The International Trade Administration has issued a notice announcing the opportunity for interested parties to request administrative reviews by June 1, 2010 for the following antidumping and countervailing duty orders.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of five individuals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo whose property and interests in property have been blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13413, “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Contributing to the Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo,” effective April 28, 2010. (OFAC notice, FR Pub 05/04/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-10298.pdf)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted an April 2010 Overview of the toxicity of dialkyl ortho-phthalates (O-DAPs), a class comprising about 30 commercial products. The overview is accompanied by detailed staff toxicity reviews of the six banned phthalates, as well as a contractor's report summarizing the toxicity of five phthalate substitutes. (Overview, posted 04/16/10, available at http://www.cpsc.gov/ABOUT/Cpsia/phthalover.pdf)
The U.S. International Trade Commission has launched an investigation into the effects of market access measures and conditions of competition for U.S. agricultural exports to China. The investigation, China’s Agricultural Trade: Competitive Conditions and Effects on U.S. Exports, was requested by the Senate Finance Committee on April 1, 2010.
The Federal Maritime Commission has announced that it will hold confidential hearings on May 11-13, 2010 pursuant to its investigation into current conditions and practices in the U.S. liner trades, including container vessel capacity and equipment availability, as well as potential impediments to the flow of ocean-borne import and export trades.
On April 28, 2010, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano delivered remarks highlighting the Department’s ongoing efforts to bolster aviation security at the National Chamber Foundation’s Annual Aviation Summit—a forum sponsored by the non-profit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in order to foster public debate on emerging critical aviation issues. (News release, dated 04/28/10, available at http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1272490740438.shtm)
The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to request data and information on the food1 transportation industry and its practices. FDA is also requesting data and information on the contamination of transported foods and any associated outbreaks.
The International Trade Administration is requesting comments on any subsidies, including stumpage subsidies, provided by certain countries exporting softwood lumber or softwood lumber products to the U.S. during the period July 1 -- December 31, 2009.
The International Trade Administration has issued a fact sheet announcing its affirmative preliminary determinations in the antidumping duty investigations of certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses from China and Indonesia (A-570-958 and A-560-823).
The State Department has announced that the U.S., Canada and Mexico submitted a joint North American proposal on April 30, 2010 to phase down the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. (State release, dated 04/30/10, available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/04/141074.htm)