A former Office of the U.S. Trade Representative career negotiator and a former Trump administration trade adviser say that even if the U.S. is not going to reenter into a tweaked Trans-Pacific Partnership -- as they advised in an earlier think tank piece -- the U.S. needs to take trade negotiations in Asia more seriously to not get left behind.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is finalizing changes to its regulations on quotas for controlled substances and the list I chemicals ephedrine, pseudoephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. DEA’s final rule defines "the types of quotas, update the method to abandon quota, clarify the current language to ensure that both manufacturers and distributors are required to obtain certification of a buyer’s quota, reduce overall inventories, formalize the existing practice of use-specific subcategories for individual manufacturing and procurement quotas, and modify existing deadlines to fix/issue quotas," the agency said. It also implements legislative changes to the Controlled Substances Act. The final rule takes effect Nov. 29.

Connecticut-based electronics manufacturer Hubbell Inc. accused freight forwarder DSV of violating U.S. shipping regulations by failing to provide the required service under a negotiated contract, Hubbell said in an Aug. 28 complaint to the Federal Maritime Commission. The manufacturer also accused DSV, headquartered in Denmark, of assessing $900,000 in overbilled or “improper” charges.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the South Sierra and South Coast distinct population segments of the foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii), a stream-dwelling amphibian from Oregon and California, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act, and the North Feather and Central Coast distinct population segments of the species as threatened. The listings for the North Feather and Central Coast groups include a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Sept. 28.

Researchers at the Center for Strategic and International Studies expect the U.S. will get "a taste of its own medicine” when China appeals its loss over Section 232 retaliatory tariffs at the World Trade Organization, adding that China likely won't have to drop the tariffs since there is no appellate body to take that appeal.

The Federal Communications Commission is proposing a "voluntary cybersecurity labeling program" for Internet of Things (IoT) devices that would provide "easily understood" and "accessible information" to consumers about the security of their IoT devices, the agency said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the sand dune phacelia (Phacelia argentea), a plant species from coastal southern Oregon and northern California, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for these species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Sept. 21.

The Drug Enforcement Administration permanently placed the synthetic benzimidazol-opioid metonitazene on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a final order released Aug. 17. The substance had already been temporarily listed in Schedule I since 2022 (see 2204110029). The final order is set to take effect Sept. 18.

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Aug. 17 released a final rule listing the magnificent ramshorn (Planorbella magnifica), a freshwater snail species from southeastern North Carolina, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Sept. 18.

The Commerce, State and Labor departments highlighted South Sudan’s cattle industry as a forced labor risk in an updated business advisory released this week. The Labor Department said it has a “reasonable basis to believe” cattle sourced from the country is produced by “forced or indentured child labor,” calling the sector a “significant industry in South Sudan with potential to expose U.S. business and individuals to significant reputational and legal risks.”