The ITA states that the final determination in this investigation is currently due April 5, 2004.

On January 15, 2004, President Bush issued Executive Order (EO) 13324, effective 12:01 a.m. EST on January 16, 2004. EO 13324 terminates the national emergency which was originally declared in EO 13194 (Sierra Leone) and the scope of which was expanded in EO 13213 (Liberia). (FR Pub 01/20/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-1322.pdf)

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice designating the Resources Company for Development and Investment Zone (RCDI), the Al Hallabat Industrial Park, and the expanded Al Tajamouat Industrial Park as qualifying industrial zones (QIZs) from which goods, including textiles and apparel, may enter the U.S. duty-free under the U.S.-Israel Free Trade Area Implementation Act (IFTA Act).

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated antidumping (AD) duty investigations of certain frozen and canned warmwater shrimp from Brazil, Ecuador, India, Thailand, China, and Vietnam.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that the U.S. and Bahrain were scheduled to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement on January 26, 2004 to lower tariffs and barriers and expand trade between the two countries. According to the press release, subsequent negotiation rounds will alternate between the U.S. and Bahrain with a goal of completing the negotiations by the end of 2004. (USTR press release dated 01/26/04, http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/01/04-05.pdf.)

(a) Hang Lung and Bee Lian have preliminary de minimis rates of 0.12% (Hang Lung) and 0.14% (Bee Lian). As a result, liquidation is not suspended for these companies nor are cash deposits or the posting of a bond required for AD purposes.

In Candle Corporation of America (CCA) and Blyth, Inc. v. International Trade Commission (ITC) et al., the Court of International Trade (CIT) determined that a domestic producer that failed to support the antidumping (AD) petition on petroleum wax candles from China is not eligible to collect offset distributions under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (Byrd Amendment).

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has announced that it is reopening until February 23, 2004, the comment periods on three petitions that were filed with the FMC requesting to be exemptor partially exempt from certain provisions of Section 9 of the Shipping Act of 1984 (46 USC app. 1708) (Controlled Carrier Act), which would enable the petitioners to reduce tariff rates immediately, rather than be subject to the thirty-day waiting period prescribed by the Controlled Carrier Act¹.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a proposed rule which would amend its regulations governing proof of financial responsibility for ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs) by allowing an optional rider for additional coverage to be filed with a licensed non-vessel operating common carrier's (NVOCC's) proof of financial responsibility for such carriers serving the U.S. oceanborne trade with China.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and Costa Rica have concluded negotiations to finalize Costa Rica's participation in the U.S.-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).