Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a press release announcing that it will begin testing air cargo screening technologies this spring at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) as part of its previously announced $30 million Air Cargo Explosives Detection Pilot Program (ACEDPP). The pilot program is designed to test the screening of significant amounts of cargo within an air cargo facility and will focus on areas to include assessing the flow and speed of cargo screening. (DHS press release, dated 03/26/07, available at www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1174939478443.shtm.)
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1. DHS to Begin Aircraft Cargo Screening Program at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport
2. U.S. and Malta Sign Proliferation-Related Shipboarding Agreement
The State Department has issued a notice announcing that on March 15, 2007, the U.S. and Malta signed a bilateral Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) shipboarding agreement. According to the State Department, this agreement will facilitate cooperation between the U.S. and Malta to prevent illicit shipments by sea of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, or related materials by establishing procedures to board and search vessels suspected of carrying such items that are located in international waters. (State Department notice, dated 03/15/07, available at www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2007/mar/81773.htm.)
3. CPSC Announces Provisional Settlement Agreement, $975,000 Civil Penalty with Fisher Price
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued notice of a provisionally-accepted settlement agreement with Fisher-Price Inc., which contains a civil penalty of $975,000. According to CPSC, this agreement would settle allegations that Fisher-Price failed to timely report a choking and aspiration hazard associated with its Little People Animal Sounds Farm toys, as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act. (CPSC notice, FR Pub 03/09/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-1071.pdf.)
4. AMS Increases Fees for Certain Fruit and Vegetable Inspections, Etc.
The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has issued a final rule, effective April 6, 2007, which, among other things, amends 7 CFR Part 52 by increasing the fees charged for processed fruits, vegetables and processed products by 19-26%, establishing new fee structures for inspection contracts with AMS, amending the fees charged to persons required to have inspections on imported commodities in accordance with the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1937. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/17/06 news, 06071799 6, for BP summary of the proposed rule.) (AMS final rule, D/N AMS-FV-07-0025; FV-05-379, FR Pub 03/07/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-3937.pdf)
5. BIS Lists Serbia and Montenegro as Separate Countries on EAR Chemical Weapons Convention List
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a correction to its final rule adding Serbia and Montenegro as separate countries in the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), etc. in order to add Serbia and Montenegro as separate countries on the list of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention in the EAR. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/01/06 news, 06120120, for BP summary of the final rule.) (BIS correction, D/N 061101286-7039-02, FR Pub 03/19/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-1275.pdf)
6. OMB Approves Coast Guard Info Collection on Required New Employee Entry for TWIC
The Coast Guard has issued a notice announcing that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved an extension and change to the collection of information associated with the amendments requiring vessel and facility owners and operators wishing to grant unescorted access to a new hire prior to the receipt of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to enter the new employee information into a Coast Guard owned and maintained Web site and await results of an expedited threat assessment at 33 CFR 104.267, 105.257, and 162.262. The OMB approval was granted on January 12, 2007, and expires January 31, 2010. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/08/07 news, 07030810, for the final part of BP summaries of the final rule on TWIC implementation, with links to previous parts.) (Coast Guard notice, D/N Coast Guard-2006-24196, FR Pub 03/19/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-4847.pdf)
7. Various Agencies Seek Comments on Information Collections
Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval or extension of approval (see notices for specific details):
| Agency | Information Collection | Comments Due |
|---|---|---|
| FDA 1 | Infant Formula Requirements | 04/25/07 |
| FMC | 46 CFR 515-Licensing, Financial Responsibility Requirements and General Duties for Ocean Transportation Intermediaries and Related Forms | 05/25/07 |
| FDA 2 | Focus Groups as Used by FDA | 05/29/07 |
(FDA 1 Information Collection, FR Pub 03/26/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-5470.pdf)
(FMC Information Collection, FR Pub 03/26/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-5483.pdf)
(FDA 2 Information Collection, FR Pub 03/27/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-5505.pdf)