In January 2005, APHIS issued final rule which established a category of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) minimal risk regions and added Canada to this category. The final rule provided conditions for the importation of certain live ruminants and ruminant products and by products from such regions.
On November 10, 2005, President Bush signed into law the conference version of H.R. 2744, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law (P.L.) 109-097).
The Secretary of the Department of Treasury has issued a statement on his agency's latest Foreign Exchange Report which did not designate any major U.S. trading partner as manipulating its currency to gain an unfair competitive advantage, etc., noting that the initial steps by China to increase exchange rate flexibility played an important part in this decision. The Secretary adds that this finding is also contingent on further progress to incorporate flexibility reflecting underlying market forces in China's RMB exchange rate by the time of the next Foreign Exchange Report. (Treasury statement, dated 11/28/05, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js3024.htm )
The Washington File reports that during a November 7 press conference in Panama City, President Bush stated that the U.S. and Panama are close to agreeing on a free-trade pact between the two nations. The President also praised the Panamanian government's consideration of the modernization of the Panama Canal. (Washington File Pub 11/07/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/Archive/2005/Nov/07-402939.html)
On November 3, 2005, the Senate passed the conference version of H.R. 2744, the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Act). The House passed the same conference version of H.R. 2744 on October 28, 2005.
The House Ways and Means Committee has issued a press release stating that on Thursday, November 3, 2005, it informally approved draft legislation to implement the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement (FTA), in order to provide advice to the Administration on the draft measure, as once it is formally transmitted to Congress, it cannot be amended. (Ways and Means, FC-11A, dated 11/04/05, available at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=349 )
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, which adopts, with changes, an April 2004 interim rule that established a certification program for foreign production sites in countries where Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 (potato brown rot) is known to occur that wish to export articles of Pelargonium spp. (e.g. geraniums) and/or Solanum spp. (e.g. eggplant, huckleberry) to the U.S.
Washington Trade Daily reports that on October 26, 2005, the House Ways and Means Committee voted to include a provision that would repeal the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (the 'Byrd Amendment') in the committee's fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget reconciliation package, which was also approved on October 26, 2005. (WTD, dated 10/27/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has updated its set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) regarding the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service's (APHIS) wood packaging material (WPM) regulations that took effect September 16, 2005.
Mexico Agrees to Import Certain Hass Avocados from California, Lifts Poultry Ban on Nine U.S. States
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued two news releases announcing: (1) Mexico has agreed to allow imports of certain Hass avocados from California, under certain conditions; and (2) Mexico has agreed to lift its ban on poultry, table and hatching eggs and live birds from nine U.S. states that had previously had low pathogencity avian influenza (LPAI).