The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) held a quarterly meeting on February 6, 2004 in Washington, DC to discuss, and receive updates from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials on, various customs and trade issues.
According to The Wall Street Journal, pressures are building within China's economy to re-examine the Chinese currency's tether on the U.S. dollar, with a loosening looking more like a matter of when, rather than if. The U.S., the European Union and other trading partners have urged China to let the yuan float, contending that the currency is undervalued and fueling a predatory export boom. (WSJ 02/13/04, www.wsj.com )
On May 20, 2003, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule to require imported solid wood packing material (SWPM) to be either heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide, as well as marked, prior to importation, in accordance with an international standard entitled "Guidelines for Regulating Wood Packaging Material in International Trade" that was approved by the Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures of the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) on March 15, 2002.
The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a notice stating that based upon the results of a review, it has determined that the Cotton Research and Promotion Order (Cotton Order) should be continued without change.
The Washington Post reports that calls are mounting from abroad for efforts to stem the fall in the U.S. dollar, especially against the euro, but U.S. officials are showing no sign of changing their stance that the dollar's value should be left to the markets. The article notes that the flip side of the strong euro is the weak dollar, which is helping to stoke the U.S. recovery by boosting American exports. (WP, dated 02/03/04, www.washingtonpost.com)
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has announced that, effective February 2, 2004, a new security system went into place for its office. According to the announcement, in order to gain access to the 9th and 10th floors of the FMC's building, visitors must check in with the building security force and have one of the guards call the office or employee the visitor wishes to see. Visitors will be required to have an appropriate escort to gain access to the 9th and 10th floors of the building. See FMC announcement for further details. (FMC announcement available at http://www.fmc.gov/New%20Security%20Notice.htm)
The Journal of Commerce (JoC) has reported that the new hours of service (HOS) rules governing the number of hours commercial truck drivers may work , could worsen the driver shortage and possibly drive more long-haul traffic to intermodal rail, among other things. JoC adds that shippers may face higher freight rates and may have to take over loading/unloading so that drivers can get back on the road more quickly. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/04/03, 03120410, for BP summary.) (JoC Pub dated 01/12-18/04, www.joc.com)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that the U.S. and Bahrain were scheduled to launch negotiations on a free trade agreement on January 26, 2004 to lower tariffs and barriers and expand trade between the two countries. According to the press release, subsequent negotiation rounds will alternate between the U.S. and Bahrain with a goal of completing the negotiations by the end of 2004. (USTR press release dated 01/26/04, http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/01/04-05.pdf.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site its January 2004 U.S. Customs and Border Protection Modernization newsletter which discusses, among other things, CBP's plans for expansion of the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) in 2004. The following are "highlights" of CBP's January 2004 newsletter:
According to The Journal of Commerce, the submission to the Coast Guard of vessel and facility security plans by December 31, 2003 was only the first step as the crucial deadline is July 1, 2004, when vessels and shoreside facilities must have their security plans in operation. The article states that the Coast Guard plans to review the port security plans during the January-March 2003 time frame and by July 1, 2004, port facilities have to be operating in compliance. After that time, the Coast Guard will make unscheduled facility visits to make sure the plans are in operation. (JoC dated 01/12-18/04, www.joc.com.)