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 Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN report:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued a final rule, effective September 1, 2010 that revises the appendices to its Dairy Tariff-Rate Import Quota Licensing Regulation (7 CFR 6.20-6.37) for the 2010 tariff-rate quota year to reflect the cumulative annual transfers from Appendix 1 to Appendix 2 for certain dairy product import licenses permanently surrendered by licensees or revoked by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
The Department of Homeland Security is seeking comments on the following information collection for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
On August 27, 2010, the Alcohol and Tobacco and Tax and Trade Bureau posted guidance on the destruction of unpaid wine and/or spirits. The guidance is in the form of a new Wine FAQ (No. 26) that asks the question: "I have untaxpaid wine and/or wine spirits that I would like to destroy. How do I receive approval for the destruction of wine or wine spirits without payment of tax?"
The Secretary of State on September 1, 2010 has designated Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The Secretary also designated TTP as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under E.O. 13224. Furthermore, the Secretary designated two senior TTP leaders, Hakimullah Mehsud and Wali Ur Rehman, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under E.O. 13224. The Rewards for Justice Program has also announced a five million dollar reward for any information leading to the arrest of Mehsud or Rehman.
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a notice that revokes an ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) license, as follows:
The Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The State Department has issued four notices announcing its designations of: Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) aka Tehrik-I-Taliban Pakistan aka Tehrik-e-Taliban aka Pakistani Taliban aka Tehreek-e-Taliban as a Specially Designated Foreign Terrorist and as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; and Hakimullah Mehsud aka Hakeemullah Mehsud aka Zulfiqar (available here) and Wali Ur Rehman (available here) as Specially Designated Foreign Terrorists.