The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission announces open meetings in Washington, DC on August 11-12, 2010, September 14-15, 2010, September 29-30, 2010, and October 12-14, 2010, to consider the first and later rounds of drafts of material for its 2010 Annual Report to Congress that have been prepared for its consideration, and to make modifications to those drafts.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announces its intention to revise an information collection associated with regulations for the importation of live swine, pork, and pork products from certain regions free of classical swine fever in Chile and Mexico and to request extension of approval of the information collection for an additional three years. Comments are due by October 12, 2010.
The Foreign Agricultural Service's July 2010 Citrus Update states that global production and trade, which is estimated at 49.8 million metric ton (MMT) and 3.5 MMT, are both down 5 percent from the January forecast. Production in Brazil declined 8 percent, from 17.8 MMT to 16.2 MMT, due to excessive rainfall during blossoming and fruit development. U.S. orange trade is expected to continue to rise in response to strong demand from Canada and South Korea and larger exportable supplies. However, South African exports are expected to decline due to reduced exportable supplies and weaker demand from Russia and the Middle East.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of two newly-designated entities and seven individuals in Iran, Lebanon, and Syria whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13224, “Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism,"effective on August 3, 2010.
The State Department announces a public meeting on of its Advisory Committee on Private International Law on September 15, 2010 on the work of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Working Group on International Arbitration and Conciliation regarding transparency in investor-State arbitration.
The Millennium Challenge Corporation is reporting for the quarter January 1, 2010 through March 31, 2010, on foreign assistance provided under section 605 of the Millennium Challenge Act of 2003, and on transfers or allocations of funds to other federal agencies under section 619(b) of the Act.
Export.Gov is announcing that the Commerce Department will hold a conference on Measuring Services Trade Data and Information on September 14, 2010 in Washington, D.C. Discussions will cover areas for improvement and innovation in the collection and dissemination of data. Policy leaders from the Bureau of Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development, as well as private sector innovators in the services information arena will be in attendance.
The Food Safety Inspection Service's Import Permit Guide for Products with Small Amounts of Meat and Poultry, issued in April 2009, is available in the following languages, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The Guide details the requirement that importers of FSIS-exempt food products (e.g. dry soup mixes, bouillion cubes) that contain small amounts (less than 2%) of meat or poultry that comes from an animal disease country will not be granted a new (or renewed) APHIS import permit unless FSIS makes a determination that the meat or poultry ingredient is from an approved source.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced on August 5, 2010 that more than $5.1 million in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) funds have been granted to five organizations to aid in diesel emissions reductions in EPA Region 7. The funds are part of $64 million allocated nationwide this fiscal year through DERA’s grant program. Through DERA, EPA provides support for retrofits, engine upgrades, vehicle replacements, idle reduction, cleaner fuels and financing for clean technologies for trucks, buses, and non-road equipment. One recipient is the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association of Grain Valley, Mo., which will receive a $1 million grant to implement a project with a total cost of more than $2.3 million. Through the project, approximately 300 emission-cutting auxiliary power units (APUs) will be installed in long-haul diesel trucks operating in EPA Regions 6 and 7. (Region 7 includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and nine tribal nations. Region 6 includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and 66 tribal nations.)
The State Department announces that its Shipping Coordinating Committee will conduct two separate open meetings on September 2 and September 10, 2010, to prepare for the upcoming sessions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers (DSC); and of the IMO Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC), respectively.