On September 2, 2010, APHIS updated the Manual for Agricultural Clearance. The manual provides CBP personnel working at airport and maritime locations with the guidelines, directions, and policy for clearing carriers and passengers/crew and controlling garbage and cargo.
On September 2, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Canadian Border Agricultural Clearance Manual. This Manual serves as a guide for authorized Federal officers at ports of entry along the Canadian Border.
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency has reported that it awarded a grant to the Autorité Aéroportuaire Nationale (AAN), Haiti's national airport authority, to conduct an analysis of priority airport infrastructure modernization projects. This assistance will enable it to design and implement important upgrades at Haiti's principal international airport in Port-au-Prince.
The Federal Aviation Administration has submitted to the Office of Management and Budget a proposed rule that would establish one set of flight time limitations, duty period limits, and rest requirements for pilots. The rulemaking is necessary to ensure that pilots have the opportunity to obtain sufficient rest to perform their duties. The objective of the rule is to contribute to and to improve aviation safety.
on August 31, 2010, the Economic Research Service and Foreign Agricultural Service issued their "Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade". They state that fiscal year 2011 agricultural exports are forecast at $113 billion, up $5.5 billion from the revised 2010 forecast. Much of the increase is due to greater grain and feed shipments, (up $4.3 billion from the revised 2010 forecast) due to sharply reduced competition from Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine. Horticultural exports are forecast up $1.7 billion from 2010 on strong demand from Canada, the EU, and Asian markets. Increased livestock and poultry product exports are expected to more than offset slight declines in dairy product exports. Cotton exports are forecast up significantly with larger domestic supplies and less export competition. The only major category expected to fall is oilseeds, due in part to increased competition from South America.
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack said in a Radionews item that he hopes current work with Russia will soon result in the reopening of that market to U.S. poultry.
The DOT's Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 37.6 percent higher in June 2010 than in June 2009, reaching $69.9 billion. The value of U.S. surface transportation trade with Canada and Mexico in June 2010 remained 5.8 percent below the June 2008 level despite the 2009-2010 increase. North American surface freight value rose 4.6 percent in June 2010 from May 2010. Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service is announcing a November 2, 2010 meeting on the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene to be held in Washington, D.C. The Call in Number is 1-866-692-3158, and the passcode is 5986642. Delegates to Codex committees schedule public meetings prior to their committee meetings to inform the public about the meeting agenda and proposed U.S. positions on the issues. During these public meetings delegates also receive comments from interested parties on Codex issues.
In a Radionews item, USDA Secretary Vilsack said efforts are continuing forward in working with Japan to allow more U.S. farm products, including beef, into that country.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology has launched a new Global Standards Information (GSI) website providing the latest global standards news, events, resources, key contacts, etc.