The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective October 14, 2008, which revises the Export Administration Regulations to implement changes to the Wassenaar Arrangement's List of Dual Use Goods and Technologies (Wassenaar List) as agreed upon in the December 2007 Wassenaar Arrangement Plenary Meeting.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule which would revise and update certain procedures and requirements for the importation, interstate movement, and environmental release of certain genetically engineered (GE) organisms in order to bring the regulations under 7 CFR Part 340 into alignment with the Plant Protection Act. Comments are due by November 24, 2008.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a proposed rule as mandated by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA, Public Law 110-314), that would require cautionary statements on choking hazards in the advertising of certain toys and games in catalogues and other printed materials and the Internet.
On July 31, 2008, the Senate passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (H.R. 4040) conference report, clearing it for the President. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/31/08 news, 08073110, for BP summary of the H.R. 4040 conference report.) (Congressional Record, dated 07/31/08 news, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080731))
On July 17, 2008, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rangel and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Levin introduced H.R. 6530, the Trade Enforcement Act of 2008, to amend U.S. trade laws to eliminate foreign barriers to exports of U.S. goods and services, restore rights under trade remedy laws, strengthen enforcement of U.S. intellectual property rights (IPR) and health and safety laws at U.S. borders, and for other purposes.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule to incrementally increase user fees for import- and export-related services that APHIS provides for animals, animal products, birds, germ plasm, organisms, and vectors in fiscal years 2009 through 2013.
The U.S. Census Bureau has issued its final rule, effective July 2, 2008, which amends 15 CFR Part 30 to make mandatory1 the filing of export information through the Automated Export System or AESDirect2, for all shipments where a Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) is currently required, etc.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a notice postponing the implementation of the Reportable Food Registry (Registry) and its associated electronic portal, both of which the FDA was required to establish by September 27, 2008, pursuant to the Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007 (FDAAA).
On May 22, 2008, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on S. 1919, the Trade Enforcement Act of 2007. Highlights of the witnesses' written statements are provided below, after a summary of the bill.