The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued its Spring CMV Safety Belt Newsletter. The newsletter contains information on the International Registration Plan (IRP). IRP is a registration reciprocity agreement among the 48 contiguous U.S., DC, and provinces of Canada, providing for payment of fees on the basis of total distance operated in all jurisdictions.
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 U.S. Trade Representative has posted readouts from days 2-4 of the second round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement that took place in San Francisco, CA. On Day 2, topics raised included services and development elements in the TPP, and how USTR will stay in touch with stakeholders beyond the face-to-face meetings in San Francisco. On Day 3, several working groups from the eight TPP partner countries began negotiations on various issue areas (customs cooperation, labor, etc.), while others continued their talks. Day 4 included discussions on how best to address the needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises and supply chains across the Asia-Pacific.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission requests comments on a proposed collection of information regarding burden estimates for the marking and instructional literature requirements in the safety standard for infant walkers. Comments are due by August 20, 2010.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has posted the prepared remarks of Chief Safety Officer McMurray to the National Association of Small Trucking Companies. McMurray discussed the importance of small trucks, the trucking industry, and safety. McMurray also talked about new enforcement initiatives being undertaken by the FMCSA.
On March 31, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (PACT Act). The law goes into effect on June 29, 2010. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is currently working to publish an Interpretive Rule, including a request for comments, in the Federal Register. This website will be updated as further developments occur.
The State Department, World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently issued the following travel warnings, travel alerts, country specific information sheets, and disease outbreak-related information:
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued Federal Register notice of its partially open meeting on June 23, 2010, in which FMC is scheduled to consider complaints or inquiries from individual shippers of household goods or private automobiles in open session; and interim report findings on vessel capacity in closed session, among other things.
California's Air Resources Board announced that it settled several enforcement actions with Pep Boys Auto for $170,000 in May 2010, for selling non-compliant vehicles and generators. The Philadelphia, PA based Pep Boys offered for sale and sold several motorized scooters, generators, and one all-terrain vehicle that did not carry the correct certification.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has updated its list of meetings between CPSC and industry stakeholders that are open to the public, unless otherwise stated: