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.
As part of a July 13 strategic dialogue, Canada's Public Safety Minister Toews and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced new cooperative initiatives to combat threats and expedite travel and trade, and discussed progress on the Joint Border Threat and Risk Assessment, which will be released later this summer and jointly addresses the illicit movement of prohibited or controlled goods, agricultural hazards, etc.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a statement by U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Michael Punke which congratulates Dennis Francis for his election as Chair of the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules, states that the U.S. is committed to achieving a balanced and ambitious agreement within this group, and outlines U.S. viewpoints on antidumping, fisheries subsidies, horizontal subsidies, and regional trade agreements.
The Government Accountability Office has issued its report to Congressional requesters entitled "Border Security: Improvements in the Department of State’s Development Process Could Increase the Security of Passport Cards and Border Crossing Cards." According to the report, the State Department developed a passport card and second generation border crossing card that generally meet standards and guidance for international travel documents and include numerous, layered security features that, according to document security experts in the Department of Homeland Security, provide adequate security against fraudulent use.
On July 7, 2010, APHIS updated its Seeds Not for Planting Manual. The manual is used for regulating importations of unprocessed seeds that are imported for consumption and are not intended for planting.
The International Trade Administration's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service and Economic Development Administration are holding the first U.S. Clean Technology Trade & Investment Mission to Lyon, France, November 29 - December 2, 2010 and to Brussels, Belgium, December 2 - 4, 2010, which is intended to increase exports and attract foreign direct investment, placing a particular emphasis on the clean technology sector.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business will hold a meeting on August 9, 2010 in Big Sky, MT. The agenda includes an overview of the Congressional trade agenda; discussion of the impact of upcoming legislation on trade competitiveness; pending free trade agreements; the Generalized System of Preferences; the Mexican trucking/retaliation issue; U.S.-China trade issues; etc.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted Deputy USTR Miriam Sapiro's May 28, 2010 interview Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Trade Director Ken Ash. In the interview, Sapiro talks about resisting protectionism, the benefits of trade liberalization and addressing public concerns about the effects of more open markets.
On July 13, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Nursery Stock Restrictions Manual. This Manual summarizes the entry status of regulated plant materials capable of and intended for propagation.
APHIS has updated the AQIM as of July 12, 2010. The handbook provides an information source for implementing AQIM at designated work locations, training employees about the basics of risk analysis and risk management, and analyzing information so managers can make better risk-based decisions