Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. LA City Council Approves Port of LA Clean Truck Program

2. House Passes Homeland Security Measures

The House Homeland Security Committee reports that on June 18, 2008, the House of Representatives passed various homeland security measures, including the Biometric Enhancement for Airport-Risk Reduction Act of 2008 (BEAR Act of 2008, H.R. 5982) to require TSA to conduct a study on how airports can adopt biometric identification systems for airport workers and H. Res.1150, which expresses that TSA should enhance security to U.S. rail and mass transit lines. (Committee press release, dated 06/18/08, available at http://hsc.house.gov/press/index.asp?ID=385.)

3. Senate Finance Orders Iran Sanctions Bill Favorably Reported

On June 18, 2008, the Senate Finance Committee ordered favorably reported an original bill entitled "Iran Sanctions Act of 2008." (Congressional Record, dated 06/18/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080618))

4. Senate FY 2009 DHS Appropriations Bill Approved for Full Committee Consideration

On June 18, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee's Subcommittee on Homeland Security approved for full Committee consideration an original bill making appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009. (Congressional Record, dated 06/18/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080618))

5. Engineer is First Sentenced for Economic Espionage

Washington Post reports that Xiaodong Sheldon Meng, an engineer who was raised in China and holds Canadian citizenship, was sentenced to 24 months in prison on the rare charge of committing economic espionage against the U.S. Meng, who admitted he tried to sell fighter-pilot training software to the Chinese Navy, is the first to be sentenced for the newly defined intellectual property crime. (WP, dated 06/18/08, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/18/AR2008061801669.html)

6. Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Illegally Export Military Equipment to China

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a news release stating that Qing Li, a Chinese national who lives in Connecticut, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to illegally export military-grade accelerometers used in "smart bombs" and missiles from the U.S. to China. (ICE release dated 06/10/08, available at http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/080610sandiego.htm )

7. BTS Releases Freight Transportation Services Index

According to the Department of Transportation's Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) was unchanged in April from its March level following the largest monthly decline since August 2006. (dated 06/11/08, available at http://www.dot.gov/affairs/bts2808.htm)

8. FMCSA Receives Application for HOS Exemption from Energy Dept

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has received an application from the Energy Department for an exemption from certain provisions of FMCSA's hours-of-service (HOS) regulations. The Energy Department proposes that its contract motor carriers and their employee-drivers engaged in the transportation of transuranic waste be granted an exemption from the HOS rules pertaining to use of a sleeper berth. Comments must be submitted on or before July 14, 2008. (FR Pub 06/12/08, D/N FMCSA-2008-0076, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-13160.pdf )

9. Almond Producers Vote to Amend Marketing Order

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the results of a producer referendum which would amend the federal marketing order regulating almonds grown in California. When implemented, the two amendments would: authorize the establishment of different outgoing almond quality requirements for different markets; and authorize the establishment of container marking and labeling requirements. (AMS No. 111-08, dated 06/10/08, available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/ams.fetchTemplateData.do?template=TemplateU&navID=Newsroom&page=Newsroom&resultType=Details&dDocName=STELPRDC5069873&dID=94357&wf=false&description=AlmondProducersVotetoAmendMarketingOrder&topNav=Newsroom&leftNav=&rig )

9. DoD, GSA, NASA Interim Rule on Business Operations in Sudan, Imports from Burma

The Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration issued an interim final rule, effective June 12, 2008, amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Section 6 of the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 and to update the list of countries from which most imports are prohibited, to reflect Burma as well as Sudan. Comments are due on or before August 11, 2008. (FR Pub 06/12/08, D/N FAC 2005-26; FAR Case 2008-004; D/N 2008-0001, Sequence 04, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-13154.pdf )

10. 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):

CBP 1 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12952.pdf

CBP 2 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12977.pdf

CBP 3 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12950.pdf

CBP 4 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12933.pdf

CBP 5 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12959.pdf

CBP 6 Information Collection (FR Pub 06/10/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12954.pdf

FMCSA Information Collection (FR Pub 06/09/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-12881.pdf