Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade Francisco Sánchez announced the Growth in Emerging Metropolitan Sectors (GEMS) initiative at the June 30, 2010, “Accelerating Inclusive Growth: The Future of the U.S.-India Commercial Relationship” seminar in Washington. The initiative will focus on building commercial ties between the United States and India’s emerging regions.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is reopening the comment period on its proposed rule to add nine constrictor snakes to the list of injurious reptiles under the Lacey Act, which would prohibit their importation into the U.S., with certain exceptions. Comments are now due by July 30, 2010.
The International Trade Administration's Manufacturing and Services Unit is launching a series of regional seminar titled “Manufacture America: Rethink, Retool and Rebuild to Support Jobs," which will include information on entering new market segments or new industries, opportunities for exporting, etc. The first seminar will be held in Morgantown, WV on July 13, 2010.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is seeking public comment on a draft revision of the International Atomic Energy Agency's "Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material'' (TS-R-1), which is scheduled for publication in 2012. Comments are due by October 29, 2010.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective July 1, 2010, which amends Appendix A to 31 CFR Chapter V to reflect the addition to, or removal of persons with whom transactions and dealings are prohibited by various economic sanctions programs, and the addition of Somalia as a sanctions program, etc.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has posted the agenda for its July 7, 2010 Defense Trade Advisory Group Plenary Session, which includes working group discussions on the special exemption for the export of components and spare parts in support of previously exported U.S. origin items, and on the policy on the export/re-export of defense articles incorporated into EAR commodities.
U.S. and Angolan trade and development officials met on June 28, 2010 to discuss means for strengthening bilateral trade and investment ties. The U.S. Trade Representative reports that the meeting was the first held under the United States-Angola Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), which was signed in May 2009. The TIFA provides a high-level forum for advancing cooperation on the full spectrum of trade and investment issues between the United States and Angola.
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 32.4 percent higher in April 2010 than in April 2009, reaching $65.8 billion. This June 29, 2010 release also states that the 32.4 percent increase is the third consecutive monthly increase of at least 24 percent from the previous year.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a proposed rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations to add Export Control Classification Number 6A981 to the Commerce Control List, which would impose new foreign policy export and reexport controls on certain infrasound sensors.