Xinhuanet.com reports that China and Costa Rica signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) on April 8, 2010 to remove trade barriers and enhance bilateral ties. The agreement is the first free-trade pact signed between China and a Central American country, and would help both sides tap into each others market, as well as other markets in Asia and Central America. (Notice, posted 04/08/10, available at http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-04/08/c_13242298.htm)
Effective April 9, 2010, the Department of Agriculture is canceling all unutilized balances of the GSM-102 Export Credit Program announcements issued for FY 2010. Applications under these announcements must be received by 11:59 p.m. on April 8, 2010, to be considered for guarantee coverage under current terms. If any unused allocations remain under these announcements, USDA will issue new program announcements making the allocations available under new guarantee fee rates. (News release, dated 04/06/10, available at http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/PressRelease/pressrel_dout.asp?Entry=valid&PrNum=0074-10)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has submitted a proposed collection of information to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review regarding follow-up activities for product-related injuries. Comments on the information collection are due by May 6, 2010. (FR Pub 04/06/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-7670.pdf)
The Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency have jointly established new federal rules that set the first-ever national greenhouse gas emissions standards and will significantly increase the fuel economy of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the United States. (NHTSA press release DOT 56-10, dated 04/01/10, available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.f2217bee37fb302f6d7c121046108a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_viewID=detail_view&itemID=3941edcf677b7210VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&pressReleaseYearSelect=2010.)
The Commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission voted unanimously at their March 31, 2010 meeting to issue in the Federal Register a proposed rule, with changes from the previously posted draft version, on CPSC's interpretation of the term "children's product" as used in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and additional guidance on the factors that must be considered when evaluating what is a children's product. (Webcast available at http://www.cpsc.gov/webcast/previous.html)
According to the World Trade Organization, global trade is set to rebound in 2010 by growing at 9.5%. Exports from developed economies are expected to increase by 7.5%, while shipments from the rest of the world should rise by around 11%. This strong expansion will help recover some but not all of the ground lost in 2009 when global trade contracted 12.2%. (Press release, dated 03/26/10, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres10_e/pr598_e.htm)
On March 23, 2010, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano joined with Mexican Interior Secretary Gmez-Mont to sign two arrangements to bolster aviation and border security between the United States and Mexico at the Mrida U.S.-Mexico High Level Consultative Group meeting-further expanding ongoing cooperative efforts to crack down on violent drug cartels and combat terrorism while facilitating the secure and efficient flow of legitimate travel and trade. (Press release, dated 03/23/10, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1269400206038.shtm)
World Trade Organization Director-General Lamy stated in a recent speech that failure on the Doha Round would spill over into other present and future cooperation efforts, and not only in the trade policy domain. He added that countries simply cannot go their own way and disregard the costs of neglecting international cooperation. (Speech, dated 03/18/10, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/sppl_e/sppl150_e.htm)
The Department of Homeland Security will redeploy $50 million of Recovery Act funding originally allocated for the SBInet Block 1 to other tested, commercially available security technology along the Southwest border, including mobile surveillance, thermal imaging devices, ultra-light detection, backscatter units, mobile radios, cameras and laptops for pursuit vehicles, and remote video surveillance system enhancements. (Press release, dated 03/16/10, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1268769368466.shtm)
The Census Bureau and Bureau of Economic Analysis have announced that total January 2010 exports of $142.7 billion and imports of $180.0 billion resulted in a goods and services deficit of $37.3 billion, down from $39.9 billion in December 2009, revised. January exports were $0.5 billion less than December exports and January imports were $3.1 billion less than December imports. (Fact sheet, dated 03/11/10, available at http://www.commerce.gov/s/groups/public/@doc/@os/@opa/documents/content/prod01_008993.pdf)