The Journal of Commerce reports that CBP officials state that government agencies will begin to use the International Trade Data System (ITDS), which is an integral part of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE), in late 2006. The article notes that a prominent would-be ITDS user, the Coast Guard, has begun talking with the ITDS development team. In addition, the article notes that Treasury Department officials state that agencies are beginning to see the value of seeing the data online as it's being collected at the border. (JoC dated 01/02/06, www.joc.com.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has updated certain of its posted information on various countries' implementation and enforcement of ISPM 15 treatment and marking requirements for wood packaging material (WPM).
According to Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) sources, in addition to International Standards and Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15 for wood packaging material (WPM) that the European Union (EU) implemented on March 1, 2005, the EU is scheduled to begin imposing debarking and 'DB' marking requirements for WPM effective March 1, 2006, unless it is further postponed.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a proposed rule to amend its regulations at 7 CFR Parts 319, 330, and 340 regarding the importation of nursery stock. Comments on the proposed rule are due by February 13, 2006.
According to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), effective January 1, 2006 (shipping date), China has implemented new wood packaging material (WPM) requirements for imports into China, which with one exception, are in line with the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, entitled, "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade," which require treatment and marking of the subject WPM.
Effective September 16, 2005, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) implemented new wood packaging material (WPM) regulations for imports into the U.S., based on the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) 15, entitled, "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade."
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective December 8, 2005, to amend its regulations at 7 CFR Part 305 and 319 in order to relieve certain restrictions on various fruits and vegetables, among other things.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington wants to start a dialogue with Beijing to avert a damaging trade war over China's cheap steel exports. The article states that China is the world's biggest producer and consumer of steel, and is likely to make a record 350 million tons of steel this year, despite government efforts to curb overcapacity and oversupply. The article adds that China has been exporting its surplus, forcing down prices in Japan, South Korea, and the U.S. (WSJ, 12/23/05, www.wsj.com )
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The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective December 28, 2005, that amends 7 CFR Part 319 regarding the importation of wheat and related articles by removing the prohibitions related to foreign strains of flag smut (flag smut) for a specific country or locality (country), if a risk evaluation indicates that such wheat and related articles from that country would not introduce other plant pests.