The Federal Maritime Commission will likely publish next week a notice in the Federal Register seeking comment on an interpretive rule that is meant to help address issues with detention and demurrage charges, an FMC spokesman said. The agency announced on Sept. 6 that the FMC adopted recommendations from Commissioner Rebecca Dye, one of which includes publishing "an interpretive rule that clarifies how the Commission will assess the reasonableness of detention and demurrage practices." Interpretive rules differ from other regulations in that they don't require a notice and comment period, though the FMC has chosen to go through one, and aren't considered to have the force of law.

The World Customs Organization issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:​​

In the Sept. 10 edition of the Official Journal of the European Union the following trade-related notices were posted:

Incoming European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sept. 10 named Paul Hogan of Ireland the European Commissioner for trade for her 2019-24 term, a European Union press release said. Hogan, the current commissioner for agriculture, “is known as a hard and a fair negotiator,” von der Leyen said at a press conference introducing the new commission. The commission president-elect also named Paolo Gentiloni of Italy as commissioner for economy, where he will take over a portfolio that includes the EU Directorate General for Taxation and Customs Union, according to a document on the EU website. The European Parliament must give its consent to the nominations, after holding a series of hearings within the relevant parliamentary committees, the EU press release said.

Singapore will soon require applications for a Certificate of Non-Manipulation (CNM) to be made through the International Connectivity (IC) CNM Service on Singapore’s Networked Trade Platform (NTP), Singapore Customs said in a Sept. 9 notice. The notice also contains information on how NTP account holders and non-account holders apply for a CNM and how the revised procedures may affect traders. The notice also contains a set of Frequently Asked Questions about the CNM and Singapore’s online trade platform. The changes will take effect Sept. 16, with a one-month transition period ending Oct. 15.

China’s six new pilot free-trade zones will increase trade and market access for foreign countries and companies, minimizing strain caused by its trade war with the U.S., according to a Sept. 10 post from Dezan Shira & Associates.

The Government Accountability Office found that the State and Defense departments’ processes for reviewing proposed arms transfers are appropriate and aligned with conventional arms transfer policies, the GAO said in a Sept. 9 report. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., requested the GAO review the administration's arms transfer policies. Menendez is the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Huawei dropped a lawsuit against the U.S. after receiving equipment the U.S. had seized from it two years ago, according to a Sept. 9 Reuters report. The lawsuit stemmed from an incident in 2017 in which Commerce seized Huawei equipment that was traveling back to China after lab testing in California, Reuters said. Huawei said it dropped the lawsuit after the U.S. determined an export license was not required and returned the equipment in August this year, the report said.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., whose state borders Canada, introduced a bill Sept. 9 that would establish minimum staffing of CBP officers along the Canadian border. He was joined on S. 2444 by the other New York senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, as well as Vermont's Patrick Leahy and New Hampshire's Jeanne Shaheen.

The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new reporting requirements for six chemicals under significant new use rules. The proposed SNURs would require notification to EPA at least 90 days in advance of a new use by importers, manufacturers or processors. Importers of chemicals subject to these proposed SNURs would need to certify their compliance with the SNUR requirements should these proposed rules be finalized, EPA said. Exporters of these chemicals would become subject to export notification requirements. Comments on the proposed SNURs are due Oct. 11.