Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. White House Threatens Veto of Trade Job-Loss Bill, Democrats Threaten Not to Pass FTAs

2. NHTSA Announces Recall of Marathon Child Safety Seats

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a consumer alert announcing that Britax Child Safety, Inc., is recalling more than 34,000 Marathon child safety seats because the seats fail to meet federal standards. The specific Marathon seats being recalled are model numbers E9L06, E9W06, and E906, manufactured between May 23 and June 28, 2006. (NHTSA, dated 10/22/07, available at http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/portal/site/nhtsa/template.MAXIMIZE/menuitem.f2217bee37fb302f6d7c121046108a0c/?javax.portlet.tpst=1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_ws_MX&javax.portlet.prp_1e51531b2220b0f8ea14201046108a0c_viewID=detail_view&itemID=ff2e358a3e8b5110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&pressReleaseYearSelect=2007)

3. FAS Reports on Dried Fruit Exports to HK, China Plant Testing, Mexico's Dairy Imports

The Foreign Agricultural Service has issued three attache reports which respectively state that: (1) Hong Kong's decision to lower its tolerance level on sulphur dioxide from 2000 ppm to 1000 ppm for most dried fruits could affect U.S. dried fruit exports; (2) China's Ministry of Agriculture recently published "Administrative Measures on Testing Guidelines for New Plant Varieties;" and (3) imports of dairy products have grown dramatically in Mexico over the past decade, a trend that is expected to continue over the long-term given tariff elimination under NAFTA and other factors. (Attache Reports, released 10/12/07, 10/22/07, and 10/26/07, respectively, available by query at http://www.fas.usda.gov/cots/attache.html)

4. OFAC Designates Individual and Entity Under Terrorism EO

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a notice publishing the names of one newly-designated individual (AL-KURD, Ahmad Harb) and one newly-designated entity (AL-SALAH Society) whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order (EO) 13224, "Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten To Commit, or Support Terrorism." (FR Pub 10/25/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21052.pdf)

5. APHIS to Allow Importation of Unshu Oranges from Korea into Alaska

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective November 26, 2007, which will amend its regulations governing the importation of citrus fruit to allow fresh Unshu oranges from the Republic of Korea to be imported into the State of Alaska under certain conditions. (D/N APHIS-2006-0133, FR Pub 10/25/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21007.pdf)

6. Treasury Updates Regs on 5-Cent/1-Cent Coin Export Prohibition

The Treasury Department has issued a notice correcting the U.S. Mint's regulations that prohibit the exportation, melting, and treatment of 5-cent and one-cent coins. These regulations, added in December 2006, were inadvertently allowed to expire on April 14, 2007. A final rule, which was published in the April 16, 2007 Federal Register, was intended to extend the effectiveness of these requirements. However, that document failed to set out the revised 31 CFR Part 82 in its entirety, which Treasury corrects in this notice. (FR Pub 10/29/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21272.pdf)

7. AMS Final Rule on Mango Order Term of Office for Board Members

The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a final rule, effective October 26, 2007, adopting, without change, an interim final rule that modifies the term of office provision of the Mango Promotion, Research, and Information Order so that the term of office and term limit for the two wholesaler and/or retailer positions of the National Mango Board be the same as that of other members. (D/N AMS-FV-07-0042; FV-07-702 FR, FR Pub 10/25/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-5268.pdf)

8. FSIS to Allow Export of Poultry, Poultry Products from Chile to U.S.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued a final rule, effective December 3, 2007, which adds Chile to the list of countries eligible to export poultry and poultry products to the U.S. With this final rule, poultry and poultry products processed in certified Chilean establishments may be exported to the U.S and all such products will be subject to re-inspection at U.S. ports of entry. (D/N FSIS-2007-0024, FR Pub 11/01/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21511.pdf)

9. Hass Avocado Order Definition of "Substantial Activity" Will Not Change

The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a press release announcing that the definition of "substantial activity" under the Hass Avocado Promotion, Research and Information Order will not be changed. (In October 2005, AMS issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register inviting comments on a possible change to the definition of substantial activity.) (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/31/05 news, 05103199 2, for BP summary of the FR proposal notice.) (AMS No. 209-07, dated 10/19/07, available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news/209-07.htm)

10. FMC Lists OTI Applications

The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a notice that lists those applying for ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) licenses as a non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC) or NVOCC/ ocean freight forwarder (FF) or NVOCC/FF OTI, as follows:

FMC notice (FR Pub 10/31/07) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-21457.pdf