On July 14, 2010, the President sent a letter to various House and Senate committees informing them of his determination that suspension, for six months beyond August 1, 2010, of the right to bring action under Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity (LIBERTAD) Act of 1996 is necessary to U.S. national interests and will expedite a transition to democracy in Cuba.
On July 15, 2010, the U.S. and Turkey began the seventh meeting of the U.S.-Turkey Trade and Investment Council. The two-day meeting will cover the importance of the U.S.-Turkey trade and investment relationship and is a key step in preparations for the first formal meeting, envisioned for later this year, of the U.S.-Turkey Strategic Economic and Commercial Cooperation dialogue.
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report entitled “North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Implementation: The Future of Commercial Trucking Across the Mexican Border.”
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls announces that DTrade will undergo essential system upgrades on Friday, July 16, 2010 from 5:00 p.m- 9:00 p.m. EST. During this time, the DTrade system will not be able to accept or process submissions until maintenance is completed. MARY will be available to check submission statuses.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is announcing that the U.S. Delegates to the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food (CCRVDF) have scheduled a public meeting prior to their committee meeting, to inform the public about the meeting agenda and proposed U.S. positions on relevant Codex issues. The meeting will be held on August 16, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The call-in phone number (to listen-in) is 1-866-692-3158, the passcode is 5986642.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has designated nine individuals and 13 entities located in Colombia, Mexico and Panama as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to Executive Order 12978, which prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with these individuals and entities and freezes any assets the designees have under U.S. jurisdiction.
The Bureau of Industry and Security announces that the Emerging Technology and Research Advisory Committee, which advises on emerging technology and research activities, including those related to deemed exports, will meet on August 3-4, 2010 in Washington, DC, with an open session on August 3 to receive public comments.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued updated versions of its list of Italian (July 14, 2010) firms eligible to export meat and poultry to the U.S.
The Federal Trade Commission is requiring a Health Sciences U.S.A. and two affiliated Canadian companies to pay $5.5 million to settle charges that it falsely advertised that its dietary supplements could help consumers lose weight and treat or prevent colds and other illnesses. The $5.5 million will be used for refunds to consumers who purchased Accelis, nanoSLIM, and any Cold MD, Germ MD, and Allergy MD product. These supplements were sold over the Internet and were widely available at retail stores. In addition, the settlement requires the marketer to stop making deceptive health claims about the products.