The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements has issued a notice announcing the three month duty-free tariff preference level for certain apparel from Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) beneficiary countries (currently Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru1), as specified in HTS 9821.11.25.
The Federal Aviation Administration has announced that three additional airport projects have been selected for funding, paid for with more than $2.5 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act dollars that became available because of airport projects that came in under budget nationwide. The three projects are: (1) Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, to fund the ongoing construction and paving of the new international terminal apron; (2) Lawrence, Mass., Municipal Airport, to fund several pavement rehabilitation projects on airport taxiways and aircraft parking aprons; and (3) CharlesM. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, Santa Rosa, Calif., to allow the airport to complete the second phase of its terminal rehabilitation and replace the terminal building roof.
On September 27, 2010, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Congress urging it to support legislation extending the Generalized System of Preferences and the Andean Trade Preference Act for Colombia and Peru, both of which will expire on December 31. The Chamber notes that while it has concerns relating to the continued eligibility of Ecuador under ATPA and it should receive greater scrutiny, these programs should also be extended.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea announces that South Korea will host the Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) talks this week that aim to expand preferential duties and fuel cross-border commerce. The talks start Tuesday, September 28, and involve representatives from six APTA member countries striving to conclude the fourth round of talks that began in 2007.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano urged representatives from nearly 190 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) countries to approve an unprecedented joint Declaration on Aviation Security at the recent ICAO Triennial Assembly, following the joint declarations negotiated at the regional aviation security summits the Secretary has attended in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and the Western Hemisphere over the past nine months.
Officials from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade held an informal meeting on September 23, 2010 to discuss the pending U.S.-Korea trade agreement. The officials exchanged views on the timing and venue of an upcoming Ministerial-level meeting on the trade agreement and the overall state of play on the agreement in each country.
The Department of Defense has issued an interim rule, effective September 29, 2010, which amends the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to implement Executive Order 13513, “Federal Leadership on Reducing Text Messaging while Driving." The interim rule encourages Federal contractors and subcontractors to adopt and enforce policies that ban text messaging while driving. Comments are due by November 29, 2010.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products which may be considered technical barriers to trade and are therefore required to be reported to the World Trade Organization, which distributes the information to WTO Member countries.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announces that the U.S. has asked the North American Free Trade Agreement Free Trade Commission to establish a dispute settlement panel regarding Mexico’s decision not to move its “dolphin safe” labeling dispute from the World Trade Organization to NAFTA, as requested by the U.S. and as required by NAFTA.
The California Air Resources Board announced that on September 23, 2010, California adopted a new standard to require one-third of the electricity sold in the state in 2020 to come from clean, green sources of energy. CARB states that the standard will promote green jobs to construct and run renewable facilities in California and reduce hundreds of tons of harmful air pollution.