Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
On September 14, 2006, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 4954, the SAFE Port Act. Prior to its passage, the Senate adopted numerous amendments, including an amendment which would, according to the Congressional Record, require the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that all cargo containers are screened before arriving at a U.S. seaport, that all high-risk containers are scanned before leaving a U.S. seaport, and that integrated scanning systems are fully deployed to scan all cargo containers entering the U.S. before they arrive in the U.S. Before passage of H.R. 4954, the Senate rejected an amendment that would have ensured that foreign ports participating in the Container Security Initiative (CSI) scan all containers shipped to the U.S. for nuclear and radiological weapons before loading. (Congressional Record, dated 09/13/06 and 09/14/06, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r109:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20060913) and http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r109:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20060914).)
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1. Senate Passes its Own Version of SAFE Port Act
2. Senate Approves U.S.-Uruguay Bilateral Investment Treaty
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that the Senate has approved a resolution of advice and consent for the U.S.-Uruguay Bilateral Trade Investment Treaty (BIT) that was signed by the two countries on November 4, 2005. The USTR notes that the investment protections in the treaty will offer current and future U.S. investors in Uruguay a more stable and predictable legal and regulatory environment, promoting increased investment in Uruguay, and greater two-way trade. (USTR press release, dated 09/14/06, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/September/United_State_Senate_Approves_US_-_Uruguay_Bilateral_Investment_Treaty.html)
3. Mexico Revokes AD Duties on U.S. Long Grain White Rice
The USTR has issued a press release announcing that Mexico has revoked the antidumping (AD) duties on U.S. long grain white rice after the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreed with the U.S. that the duties were contrary to WTO rules. The press release further states that in addition to finding against the AD duties, the WTO also found that several provisions of Mexico's AD and countervailing (CV) duty law are inconsistent with the WTO AD Agreement and the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and CV Measures. (USTR press release, dated 09/14/06, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/September/Mexico_Revokes_Antidumping_Duties_on_US_Long_Grain_White_Rice.html)
4. BIS Corrects Notice on the Adding of Nine Additional Entities Related to Mayrow General Trading
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued notice correcting its September 6, 2006 final rule that revised the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) at 15 CFR Part 736 by amending General Order No. 3 in order to add nine additional entities related to Mayrow General Trading. The correction clarifies the final rule by stating that the entire paragraph (a)(1) under General Order No. 3 was being revised. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/11/06 news, 06091120, for BP summary of BIS' final rule.) (BIS correction, FR Pub 09/13/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-15135.pdf)
5. Vietnam Is Now U.S.' Second Largest Supplier of Quota-Free Apparel
The National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) reports that exports of apparel from Vietnam grew faster than any other major U.S. supplier (including China) in the first six months of 2006. NCTO notes that Vietnam is now the second largest supplier to the U.S. market in quota-free apparel categories. NCTO states that exports from Vietnam have cut deeply into exports from NAFTA and CAFTA countries. (NCTO Press Release, dated 08/30/06, available at http://www.ncto.org/newsroom/pr200614.asp)
6. OFAC Issues Enforcement Information Through September 1, 2006
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a document containing enforcement information through September 1, 2006. The documents lists settlements with five companies for various alleged violations of the Libyan Sanctions, the Cuban Embargo Program, the Iranian Sanctions Program, and the Sudanese Sanctions Program. (OFAC Pub 09/08/06, available at http://www.ustreas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/civpen/penalties/09082006.pdf)
7. FMC Lists OTI Revocations and Applications
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued two notices that either revoke OTI licenses, or list those applying for OTI licenses as a non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC), or NVOCC/FF OTI, as follows:
| Fortune Logistics (USA) Inc. (CA) |
FMC notice (revocations) (FR Pub 07/06/06) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-10545.pdf
FMC notice (applications) (FR Pub (07/06/06) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-10544.pdf)
8. FMC Corrects OTI Application
The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a notice which corrects the name of the applicant as follows:
"Arik Hezrom, President"
FMC notice (FR Pub (08/16/06) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-13460.pdf)