The Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that the 44th Session of Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) concluded March 16 in Hangzhou, China, and despite the efforts of an electronic Working Group (eWG), once again, the CCFA failed to resolve the issue of Note 161 to the General Standard of Food Additives (GSFA). The use of this Note has become a critical issue because many countries view the inclusion of national legislation in Codex standards as a trade barrier and contrary to the spirit of Codex. The CCFA also discussed work relating to other revisions of the GSFA.
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.
At the Bureau of Industry and Security’s Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) meeting on March 6, a Census Bureau official updated attendees on the status of its draft final rule to revise the Automated Export System regulations, including post-departure filing requirements (referred to as Option 4), the steps that must be taken before the final rule is issued, and an informed compliance period once it is published.
The Mexican Undersecretary of Foreign Trade, Francisco de Rosenzweig, completed a trip to Washington, D.C., where he met with counterparts at the Department of Commerce and the U.S. Trade Representative to discuss the incorporation of Mexico into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Undersecretary said several bilateral meetings were completed that led to important advances, including a meeting with over 40 U.S. Congressmen who, according to de Rosenzweig, were receptive and showed interest in Mexico’s accession to the TPP.
According to the International Trade Commission, a section 337 patent complaint on semiconductor integrated circuit devices and products containing them was filed on behalf of Microchip Technology Inc. March 23, 2012. The proposed respondents are:
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that Japan, China, and Korea reached an accord on their trilateral investment agreement at a follow-up meeting held in Beijing on March 21. METI states that that the three countries agreed to forward necessary work toward signing of the agreement at an early stage, and that the agreement will promote discussion on a China-Japan-Korea FTA.
Sources at the Food and Drug Administration state that a working group from the New York district office is currently reviewing the import filer evaluation process and will be making changes in the next few months. This follows a statement by the FDA that they recognize that the filer evaluation process currently does not distinguish between serious mistakes or omissions and typographical errors, and is working to improve this process. The FDA is also exploring procedures that would speed up this re-evaluation, which would provide an incentive for filers to improve their outcomes quickly.
The International Trade Administration issued Federal Register notices on its recently initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on drawn stainless steel sinks from China (A-570-983 and C-570-984, respectively). The ITA will determine whether imports of stainless steel sinks from China are being, or are likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value, and whether manufacturers, producers, or exporters of stainless steel sinks from China receive countervailable subsidies.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service issued a public health alert for ground beef patties imported from Canada because they may be contaminated with E. coli 0157:H7 and may be associated with an illness in that country. The affected products were produced by a New Food Classics plant in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and imported by Sysco Food Services to a distribution center in Blaine, WA, for use by food service institutions.
The International Trade Administration made a preliminary affirmative countervailing duty determination that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells from China (C-570-980). The ITA found preliminary CV rates of 2.9% to 4.73% which, as a result of its preliminary determination of critical circumstances for both respondents and “all-others”, are effective on or about December 27, 2011. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to implement these CV cash deposit/bond requirements soon.
The International Trade Administration issued its final affirmative countervailing duty determination on bottom mount combination refrigerator-freezers from Korea (C-580-866) that countervailable subsidies are being provided to producers and exporters of subject merchandise. The ITA found CV rates of de minimis to 12.9%, which are officially effective as of March 26 for all firms. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to implement these CV cash deposit/bond requirements soon.