The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a proposed rule which would add a new License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA) at 15 CFR 740.20 to allow exports, reexports and transfers (in-country) of specified items to destinations that pose little risk of unauthorized use of those items, subject to certain notification and statement requirements.
On December 3, 2010, President Obama announced that the U.S. and South Korea have successfully resolved the outstanding issues with the U.S. - Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), setting the stage for consideration of the agreement by Congress in the coming months.
On November 5, 2010, the United Nations legal committee approved four trade-related draft resolutions relating to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
During October 14, 2010 and September 22, 2010 webinars, Consumer Product Safety Commission officials spoke about imports and the agency’s “new presence and enforcement” since enactment of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA).
On September 20, 2010, Transportation Secretary LaHood announced $7 million is being awarded to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, the Virginia Port Authority and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority to support the transportation of marine cargo between U.S. ports under the America’s Marine Highway Program.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announced on August 16, 2010 the opening of a new plant inspection station for imported plants in Miami, Fla. APHIS states that Miami is the busiest plant inspection location in the U.S., handling 78.5 percent of all propagative plant material imported in 2009. The original facility was no longer able to handle the volume of plant materials received at the Miami port on a daily basis.
On August 11, 2010, Transportation Secretary LaHood announced his selection of marine highway corridors, and an initial eight projects and six initiatives along the corridors that will be eligible for federal assistance under the America’s Marine Highway Program.
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a proposed rule to amend certain of its greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting requirements under 40 CFR Part 98 which took effect in December 2009, pursuant to EPA’s October 2009 final rule establishing mandatory GHG reporting.
The European Parliament has approved legislation to prohibit placing1 illegally harvested timber or timber products on the EU market, require certain due diligence and risk mitigation, and impose penalties for non-compliance.