The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that the U.S. intends to initiate free trade negotiations with Panama. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/04/03 news, (Ref: 03120425), for BP summary of USTR's press release announcing its Congressional notification of this intention.)
The ITA states that it will determine and CBP will assess, AD duties on all appropriate entries. The ITA adds that it will issue appropriate assessment instructions to CBP within 15 days of March 5, 2004.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has determined that, effective March 5, 2004, certain viscose yarn, classified in HTS 5510.11.0000, for use in manufacturing fabrics, cannot be supplied by the domestic industry in commercial quantities in a timely manner under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA).
According to the ITA, the petitioner, International Imaging Materials, Inc. (IIMAK), alleged that respondents in the three concurrent investigations of TTR (France, Japan, and South Korea) would attempt to circumvent the order by slitting jumbo rolls in third countries. Therefore, the ITA states that IIMAK requested that slitting does not change the country of origin of TTR for AD duty purposes.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting written comments by March 26, 2004 concerning the establishment of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel to examine the European Communities (EU) Regulation 2081/92, as amended, which governs the protection of geographical indications for agricultural foodstuffs.
The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert Bonner has said that within 60 days CBP will resolve with industry differences over the definition of "shipper" on international cargo manifests. (CBP has announced that it is delaying the full enforcement of the term "shipper" for inbound ocean cargo. See ITT's Online Archives or 02/24/04 news, 04022405, for BP summary.) (JoC Online dated 03/05/04, www.joc.com.)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has inadvertently published a notice containing erroneously selected and organized 10-month data on the Competitive Need Limitations (CNLs) under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program.
| Proposed budget estimates for fiscal year 2005 for border and transportation security | 03/09/04 | Subcommittee on Homeland Security; Senate Committee on Appropriations |
| Budget and management challenges for the Department of Transportation | 03/09/04 | Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury, and General Government; Senate Committee on Appropriations |
| The President's proposed fiscal year 2005 budget for the Environmental Protection Agency | 03/10/04 | Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works |
| The administration's international trade agenda | 03/09/04 | Senate Committee on Finance |
| United States economic and trade policy in the Middle East | 03/10/04 | Senate Committee on Finance |
| Department of State, Administration of Foreign Affairs | 03/10/04 | Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, Judiciary and Related Agencies; House Committee on Appropriations |
| The Secretary of State | 03/10/04 | Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Relate Programs; House Committee on Appropriations |
| Food and Drug Administration | 03/11/04 | Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies; House Committee on Appropriations |
| Border and Transportation Security; Acting Administrator, Transportation Security Administration | 03/11/04 | Subcommittee on Homeland Security; House Committee on Appropriations |
| Nonproliferation: Assessing Missile Technology Export Controls | 03/09/04 | Subcommittee on National Security, Emergency Threats and International Relations; House Committee on Government Reform |
| Human Rights Practices Around the World: A Review of the State Department's 2003 Annual Report | 03/10/04 | House Committee on International Relations |
| The Status of the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II) | 03/11/04 | Subcommittee on Aviation; House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure |
| President Bush's Trade Agenda | 03/11/04 | House Committee on Ways and Means |
| The Department of Homeland Security Proposed Information Analysis Budget for Fiscal Year 2005 | 03/10/04 | Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterroism; House Select Committee on Homeland Security |
In a February 11, 2004 speech, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert Bonner announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering a new "Immigration Security Initiative." According to the speech, as it is under consideration, ISI teams of CBP officers would work with the National Targeting Center, the foreign authorities, the air carriers, and other U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to: (1) utilize advance manifest information to identify potentially high-risk passengers; (2) work with the airlines and the host-nation authorities to question the high-risk passengers and examine their travel documents; and (3) make a determination whether the high-risk passengers are admissible into the U.S. prior to boarding. Commissioner Bonner stated that he would propose that ISI be piloted at 5 to 10 foreign hub airports and that ISI be evaluated and then expanded. (CBP Commissioner's speech, dated 02/11/04, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/commissioner/speeches_statements/mar032004.xml.)
(a) For previously reviewed or investigated companies not listed above, the cash deposit rate will continue to be the company-specific rate published for the most recent period.