Secretary of State Clinton, at a meeting of the U.S.-Pakistan Strategic Dialogue, announced that the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) would provide $50 million to support a private equity investment fund designed to invest in companies in Pakistan that could benefit from technological upgrades. The fund has a target capitalization of $150 million.
The State Department announces that the Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy will meet on August 12, 2010, in Washington, DC. The meeting will focus on a discussion about the role of new agricultural technologies in addressing global challenges.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has posted a list of current in-progress Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) risk analyses as of July 8, 2010, which reflects all import requests currently being evaluated by APHIS-PPQ that meet the requirements in 7 CFR 319.5. The risk analyses and rulemaking or other policy documents for each issue on this list may be in any stage of preparation, review, or clearance, but have not yet been released publicly.
The Department of Energy is issuing a supplemental notice to its proposed rule on manufacturer test procedures for microwave ovens, which proposes definitions of modes and language to clarify measurement of standby mode and off mode power consumption. DOE will hold a meeting on these issues on September 16, 2010. DOE has also issued a final rule which repeals the regulatory provisions establishing the cooking efficiency test procedure for manufacturers of microwave ovens.
Commerce Secretary Locke and Korea's Minister of Knowledge-Economy Choi confirmed on July 20, 2010 the importance of strengthening the U.S.-Korea commercial relationship and continuing to deepen cooperation on trade and investment issues. Both expressed interest in finding a way forward on the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
This forum in its fifth year has made strong progress in the areas of visa reform, aviation liberalization and introductory steps toward a bilateral tax treaty. The Department of Commerce and the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade are working to develop an agenda under the U.S. -- Brazil Commercial Dialogue to include topics such as; green technology and customs modernization.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of four individuals in Colombia whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978, "Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions With Significant Narcotics Traffickers," effective July 15, 2010.
The Federal Trade Commission has joined an agreement with privacy enforcement authorities from other member economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. The agreement provides a framework for agencies from different APEC member economies to help each other with enforcement investigations. It also enhances information sharing among these agencies. The APEC privacy enforcement agreement, known as the Cross-border Privacy Enforcement Arrangement, also advances the FTC’s use of the U.S. SAFE WEB Act.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of nine individuals and 13 entities in Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and Spain whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 12978, “Blocking Assets and Prohibiting Transactions with Significant Narcotics Traffickers," effective July 15, 2010.
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule, effective August 20, 2010, to issue a significant new use rule under section 5(a)(2) of the Toxic Substances Control Act for elemental mercury (CAS No. 7439976) for use in flow meters, natural gas manometers, and pyrometers, except for use in these articles when they are in service as of September 11, 2009. This action will require persons who intend to manufacture (including import) or process elemental mercury for an activity that is designated as a significant new use by this rule to notify EPA at least 90 days before commencing that activity.