Strategy from National Animal ID System Plan

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced that it has implemented a key strategy from its Business Plan to Advance Animal Disease Traceability by providing National Animal Identification System (NAIS) compliant "840" radio frequency (RF) eartags to animal health officials for use in the bovine tuberculosis (TB) control program. (04/15/08 http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/04/0102.xml )

7. 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):

FDA Information Collection (FR Pub 04/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-7637.pdf

CBP Information Collection (FR Pub 03/25/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-6077.pdf

APHIS Information Collection (FR Pub 04/11/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-7755.pdf

8. CBP Accredits/Approves 16 Firms as Commercial Gauger and/or Laboratory

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice stating that it has accredited and approved the following companies as a commercial gauger and/or laboratory for petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils, and to test petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes, in accordance with 19 CFR 151.12 and 151.13, on the effective dates listed (see individual notice for dates of next triennial inspections):

(CBP Notices, FR Pub 04/15/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8025.pdf, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8024.pdf, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8057.pdf, http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-7998.pdf)