Members of the International Longshoremen's Association, AFL-CIO on November 17, 2009 ratified a two-year Master Contract extension -to September 30, 2012 - that calls for raises in pay, begins to bridge the gap for lower-tiered ILA workers, eliminates the container royalty cap and addresses the issues of jurisdiction and new technology. The ILA represents some 65,000 waterfront employees on the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, the Great Lakes, major U.S. rivers, Eastern Canada, and Puerto Rico. (ILA 11/17/09 press release available at http://www.ilaunion.org/news_contract_ratified.html )
According to China's Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, AQSIQ and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission signed a Joint Announcement at the recent U.S.-China Consumer Product Safety Summit in which the U.S. expressed its intent to introduce a series of policies and activities in the following months to stress the responsibilities of U.S. importers as members of the supply and distribution chain, including stressing procedures to ensure product quality during manufacture and before entering the market such making sure foreign producers fully understand the requirements of U.S. government on the products. (News release, dated 11/12/09, available at http://english.aqsiq.gov.cn/NewsRelease/NewsUpdates/200911/t20091112_130452.htm)
On November 5, 2009, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced the final deployment of non-intrusive scanning equipment to detect radiation emanating from materials used in nuclear devices at all Northern border land ports of entry. This project was completed ahead of schedule, and finished on Oct. 29 at the Trout River, N.Y., port of entry. (Press release, dated 11/05/09, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1257454349707.shtm.)
At the November 4, 2009 COAC meeting, a Treasury official announced that the International Trade Data System annual report to Congress has been issued. According to Treasury, the report contains recommendations that could help mitigate the effect of ACE delays on ITDS program. For example, the report recommends that CBP could begin to collect ITDS information for other agencies through the Automated Broker Interface, and then make the data available through the ACE data warehouse. See future issues of ITT for additional details of COAC meeting and ITDS report. (Report, dated September 2009, available at http://www.itds.gov/xp/itds/whats_new/)
On October 1, 2009, the Animal and Plant Inspection Service launched Phase III of its enforcement of the Lacey Act Declaration requirements for imports of plants and plant products. Phase III extended enforcement of the declaration requirement to additional HTS Chapter 44 products, such as plywood, veneered panels, wooden frames, and tableware and kitchenware of wood.
The American Apparel & Footwear Association has submitted comments to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) regarding the implementation of the Lacey Act provisions. AAFA's comments address the scope of enforcement, form and content of declaration, definitions, de minimis, enforcement of the underlying Lacey Act, etc. (Comments, dated 11/02/09, available at http://www.apparelandfootwear.org/letters/laceyactusdacomments091102.pdf.)
The American Apparel and Footwear Association has issued a press release on the breakthrough in negotiations to hold an election on whether to reinstate the ousted President of Honduras. AAFA states that it and other key textile and apparel stakeholders will monitor the implementation of this agreement and advise U.S. officials about its impact on U.S. businesses. (Press release, dated 10/30/09, available at https://www.apparelandfootwear.org/userfiles/file/pressreleases/103009AAFAApplaudsBreakthroughTowardsRestoringStabilityinHonduras.pdf.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice, effective October 30, 2009, withdrawing its interim rule which was to raise fiscal year 2010 user fees on November 1, 2009, for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the U.S.
In a letter to Secretary of State Clinton, eight U.S. textile and apparel trade associations warned that the continuing crisis in Honduras is causing permanent damage to what once was the most economically vibrant textile and apparel trade platform in the CAFTA region. The letter is a follow-up to a September 25th letter to the Secretary which noted job losses in the U.S. and Honduras and urged the U.S. government to support a quick resolution of the crisis. (Press release, dated 10/28/09, available at http://www.ncto.org/newsroom/pr20091028.pdf.)
On October 14th, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, swore in Richard Lidinsky, Jr. as the Federal Maritime Commission's 18th Chairman. President Obama had designated then-Commissioner Lidinsky as Chairman on September 11th. (News release, dated 10/23/09, available at http://www.fmc.gov/speeches/newsrelease.asp?SPEECH_ID=289)