The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has posted to its Web site an update on foreign country actions taken against various U.S. exports (e.g., ruminants, ruminant products, poultry meal, pet food, etc.), as result of the recent Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) case.

As a service to industry and others, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has posted to its website a document entitled, Bulk Over-the-Road Food Tanker Transport Safety and Security Guidelines (Food Tanker Guidelines) which was issued by the Food Industry Transportation Coalition (Coalition).

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice advising the trade of the upcoming system requirements for filing a U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement (UCFTA) claim through the Automated Broker Interface (ABI).

The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) has issued its October 2003 Textile and Apparel Trade Balance Report (containing data through October 31, 2003). The Trade Balance Report shows imports and exports and calculates the trade balance for U.S. textile and apparel trade with the world and with major U.S. trading partners.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that it has determined that the 2004 limitation on the quantity of imports of worsted wool fabrics that may be imported under the tariff rate quotas (TRQs) established by the Trade and Development Act of 2000 (TDA 2000) as amended by the Trade Act of 2002 should not be modified.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is announcing that effective immediately, ACS will transmit the header value of 'N' (instead of the header value of 'E') in the 'BN' application (record BN01, Position 5), in response to entry transactions with application identifier "WP" In-Bond.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice on the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement's (SFTA's) 2004 Tariff Preference Level (TPL) for imports from Singapore of cotton or MMF apparel goods, or apparel goods subject to cotton or MMF restraints, the foregoing that are both cut (or knit-to-shape) and sewn or otherwise assembled in Singapore from fabric or yarn produced or obtained outside the territory of Singapore or of the U.S. ("3rd Country").

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has published a final rule which amends the Customs Regulations effective January 5, 2004 regarding the advance electronic presentation of information pertaining to cargo (sea, air, rail, or truck) prior to its being brought into, or sent from, the U.S. (See final rule for compliance dates for each transportation mode.)

On December 30, 2003, President Bush issued Proclamation 7747 in order to implement the U.S.-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SFTA). (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/31/03 news, 03123105, for BP summary announcing the issuance of Proclamation 7747.)

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued waivers which will grant Chile and Singapore access to U.S. government procurement markets for goods and services pursuant to the free trade agreements (FTAs) each have entered into with the U.S. USTR sources explain that these waivers were granted because the U.S. has determined that Chile and Singapore will grant U.S. products and suppliers the same access. (FR Pub 12/19/03, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-31372.pdf (Chile) and http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-31371.pdf (Singapore))