The Journal of Commerce reports that Democratic presidential frontrunners Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, weighing in on California's controversial Clean Trucks Program, are urging state officials to require that all port truck drivers be employees (rather than independent contractors). (JoC, dated 01/21/08, www.joc.com)
The Journal of Commerce reports that 11 of the 12 security elements included in the 102 proposed rule are consistent with the World Customs Organization's Framework of Standards to Secure and Facilitate Global Trade (SAFE Framework), and the U.S. intends to go through the formal process of amending the SAFE Framework to include the last element, country of origin. (See ITT's Online Archives or 02/04/08 news, 08020405, for most recent BP summary on 102) (JoC, dated 01/28/08, www.joc.com.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective February 19, 2008, which amends 9 CFR Parts 93, 94, and 95 to remove several unnecessary restrictions regarding the identification of animals and the processing of ruminant materials from regions that present a minimal risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, aka mad cow disease) into the U.S. (Currently only Canada qualifies.)
eTrucker reports that an appeals court has denied Public Citizen's request to invalidate the December 2007 interim final rule issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on hours of service (HOS) for truck drivers. The interim final rule retains the controversial 11-hour daily driving time limit and 34-hour restart provisions, pending further consideration of a final HOS rule by the FMCSA. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/21/07 news, 07122110, for BP summary of FMCSA's interim final rule.) (eTrucker, dated 01/24/08, available at http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=66220)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Web site its report to Congress on the Automated Commercial Environment for the third quarter (April 1, 2007 - June 30, 2007) and fourth quarter (July 1, 2007 - September 30, 2007) of fiscal year 2007.
The New York Times reports that a global boom in the cost of commodities is entering its sixth year with no end in sight, and economists see a fundamental shift driving the markets which will be hard to stop because the ascent in commodity prices is connected to events beyond the U.S., particularly the industrialization of China, and to a lesser extent of India, and in booming oil economies like Saudi Arabia and Russia. (NY Times, 01/15/08, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/business/worldbusiness/15commodities.html)
1. CBP to Report to Congress on SFI in April and October
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a press release stating that to meet the 9/11 law's requirement for 100% screening of air cargo on passenger planes by 2010, a new Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) office will allow the aviation and cargo industries to assume direct responsibility for screening, which could be done at factories and warehouses, with phase one of the program beginning in 2008. (TSA press release, dated 01/03/08, available at http://www.tsa.gov/press/happenings/aircargo_security.shtm )
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Safety Inspection Service has posted a revised directive (5420.4, Revision 4) which details the procedures that its Office of International Affairs (OIA) Import Inspection Division (IID) field personnel are to follow when the Department of Homeland Security declares a threat condition Yellow (Elevated), Orange (High), or Red (Severe).
The New York Times reports that China recently stated it would introduce production guidelines for seafood, covering more than 100 categories from breeding fish and seafood products to disease prevention and drug controls. (New York Times, dated 12/27/07, available at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/27/business/worldbusiness/27cnd-fish.html)