The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted the staff's recommendation to deny a request it received that crystal and glass beads, including rhinestones and cubic zirconium, used in children's products, including jewelry, apparel, accessories, footwear, and other decorative applications, be excluded from the lead content limits¹ of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA²).

The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a proposed rule to implement an assessment (tax) of 7.5 cents per hundredweight of milk, or equivalent thereof, on imported dairy products, in order to fund promotion and research. This proposed action is pursuant to the 2002 and 2008 Farm Bills. Written comments are due by June 18, 2009. (AMS proposed rule, D/N DA-08-07: AMS-DA-8-050, FR Pub 05/19/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11492.pdf and AMS press release, dated 05/18/09, available here.)

On April 15, 2009, Department of Homeland Security Napolitano announced the appointment of Alan Bersin as DHS Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs. According to Secretary Napolitano, Bersin will lead the effort to make U.S. borders safe while working to promote commerce and trade. (DHS press release, dated 04/15/09, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1239820176123.shtm.)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted its response to a request for an exclusion from the children's product lead content limits of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) for crystal and glass beads. Like other CPSC responses to such requests, CPSC states it lacks the authority to issue temporary or "emergency" final rules granting exemptions that do not comply with the procedures proscribed by the CPSIA. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/17/09 news, 09021715, for BP summary of this and other exemption requests and similar CPSC responses.) (CPSC general counsel's response, dated 02/24/09, available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/petition/pp41_resp.pdf)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted seven requests it received for exclusions from the lead content limits¹ of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA²) for children's products. The exclusion requests are for the following:

In his written answers to questions posed by the Senate Finance Committee as part of the confirmation process, Treasury Secretary Geithner addressed numerous issues, including China currency manipulation. According to Treasury Secretary Geithner, President Obama believes that China is manipulating its currency and has pledged to use aggressively all the diplomatic avenues open to him to seek change in China's currency practices. (Written answers, dated 01/21/09, available at http://finance.senate.gov/sitepages/leg/LEG%202009/012209%20TFG%20Questions.pdf.)

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule, effective December 19, 2008, which exempts the Boston Billow Nursing Pillow and substantially similar nursing pillows from CPSC's ban of "baby bean bag" infant cushions/pillows under 16 CFR 1500.18(a)(16)(i)¹.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a timeline and frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA¹) provisions limiting lead content in children's products² and lead in paint.³

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued two related notices on certain infant cushions/pillows as follows:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued an interim rule, which adds a new 19 CFR 12.142 requiring additional data elements, declarations, and recordkeeping requirements for certain imports of softwood lumber and softwood lumber products exported from any country into the U.S.