Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Editorial Warns Trade Community About Shift in the Container Security Debate

The editorial notes that the Defense Department and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have expressed grave misgivings with the container security strategy as it's now carried out and that major defense contractors are touting expensive data infrastructure to aggregate container data. The editorial opines that because of these developments the trade community must be "watchful for nonsensical ideas" that will end up costing importers, carriers, and logistics companies billions to implement, but that won't accomplish their goal. (JoC dated 05/17-23/04, www.joc.com.)

2. U.S., Mexico Reach Agreement on WTO Telecommunications Dispute

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that on June 1, 2004, the U.S. and Mexico reached an agreement to resolve the ongoing World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute over international telecommunications services. According to USTR, the agreement implements recommendations included in the WTO panel report released on April 2, 2004. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/17/04 news, 04031799 4, for BP summary of WTO's ruling in favor of the U.S. in this case.) (USTR release 2004-46, dated 06/01/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/06/04-46.pdf)

3. U.S. Signs Trade and Investment Framework Agreement with 5 Central Asian Countries

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and five Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) on June 1, 2004. According to the USTR, this TIFA will provide a forum to address trade issues and will help enhance trade and investment between the U.S. and Central Asia. (USTR press release 2004-47, dated 06/01/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/06/04-47.pdf.)

4. DOT Announces NAFTA Land Transportation Meetings, Etc.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a notice announcing the tenth annual plenary session of the North American Free Trade Agreement's (NAFTA's) Land Transportation Standards Subcommittee and the Transportation Consultative Group and other related meetings and inviting representatives of non-governmental entities with an interest in land transportation issues to participate in these proceedings and to attend a briefing at a later date. (DOT notice, FR Pub 05/28/04, D/N OST-1995-246, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-12133.pdf.)

5. U.S. Signs Open Skies Aviation Agreement with Gabon

The State Department has announced that the U.S. has signed an Open Skies air transport agreement with Gabon, which, among other things, allows airlines to perform international cargo operations with no connection to their homeland. The State Department notes that with this signing, Gabon becomes the 62^nd bilateral U.S. Open Skies partner, and the 13^th partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. (State Department press release, dated 05/26/04, available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/32861.htm)

6. EPA Fines Importer $13,000 for Unregistered & Misbranded Pesticides

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined Nichino America, Inc. $13,000 for allegedly attempting to import an unregistered and misbranded pesticide into the Port of Long Beach, CA. The EPA notes that any firm that intends to sell imported pesticides within the U.S. must register its product with the EPA. (EPA press release, dated 05/26/04, available at http://cfpub.epa.gov/compliance/newsroom/)

7. Polish National Sentenced in Miami, FL Caviar Smuggling Conspiracy

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a press release announcing that the President of a caviar company in Poland pled guilty and was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his part in a caviar smuggling conspiracy. The conspiracy ring used paid couriers to smuggle suitcases filled with caviar into the U.S. after new international restrictions were announced in 1998 to protect sturgeon. According to DOJ, this was the tenth criminal case to be brought in the Southern District of Florida relating to caviar smuggling over the past three years. (DOJ Press Release 05/21/04, available at http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2004/May/04_enrd_352.htm)

8. ITC Issues Summary of its Practice Relating to Administrative Protective Orders

The ITC has issued an annual report on the status of its practice with respect to, among other things, violations of its administrative protective orders (APOs) in investigations under Title VII of the Tariff Act of 1930 in response to a direction contained in the Conference Report to the Customs and Trade Act of 1990. According to the ITC, this report contains a summary of investigations of breaches in Title VII, Sections 202 and 204 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended, and Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, that were completed during calendar year 2003. The ITC states that there was one completed investigation of a 24-hour rule violation during that period. (FR Pub 05/26/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-11862.pdf)