On May 15, 2008, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee ordered favorably reported with amendments S. 2997, a bill to reauthorize the Maritime Administration (MARAD), and for other purposes. (S. 2997 details available at
Notable CROSS rulings
The European Commission has issued a press release announcing that the European Court of Auditors has reviewed the EC's management of its Binding Tariff Information (BTI) system in six Member States.
On May 1, 2008, both the House and Senate passed S. 2954, a bill to extend certain trade and other provisions of the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (2002 Farm Bill) another two weeks, until May 16, 2008. This is the third extension. (S. 2954 available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s2954enr.txt.pdf.)
The Trade Support Network's Leadership Council and its Entry and Transition Committees ("TSN") have sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection expressing its continuing concerns regarding CBP's plans to reduce the number of validations currently found in ACS when the ACE ESAR A2.2 drop is developed.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective April 18, 2008, which makes technical corrections to the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR Parts 748 and 774, as part of BIS' 2007/2008 systematic review of the Commerce Control List1.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a proposed rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to clarify the license requirement for certain in-transit exports, reexports, or in-country transfers.
The Port of Los Angeles has posted an announcement to its Web site stating that on March 20, 2008, the LA Harbor Commission approved the Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program. (Port of LA announcement available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/)
The Chair of the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC)1 has submitted "unofficial" comments on CBP's proposed rule to amend 19 CFR to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
The Senate Energy and Commerce Committee has issued a press release announcing that its Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee met on February 28th to consider legislation to ban or severely restrict the manufacture and distribution in commerce of asbestos-containing products. Imports of asbestos-containing products would also be prohibited. (Subcommittee press release, dated 02/28/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110st133.shtml)
According to a Journal of Commerce commentary underlying COAC's positions urging Customs to take a go-slow approach in phasing in 102, and drop its first sale proposal, is a deeper unhappiness with the state of day-to-day import issues such as inspections, land border wait times, and commercial operations. (JoC, dated 02/25/08, www.joc.com )