Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
PortSecurityNews.com reports that during the week of July 11, Congress cleared legislation (H.R. 556) that would revise the process for reviewing foreign investments in the U.S. The action took place when the House voted 370-45 to accept Senate amendments to the bill that were adopted during Senate consideration of the measure during the week of June 28. The bill now goes to the President. (PSN, dated 07/16/07, available at http://portsecuritynews.com/news/templates/registered.asp?articleid=1659&zoneid=1)
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1. Congress Approves Foreign Investments Bill, Now Goes to President
2. Senate Bill Introduced to Impose New Import Fee to Fund Imported Food Inspections
Shippers' Newswire reports that a bill recently introduced in the Senate (S. 1776) would impose a fee of up to $20 on imported food shipments to help raise the ability of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to more efficiently inspect inbound food products. The bill would require overseas firms and governments to apply for FDA certification, meet FDA's standards, and allow regulators to inspect their facilities to be eligible to ship their food products to the U.S., essentially matching U.S. standards for food safety, inspection, labeling, and consumer protection. (American Shipper, 07/13/07, available at www.americanshipper.com)
3. FSIS Affirms BSE Interim Final Rules with Amendments
The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective October 1, 2007, adopting with amendments two interim final rules regarding minimizing human exposure to materials that scientific studies have demonstrated have the potential to contain the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, aka mad cow disease) agent in cattle infected with that disease. The two interim final rules being adopted are: "Prohibition of the Use of Specified Risk Materials for Human Food and Requirements for the Disposition of Non-Ambulatory Cattle" and "Prohibition of the Use of Certain Stunning Devices Used to Immobilize Cattle During Slaughter." Comments must be received by September 11, 2007. (D/N 03-025F, FR Pub 07/13/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-3350.pdf)
4. USTR to Participate in AGOA Forum in Ghana, July 18-19, 2007
The U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that the USTR will participate in the July 18-19 annual meeting in Ghana of the "AGOA Forum," an outgrowth of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) which provides trade benefits to 39 sub-Saharan African countries. The USTR will discuss ways to enhance U.S.-African trade and investment and the importance to African countries of a successful outcome of the Doha round of World Trade Organization negotiations. (Press release, dated 07/13/07, available by request by emailing documents@brokerpower.com)
5. Treasury Extends Import Restrictions on Certain Archaeology Objects, Etc.
The Treasury Department has issued a final rule, effective July 16, 2007, which amends U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) regulations to reflect the extension of import restrictions on Pre-Classical and Classical Archaeological Objects and Byzantine Ecclesiastical and Ritual Ethnological Materials from Cyprus for an additional five years, and contains and a list of articles to which the restrictions apply. (CBP Dec. 07-52, FR Pub 07/13/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-3425.pdf)
6. ITA Issues U.S. Export Fact Sheet for May 2007
The International Trade Administration has issued a fact sheet containing May 2007 export statistics and a spotlight on pending free trade agreements. ITA reports, among other things, that U.S. exports of goods and services grew by 10.8% year-to-date through May 2007, and that after more than 3 years of negotiations, Congress will consider four FTAs with Peru, Colombia, Panama and Korea, which, if enacted, would expand market opportunities between the U.S. and countries having nearly 126 million consumers and a combined gross domestic product of $1.1 trillion. (Fact sheet, released 07/12/07, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/PressReleases_FactSheets/PROD01_003170)