Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Journal of Commerce reports that in late 2006, the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach adopted a Clean Air Action Plan that sets ground rules for marine terminal and intermodal rail development. The article notes that the environmental impact reports scheduled for release in 2007 indicate that the ports' near-term priorities are the expansion of on-dock rail capacity, enlargement of existing marine terminals and the lengthening of vessel berths. (JoC, dated 01/29/07, www.joc.com.)
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
If your job depends on informed compliance, you need International Trade Today. Delivered every business day and available any time online, only International Trade Today helps you stay current on the increasingly complex international trade regulatory environment.
1. Near-Term Priorities for Ports of LA/LB are Expansion of On-Dock Rail Capacity, Enlarging Existing Marine Terminals, Etc.
2. House Democrats Continue Negotiations on New Trade Policy
The House Ways and Means Committee has issued a press release on the status of negotiations over a new Democratic trade policy. The press release states that the Democrats are still actively negotiating on trade policy with all parties and at all levels. (Committee press release, dated 05/04/07, http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=510.)
3. Schneider Logistics Receives Chinese Permission to Operate
The China Economic Review reports that Schneider Logistics has received permission to operate as a domestic carrier and logistics service provider in China becoming the first North American truckload carrier to establish a domestic business in China. Schneider will offer domestic transportation, logistics and related services from Tianjin. (China Economic Review, dated 04/12/07, available at http://www.chinaeconomicreview.com/logistics/category/courier-services/)
4. Japan Close to Ending U.S. Beef Processing Plant Inspections
Shippers' NewsWire reports that the Japanese government is close to wrapping up a series of audits of U.S. beef processing plants before fully reopening its borders to U.S. beef imports. Once the verification process is complete, Japan will discontinue its requirement of inspecting 100% of the boxes of beef shipped from U.S. plants. (SNW, dated 04/25/07, www.americanshipper.com)
5. EPA Proposes to Grant Petition Allowing for Import of Certain PCBs
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a proposed rule that would amend its rules in order to grant the U.S. Defense Logistics Agency's, a component of the Department of Defense, petition to import foreign-manufactured polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that DOD currently owns in Japan for disposal in the U.S. Comments must be received on or before May 30, 2007. (EPA-HQ-OPPT-2005-0042; FRL-8120-6, FR Pub 04/30/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-8182.pdf)
6. GAO Reports Challenges Remain in Implementing DHS's Atlas Program
The Government Accountability Office has issued a report to congressional committees evaluating the Department of Homeland Security's Atlas program, the expenditure plan for modernizing the Immigration and Customs Enforcement's information technology infrastructure. The report, entitled "Immigration and Customs Enforcement Needs to Fully Address Significant Infrastructure Modernization Program Management Weaknesses," determined that DHS still has much to accomplish to deliver the promised IT infrastructure capabilities and benefits on time and within budget. (GAO-07-565, dated April 2007, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07565.pdf)
7. USTR Issues Federal Register Notice on its 2007 "Special 301" Report
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a Federal Register notice announcing that is has submitted its 2007 "Special 301" Report, an annual report on the identification of those foreign countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons that rely upon intellectual property protection, to the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee. (FR Pub 05/04/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-8496.pdf)
8. BIS Revises Office Names and Addresses, Updates Legal Statements, Etc.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective May 4, 2007, which revises office names and addresses to reflect a recent BIS reorganization, updates the statements of legal authority for ten parts of the Export Administration Regulations, and replaces an outdated statute name and citation with the current name of that statute in one section of the EAR. (D/N 070411085-7088-01, FR Pub 05/04/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-8582.pdf)