U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued Truck Manifest, ABI, and ACE Portal Accounts CSMS messages announcing that ACE was experiencing a problem with (1) output response messages and (2) ACE not receiving Portal manifests. In the messages, CBP noted that EDI manifests were being received and processed, however, no 355 messages were being sent out. According to the ACE Help Desk, as of May 12, 2008, these problems had been resolved.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has posted another new license, Amended General License No. 14, under its Burmese Sanctions Regulations, which authorizes certain additional financial transactions in support of humanitarian or religious activities in Burma (Myanmar), in the wake of Cyclone Nargis.
The House Agriculture Committee reports that on May 8, 2008, Congressional negotiators announced a final Farm Bill conference agreement. According to a Committee fact sheet, the conference agreement includes, among many other things, a provision to make country-of-origin labeling for meat and produce mandatory. (House Agriculture Committee statement available at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/FarmBill.html; Fact Sheet on conference agreement summary available at http://agriculture.house.gov/inside/Legislation/110/FB/Conf/FarmBillOnePager.pdf.)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has posted a new general license under its Burmese Sanctions Regulations that authorizes certain financial transactions in support of humanitarian or religious activities by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Burma (Myanmar).
The Justice Department reports that Tokyo-based Japan Airlines International Co. Ltd. (JAL) has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $110 million criminal fine for its role in a conspiracy to fix rates for international cargo shipments. (DoJ, dated 04/16/08, available at http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/April/08_at_302.html)
On April 18, 2008, the President signed into law (Public Law 110-200) a bill to extend certain trade provisions of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 another week to April 25, 2008 (from April 18, 2008). (See ITT's Online Archives or 04/18/08 news, 08041815, for BP summary of the House and Senate passage of the bill.) (White House statement, dated 04/18/08, available at
The Government Accountability Office released its report entitled, "Intellectual Property: Federal Enforcement Has Generally Increased, but Assessing Performance Could Strengthen Law Enforcement Efforts." (GAO report, GAO-08-157, dated March 2008, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08157.pdf.)
The National Retail Federation has issued a press release urging the Port of Oakland to reject a proposal to impose huge new container fees similar to those approved recently in Los Angeles and Long Beach, and instead adopt a plan to ease air pollution and congestion that is supported by shippers. (NRF press release, dated 03/11/08, available at http://www.nrf.com/modules.php?name=News&op=viewlive&sp_id=491)
Chicago and Cleveland CBP have issued Pipelines stating that Census has announced that its Automated Foreign Trade Zone Reporting Program for FTZ operators will be discontinued on April 1, 2008, as it has determined that the electronic CBP Form 214 (e-214) meets its statistical standards. Census sources state that operators seeking an extension of the April 1, 2008 deadline should contact the Census Bureau. (Chicago Pipeline 08-12, dated 03/07/08 and Cleveland Pipeline 08-050, dated 01/11/08, available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.)
The Port of Los Angeles has posted an announcement to its Web site stating that the LA Board of Harbor Commissioners will vote on the proposed Port of Los Angeles Clean Truck Program at a special Board meeting on March 20, 2008. (LA Web site available at http://www.portoflosangeles.org/)