On May 20, the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus unveiled its 2009 International Piracy Watch List, announcing it will closely monitor copyright piracy in Canada, China, Mexico, Russia, and Spain. According to the caucus, these countries stand out because of the scope and depth of their piracy problems, which cost the U.S. copyright industries and the millions of Americans who work in these companies more than $25 billion each year. (Caucus press release, dated 05/20/09, available at http://schiff.house.gov/antipiracycaucus/pdf/2009pressrelease.pdf and Caucus 2009 Country Watch List available at http://schiff.house.gov/antipiracycaucus/pdf/IAPC_2009_Watch_List.pdf)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Port of Los Angeles has issued a Public Bulletin informing the general aviation community of a change in procedure that will require all private aircraft to report to a single CBP approved General Aviation Facility (GAF) upon landing from abroad at Los Angeles International Airport. (LA09-017 is available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
The International Trade Administration has announced the Commerce Department's successful culmination of its efforts to ensure extension of both non-metric and metric labeling provisions on product packaging for U.S. businesses exporting to the European Union. The ruling will allow U.S. firms to use non-metric units on packaging and extends the current dual-labeling provisions indefinitely. The rule was published on May 7, 2009 in the Official Journal of the European Union and will be fully in force in the 27 member states by January 1, 2010. (Notice, dated 05/15/09, available at http://www.trade.gov/press/press_releases/2009/EULabeling_051509.asp)
The Foreign Trade Zones Board is requesting public comment by July 14, 2009, on a staff proposal to revise the format of annual reports that are submitted by zone grantees to the Foreign Trade Zones Board. The revisions are intended to clarify the information that is being requested and focus on the information that is most important for oversight of the FTZ program. (FR Pub 05/15/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-11421.pdf)
The Census Bureau reports that the U.S. international deficit in goods and services increased to $27.6 billion in March from $26.1 billion (revised) in February, as exports decreased more than imports. USTR Kirk's statement on the March 2009 trade data is available here. (Notice, dated 05/12/09, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/press.html)
The Commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission were scheduled to vote by May 13th on a CPSC staff recommendation to adopt the most recent (2008) revision to the ASTM F963 toy standard as a mandatory consumer product safety standard, with certain exceptions. (The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) made the 2007 version of the toy standard, and any successor standards (unless objected by CPSC) a mandatory safety standard.) (CPSC ballot vote sheet with staff recommendation (dated 05/11/09) available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/ASTMF963-07.pdf)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice announcing that it has prepared an evaluation of the animal health status of Suffolk and Norfolk Counties, England, relative to the H5N1 subtype of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Comments are due by June 8, 2009. APHIS press release available here. (D/N APHIS-2009-0015, FR Pub 05/07/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-10630.pdf)
The State Department has posted a transcript of comments made by Secretary of State Clinton, as well as the Presidents of Pakistan and Afghanistan at the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan Trilateral Consultations II recently held in Washington, DC. According to the remarks, Afghanistan and Pakistan were to sign a Memorandum of Understanding committing their countries to achieving a trade transit agreement by the end of 2009. (Remarks, dated 05/06/09, available at http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/05/122706.htm.
The Government Accountability Office has issued a report and agency comments on its review and oral briefing for the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on the Department of Homeland Security's fiscal year 2009 expenditure plan for the Secure Border Initiative (SBI). Approval of SBI's expenditure plan by these committees was required before DHS could obligate $400 million of the approximately $775 million appropriated for U.S. Customs and Border Protection fencing, infrastructure, and technology. (GAO report summary, dated 04/30/09, available at http://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-09-274R)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule, effective April 13, 2009, to carry out the purposes of Executive Order 13382, ''Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters" under which sanctions have been in place since June 29, 2005.