The Food Safety and Inspection Service said the Committee on Import and Export Certification and Inspection Systems (CCFICS) established a Codex electronic working group (eWG), chaired by the U.S., to develop a questionnaire on how countries currently assess and manage the performance of their national food control systems and to give examples of indicators used. This questionnaire will be circulated by the Codex Secretariat, and, based on the replies, the U.S. will prepare a more detailed discussion paper and project document for the next session of CCFICS. FSIS said Codex members and observers interested in participating in the electronic working group should provide their name, title and e-mail address to USCodex@fsis.usda.gov by May 18, 2012.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito is Managing Editor of International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
Compliance dates for the FDA’s final rule for over-the-counter sunscreen drug products is now delayed by six months, i.e. until December 17, 2013 (from June 17, 2013), for products with annual sales of less than $25,000 and December 17, 2012 (from June 18, 2012), for all other products subject to the rule, the Food and Drug Administration announced.
Mexico's Diario Oficial of May 10, 2012, lists notices from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
Effective May 10, 2012, the International Trade Administration is initiating an anti-circumvention inquiry to determine whether Indian company AR Printing and Packaging India Pvt. Ltd.'s tissue paper products are circumventing the antidumping duty order on certain tissue paper products from China (A-570-894).
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued an order denying Davoud Baniameri (aka Davoud Baniamery, David Baniameri, and David Baniamery), currently incarcerated in California, export privileges under the Export Administration Regulations for 10 years from the date of his conviction for IEEPA and AECA violations, i.e. until August 12, 2021. Baniameri was convicted of conspiring to export goods and technology to Iran, in violation of International Emergence Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), and knowingly and willfully attempting to export from the U.S. defense articles designated on the U.S. Munitions List (ten connector adapters) without first having obtained the required license or other approval for such export, in violation of the Arms Export Controls Act (AECA). In addition, BIS decided to revoke all licenses issued pursuant to the Act or Regulations in which Lim had an interest at the time of his conviction.
Moon Fishery (India) Pvt. Ltd. is recalling its 22-pound cases of "Tuna Strips" Product of India AA or AAA GRADE because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella, the Food and Drug Administration said. FDA said Moon India became aware of the problem after the FDA sampled tuna strips from a lot not yet in distribution. However, as a cautionary measure, Moon India agreed to recall tuna strips that were already distributed, none of which is from the suspect lot sampled by FDA. Distribution of these AA or AAA Grade Tuna Strips Product of India is limited to 4 wholesalers: one in Georgia, one in Massachusetts, one in New Jersey and one in New York.
The Court of International Trade denied Thai plaintiff KYD Inc.’s motion for reconsideration of CIT’s January 2012 affirmance of the International Trade Administration’s second remand redetermination of the 2006-07 administrative review of the antidumping duty order on polyethylene retail carrier bags from Thailand (A-579-821). KYD said CIT did not address its argument in the January 2012 proceedings that the 94.62% Adverse Facts Available (AFA) rate assigned to KYD by the second remand redetermination and affirmed by CIT violated the excessive fines and forfeitures clause of the 8th Amendment.
The International Trade Administration issued the final results of the antidumping duty administrative review of certain large diameter carbon and alloy seamless standard, line, and pressure pipe (over 4 1/2 inches) from Japan (A-588-850) for four respondents. The ITA determined that all four respondents did not have reviewable sales, so their AD cash deposit rates will not change.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board announced another outreach event to provide training and enable discussion about the new FTZ regulations in New York on July 24, 2012, and provided details on the September 13 outreach event in San Diego. At these events, FTZB will provide general training open to anyone interested in attending, including grantees, and will cover a range of provisions of the new regulations in the first session. A second outreach session for officials of grantee organizations will focus on regulatory provisions that have a direct impact on the grantee role. RSVPs are required by July 20 to attend the New York outreach event, and by September 10 to attend the event in San Diego.
The International Trade Administration issued the final results an antidumping duty new shipper review of certain frozen fish fillets from Vietnam (A-552-801), which sets a zero AD cash deposit rate for the manufacturer/exporter Thuan An Production Trading & Services Co., Ltd (aka TAFISHCO). No AD cash deposit will be required for shipments of subject merchandise both produced and exported from Thuan An entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or after the effective date of May 10, 2012.