Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
On March 17, 2005 President Bush nominated Congressman Rob Portman to be U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Congressman Portman is currently a member of the Ways and Means Committee and its subcommittee on Trade, and serves as the Chairman of the House Republican Leadership. (White House personnel announcement (dated 03/17/05) available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/03/20050317-1.html)
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1 Bush Nominates Rob Portman as U.S. Trade Representative
2 Egypt Resumes Imports of U.S. Beef, but Japan Has No Timeframe for Restoring Beef Trade
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a news release announcing that on March 21, 2005, Egypt resumed imports of U.S. beef and beef products from animals less than 30 months of age. However, the Washington File reports that while Japan will work to accelerate resolution of its current ban on beef imports from the U.S., it cannot provide a timetable for action because the issue is now before an independent regulatory body. (USDA News Release No. 0102.05, dated 03/21/05, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2005/03/0102.xml) (Washington File Pub 03/19/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/eap/Archive/2005/Mar/19-557305.html)
3 U.S. and EU Transportation Officials Met on Various Transportation Issues
The State Department's Washington File reports that top U.S. and European Union (EU) transportation officials met in Washington on March 22, 2005, to discuss a variety of issues, including aviation safety, limits on foreign ownership in airline carriers, and new rules on airport access in Europe. The aim of the talks is to produce a common framework on a number of transportation issues between the U.S. and the EU. (Washington File dated 03/23/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=March&x=20050323144028btruevecer0.6940729&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html.)
4. U.S. & Brazilian Textile Industry Groups Urge Their Governments to Introduce Safeguards on Imports from China
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (TDC) reports that a coalition of U.S. textile industry groups and Brazil's Association of Textile and Garment Industry (Abit) have each urged their governments to introduce safeguard measures against Chinese textile imports. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/11/05 news, 05031199 1, for BP summary of the EU textile industry's request for safeguards on 12 China categories.)(TDC notices, dated 03/23/05 and 03/24/05, available at http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/us0505.htm and http://www.tdctrade.com/imn/05032404/clothing167.htm)
5. BIS Issues Editorial Corrections and Updates to the EAR
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule, effective March 22, 2005, amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to update a fax number and a list of information collections. According to BIS this final rule contains editorial corrections and updates only and is not intended to have a substantive effect on the regulations. (Docket No. 050202023-5023-01, FR Pub 03/22/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-5548.pdf)