Delays for exporters seeking approval of labeling by the Food Safety and Inspection Service are now up to 24 to 25 business days, FSIS said in its March 8 constituent update newsletter. To minimize the delays, exporters should “clearly indicate the specific reasons(s) for temporary approval,” and “combine multiple labels into one temporary approval application if appropriate,” FSIS said. Label approval is only required for a few types of labels, but that includes products for export with labeling deviations from domestic products. Delays for labeling approvals have increased slightly since late February.
The Bureau of Industry Security seeks comments by May 13 on the burden on importers from certain information collections for products subject to Export Administration Regulation export controls, it said. The agency is set to request approval from the Office of Management and Budget for these information collection requirements, which include classification, advisory and license applications and commodity classification requests.
The Bureau of Industry and Security seeks comments on the burden of its collection of information on defense offset agreements, it said in a notice. By law, U.S. companies must tell Commerce about offset agreements worth more than $5,000,000 associated with sales of weapons defense equipment to foreign countries or firms. Offsets, which are “required by most major trading partners when purchasing U.S. military equipment,” are industrial or commercial compensation practices in sales of defense articles or services under the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms regulations. Comments on the burden and ways to improve the information collection are due May 13.
Export Compliance Daily is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 5-8 in case they were missed.
A State Department policy change that lifts statutory debarments on companies that have export privileges still banned is a practical step toward rewarding past violators who aren't yet ready for complete reinstatement, lawyers say. The policy change, announced in a March 4 notice, came as State lifted a debarment against Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Instrument Company (RMI) -- stemming from 2010 violations of the Arms Export Control Act -- without reinstating RMI’s export privileges.
A transition deal on the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union failed for a second time in the U.K. Parliament on March 12, setting up a series of votes on whether to leave the EU with no deal and whether to delay Brexit, according to a statement following the vote from U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May.
Crowell & Moring has hired partners Nicole Simonian and Evan Yee-Fan Chuck, and counsel Jackson Pai, in the firm's Los Angeles office, and senior counsel Robert Clifton Burns is joining the Washington, D.C., office. The firm is also launching an office in Shanghai with seven trade, transactions and tax professionals. The lawyers were formerly with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
Recent editions of Mexico's Diario Oficial list trade-related notices as follows:
The Mexican Tax Administration Service recently released guidance on implementation of electronic cargo manifests for rail cargo at the Nuevo Laredo port of entry. The guidance includes filing instructions for railroad companies, customs agents and Mexican customs officials around the transition, which is scheduled to occur at 2 p.m. on April 29. After that time, these transactions, which may include import, export and transit shipments, will have to be submitted through the Mexican Single Window (VUCEM).
The government of Canada recently issued the following trade-related notices for March 11 (note that some may also be given separate headlines):