The International Trade Administration announced a work session of the Manufacturing Council on May 10 in Austin, TX. The Council will be conducting work regarding possibly advising the Commerce Secretary regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) negotiations and energy policy, and hear updates on the work being conducted by the Council’s subcommittees. The Council will also be briefed by the ex-officio members present representing the Secretaries of the Treasury, Labor, and Energy on their respective agency’s work in the areas of past Council recommendations. Comments are due by May 7, 2012. No time will be available for oral comments from members of the public attending the session.

The Advanced Manufacturing National Program Office is requesting comments on the proposed National Network for Manufacturing Innovation (NNMI) program. NNMI would include building a network of up to 15 Institutes for Manufacturing Innovation around the country, serving as regional hubs of manufacturing excellence that will help to make U.S. manufacturers more competitive and encourage investment in the U.S. Each Institute would have a well-defined technology focus to address industrially-relevant manufacturing challenges on a large scale and to provide the capabilities and facilities required to reduce the cost and risk of commercializing new technologies.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for May 3, 2012:

The International Trade Administration's Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee (CINTAC) scheduled a public meeting June 5, 2012. Items on the agenda include discussion of the ITA's Civil Nuclear Trade Initiative update, the Civil Nuclear Trade promotion activities, and a public comment period. The CINTAC was established in response to an identified need for consensus advice from U.S. industry to the U.S. Government regarding the development and administration of programs to expand U.S. exports of civil nuclear goods and services in accordance with applicable U.S. laws and regulations. Public seating is limited and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Members of the public wishing to attend the meeting must pre-register by June 1, 2012 to obtain clearance into the building. Copies of CINTAC meeting minutes will be available within 90 days of the meeting.

The International Trade Administration is seeking comment on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the U.S. during the period July 1 through December 31, 2011.

Trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and Canada and Mexico was up 17.4% in February from February 2011, reaching $78.1 billion, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the Department of Transportation. The trade figure increase for February from January was 3.4%, BTS said.

The International Trade Administration is seeking comments by about May 21, 2012, on an application for an Export Trade Certificate of Review from SunWest Foods, Inc. SunWest Milling Company, Inc. is to be a member that will also be covered by and receive the protections from the proposed Certificate. SunWest plans to export rice and rice products to all parts of the world except the U.S. An Export Trade Certificate of Review protects the holder and the members identified in the Certificate from state and federal government antitrust actions and from private, treble damage antitrust actions for the export conduct specified in the Certificate and carried out in compliance with its terms and conditions.

The International Trade Administration announced it will lead a healthcare technology trade mission to Mexico City, Mexico, from May 13-15, 2012. Representatives from 18 U.S. firms that provide high-technology medical equipment and devices, as well as products and services related to automated health records, imaging data transfer and storage, and real-time data access will participate in the mission. The ITA said the Mexican healthcare sector has invested an estimated $500 million in healthcare information technology systems. The market is expected to continue growing as automating technologies increase in the Mexican healthcare sector. The full list of companies selected for participation in the mission is available here.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board released a list of FTZ grantees which have not submitted their mandatory 2011 annual report on zone operations, which was due on March 31, 2012. The FTZB said any grantee that has not yet submitted its 2011 report should do so as soon as possible to minimize the risk of fines or other adverse action, and that it cannot process any requests from those grantees until their 2011 reports are submitted. The FTZB’s list of grantees which have not submitted the 2011 report is as follows:

The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for April 30, 2012: