The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and is requesting comments on regulatory options that could be applied to wood packaging material (e.g., crates, dunnage, wooden spools, pallets, packing blocks) used in domestic commerce to decrease the risk of the artificial spread of plant pests such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle.
The Port of Miami has issued an Information Bulletin reminding interested parties about CBP's policy on wood packing materials inspection procedures for the offloading of marked and unmarked vessel dunnage. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/30/06 news, 06063000, for CBP's operating procedures for full enforcement of WPM regulations, including dunnage. See 07/14/06 news, 06071410, for CBP update to procedures.) (Information Bulletin, dated 08/20/09, No. 09-030 is available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
The Commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission have approved an interim final rule containing the CPSC's interpretation of the statutory and other civil penalty and mitigation factors that may be considered for "knowing" violations of the prohibited acts listed in the Consumer Product Safety Act, the Flammable Fabrics Act, and the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. Commissioner statements are availablehere. In addition, CPSC has approved a notice withdrawing its related July 2006 proposed rule on civil penalty factors. (Interim Final Rule, dated 08/19/09, available at http://www.cpsc.gov/businfo/frnotices/fr09/civilpenaltyfactors-draft.pdf)
The Government Accountability Office has issued its report to Congressional committees on the effectiveness of CPSC's authority over imported consumer products.
Note that Daily Update on Capitol Hill Trade Actions does not appear in today's issue of International Trade Today. Publication of this feature will resume as new information becomes available.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is rescinding, effective September 14, 2009, its 2004 order and subsequent amendments that prohibited the importation of birds and unprocessed bird products from certain countries, due to concerns about the risk of introducing highly pathogenic avian influenza into the U.S.
Note that Daily Update on Capitol Hill Trade Actions does not appear in today's issue of International Trade Today. Publication of this feature will resume as new information becomes available.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is expected to publish a Federal Register notice containing revised enforcement requirements for the Lacey Act Declaration for plants and plant products before October 1, 2009, the date the next phase of implementation is scheduled to begin1.
The WCO in conjunction with the Trusted Trade Alliance and host trade organization, the American Association of Exporters and Importers, will hold a two-day event on October 5-6, 2009 in Seattle focusing on the critical role of continued facilitation of legitimate cross-border trade, and surveying the global implementation of regulatory initiatives flowing from the WCO SAFE Framework and other multilateral standards. (Notice, available at http://www.trusted-trade.net/en/world-customs-forum/)
The White House has posted a statement by the President on the House passage of the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. In his statement, the President commends the House of Representatives for its passage and states that he looks forward to working with the Senate to enact food safety legislation. (Statement, dated 07/30/09, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Statement-by-the-President-on-House-Passage-of-the-Food-Safety-Enhancement-Act-of-2009/.)