On April 27, 2010, the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated four Guatemalan drug traffickers as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. This action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the four designated individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction. (Press release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg665.htm)
The U.S. held its first Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship for Muslim-majority countries on April 27, 2010. The Commerce Department's 2010 schedule for achieving Summit goals includes leading at least five trade missions and hosting as many as 27 reverse trade missions with partners from Muslim majority countries. The State and Commerce Departments are working to advance the legal frameworks in Muslim-majority countries for advancing entrepreneurship. Fact sheet available here. (Speech, dated 04/26/10, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/SecretarySpeeches/PROD01_009173)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released to Congress a comprehensive report on agricultural transportation in the U.S. The report, Study of Rural Transportation Issues, and covers the four major modes of transportation commonly used by agriculture in the United States-truck, rail, barge, and ocean vessel. (News release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome)
On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Animal Product Manual. This Manual provides the background, procedures, and regulatory actions to enforce the regulations governing the import and export of animals, animal products, and animal by-products. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/apm.shtml)
On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated the Manual for Agricultural Clearance. The manual provides CBP personnel working at airport and maritime locations with the guidelines, directions, and policy for clearing carriers and passengers/crew and controlling garbage and cargo. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/mac.shtml)
On April 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. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has issued a press release announcing that during an observance of World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2010, the federal partners of the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center1 announced that more than $263 million worth of counterfeit merchandise was seized by law enforcement around the U.S. in April 2010.
The International Trade Administration has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that certain seamless carbon and alloy steel standard, line, and pressure pipe from China (seamless pipe) is being, or is likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value.