Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Census Bureau has issued a press release announcing that the U.S.' international deficit in goods and services decreased to $58.23 billion in March 2008 from $61.7 billion (revised) in February, as imports decreased more than exports. (Census press release, dated 05/09/08, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/ft900.pdf)
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1. Trade Deficit Decreased in March 2008
2. DDTC Updates Average Export License Processing Times (Corrected)
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has updated its defense export licensing average processing times to include April 2008. The average processing times indicates a 'steady' decline - from March 07 (35 days) to October 07 (25 days), to April 08 (15 days). BP's Online Archives has been updated to reflect this correction. (DDTC, dated 05/05/05, available at http://pmddtc.state.gov/processtime.htm )
3. USDA & DHS Success Through Partnership Conference on Agriculture
The Department of Homeland Security and the USDA held a Success through Partnership conference in Washington, D.C. to update agricultural stakeholders on the departments' joint effort to strengthen the delivery of the agriculture mission. DHS and USDA are partners in protecting American agriculture against the introduction of unwanted plant pests and foreign animal diseases at our nation's ports of entry. (USDA press release, dated 05/02/08, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/05/0118.xml)
4. GAO Testimony on U.S. Infrastructure
The Government Accountability Office has issued testimony before the House Budget and Transportation and Infrastructure Committees entitled, "Physical Infrastructure: Challenges and Investment Options for the Nation's Infrastructure." (GAO-08-763T, dated 05/08/08, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08763t.pdf)
5. Census Reports on U.S. Goods Trade and Related Parties
The Census Bureau has issued a press release, "U.S. Goods Trade: Imports & Exports by Related Parties 2007," announcing that in 2007, related-party trade accounted for 40.6% ($1,264 billion) of total goods trade. Related-party trade accounted for 47.4% ($920 billion) of consumption imports and 29.6% ($344 billion) of total exports. (CB08-75, dated 05/09/08, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/2007pr/aip/related_party/rp07.pdf)
6. Former Qantas Airline Exec Pleads Guilty to Air Cargo Price-Fixing
The Justice Department reports that the former highest-ranking Qantas Airways Limited cargo executive employed in the U.S., Bruce McCaffrey, has agreed to plead guilty, serve 8 months in jail, and pay a criminal fine for participating in a conspiracy to fix rates for international air cargo shipments. (DoJ press release, dated 05/08/08, available at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/May/08_at_390.html)
7. AESPcLink Certification Workshop in Denver
The Census Bureau has issued an AES broadcast announcing that OnPoint Solutions Group is sponsoring an AESPcLink Certification Workshop in Denver, CO on June 4, 2008. Staff from the Census Bureau, Foreign Trade Division's Automated Export Branch will be the workshop facilitators. (Broadcast available by emailing BP at documents@brokerpower.com)
8. OTEXA Announces Americas Competitiveness Forum
The Office of Textiles and Apparel announced that the Americas Competitiveness Forum will be held from August 17-19, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia. The meeting's location and tentative agenda will be forthcoming. (OTEXA announcement available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/acforum.pdf)
9. AMS Revises Maturity Requirements for Certain Avocados
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a final rule, effective May 13, 2008, which requires that avocados grown in South Florida and avocados imported into the U.S. that are shipped to the fresh market which fail the maturity requirements and are reworked and presented for reinspection must meet the maturity requirements which correspond to the date of the original inspection. (D/N AMS-FV-07-0054; FV07-915-2-FR, FR Pub 05/12/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-10462.pdf)
10. Russia Allows for Importation of U.S. Livestock
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that the U.S. will begin exporting breeding cattle, bovine embryos; breeding, fattening and slaughter swine; and breeding and sport horses to Russia. Russia will accept cattle born on or after implementation of the U.S.' 1997 ruminant-to-ruminant feed ban. (USDA, dated 05/07/08, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2008/05/0120.xml)
11. EU's REACH Pre-Registration Requirements Begin June 1, 2008
The Office of Textiles and Apparel has issued a press release announcing that new chemical registration and pre-registration under the European Union's Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) program will begin on June 1, 2008. The Official Journal of the EU published Regulation 340/2008 on April 16, which lays out the fees and charges that traders of substances will have to pay to the European Chemicals Agency for the registration of their substances. (OTEXA release, dated 05/09/08, available at http://web.ita.doc.gov/otexa/hotiss.nsf/7bfa72c94f543da685256e5b00498a4d/c729898b07e7e74185257248007196d1?OpenDocument)
12. BIS Penalizes CA Company for Violating "Deemed Export" Rule
The Bureau of Industry and Security recently imposed a $31,500 penalty on TFC Manufacturing Inc., a Lakewood, California-based aerospace fabrication facility, for violating the "deemed export" rule. TFC allegedly violated the Export Administration Regulations by exporting or causing to be exported technology for the production of aircraft parts, technology subject to the EAR to an employee who was a national of Iran without the required license. (BIS order, dated 05/01/08, available at http://efoia.bis.doc.gov/exportcontrolviolations/e2045.pdf)
13. FMC to Hold Partially Open Meeting on May 14, 2008
The Federal Maritime Commission will hold a partially open meeting on May 14, 2008 in Washington, DC. Matters to be considered include: FMC Agreement No. 201180: SSA Terminals (Seattle) Cooperative Working Agreement, direction to staff regarding budget hearing committee requests, and the FMC FY 2008 budget status. (FMC meeting announcement available at http://www.fmc.gov/home/May142008Meeting.asp)
14. OFAC Adds Entity to, Deletes Individuals from SDN List
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has added an entity (MERCURIO INTERNACIONAL S.A.) to the Specially Designated Nationals list. OFAC has also removed three individuals from the SDN list. (OFAC, dated 05/07/08, available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/20080507.shtml)
15. President Continues National Emergency with Respect to Syria
On May 11, 2008, the President issued a notice continuing for one year the national emergency with respect to Syria that was originally declared in Executive Order 13338. (President's message to Congress on the continuation, dated 05/07/08, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/05/20080507-8.html and Presidential document (dated 05/07/08, FR Pub 05/09/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/08-1248.pdf)