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 Office of Management and Budget has approved a Bureau of Industry and Security proposed rule to add certain standards and procedures for assigning priority ratings to purchase orders or contracts and for allocating materials, services, and facilities to promote the national defense.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is announcing that it notified U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) on April 22, 2010, that effective immediately APHIS veterinary services has placed temporary restrictions on certain commodities from Japan due to foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), based on notifications from Japan of an outbreak in cattle that is consistent with FMD.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has placed temporary restrictions on the importation of sexually intact bovines (cattle and bison) from British Columbia. These restrictions are based on recent importations of three cows from the province found to be reactors for brucellosis on slaughter testing.
On May 27, 2010, APHIS updated its Postentry Quarantine PPQ Manual for State Inspectors. This manual covers procedures for conducting PEQ tasks beginning with the request to approve a growing site and ending with the release or refusal of the plant material.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has submitted a final rule to the Office of Management and Budget for its approval, that would revise the Commerce Control List to update and clarify certain items that indicate "crime control" as a reason for control.
On May 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import PPQ Manual. The manual lists by country fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States. It includes a description of methods for sampling and inspecting selected fruits and vegetables. It also contains pictorial identification guides, and a glossary for common and scientific names of fruits and vegetables.