The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that the Committee of Chairs of the Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) will hold a partially open meeting on September 17, 2010. The topics to be discussed are the National Export Initiative and the Report of the Chairs on ITACs’ Trade Priority Issues and Concerns.
The Department of Energy has announced that it is initiating a rulemaking and data collection process to develop a test procedure for televisions. Comments are due by October 4, 2010.
The International Trade Administration's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service is organizing an education trade mission to Indonesia and Vietnam, April 3-8, 2011.
The Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN report:
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued updated versions of its list of Chile (September 1, 2010) and Honduras (August 31, 2010) firms eligible to export meat and poultry to the U.S.
The Agricultural Marketing Service has implemented new operating procedures for the National Organic Program to ensure that complaints of alleged violations and civil penalties are consistently handled. AMS states that complaints of alleged standards violations were previously referred to accredited certifying agents for investigation and enforcement. With these new procedures, the NOP will collaborate with accredited certifying agents in investigating cases while handling all enforcement actions. AMS states that this change will improve the effectiveness of its NOP enforcement efforts.
The Foreign Trade Zone Board has issued the following notice:
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has announced that it awarded a grant to the Brazilian Secretariat of Ports (SEP) to allow for faster and safer movement of commerce and passengers. The U.S. Ambassador to Brazil said that the $674,000 grant will fund a feasibility study on the implementation of vessel traffic management systems at four of Brazil's main ports. SEP was also awarded a grant for an ongoing USTDA intelligent cargo and network port logistics chain technical assistance project that began earlier this year.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has reported that it awarded a grant to the Autorité Aéroportuaire Nationale (AAN), Haiti's national airport authority, to conduct an analysis of priority airport infrastructure modernization projects. This assistance will enable it to design and implement important upgrades at Haiti's principal international airport in Port-au-Prince.
On September 2, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Canadian Border Agricultural Clearance Manual. This Manual serves as a guide for authorized Federal officers at ports of entry along the Canadian Border.