Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
American Shipper reports that in January 2008 China Shipping Container Lines will become the 15th member of the Transpacific Stabilization Agreement, the Asia-U.S. container shipping discussion agreement. (AS, dated 11/19/07, www.americanshipper.com)
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1. China Shipping to Become 15th Member of Transpacific Stabilization Agreement
2. U.S. Charges Six with Trafficking in Counterfeit Designer Clothing
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a press release announcing that six individuals - Sam Wang, aka Hwa Shan Wang, Hussein Nasser, Hussein Chahine, Hassan Chahine, Ali Fayad Nasser, and Colin Tsai, aka Chang-Yeh Tsai - were recently arrested on charges that they conspired to import and distribute millions of dollars worth of counterfeit clothing bearing various urban and hip-hop-style designer labels. According to complaints filed in Manhattan federal court: from August 2003 through November 2007, the six individuals imported counterfeit designer clothing from China, sold the clothing in the New York metropolitan area and elsewhere in the U.S., and then laundered the proceeds from the illegal sales. (Press release, dated 11/15/07, available at http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/071115newyork.htm)
3. Proposed Fruit Fly Quarantine Area Expansion Includes Portion of LA Port
The California Department of Food and Agriculture has issued a Finding of Emergency due to the detection of Mediterranean fruit flies in Los Angeles County on October 24, 2007. It proposes further expanding the quarantine area established on October 29, 2007 (about 57 square miles) by approximately 2 square miles to include a southwestern portion of the port of Los Angeles. (Finding of Emergency available at http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/phpps/docs/3406_FOE_MedFF_Int_AddPortionLAPort-2007.pdf)
4. Defense FY 08 Funding Signed into Law; CR Through Dec. 14, 2007
The White House has issued a press release announcing that on November 13, 2007, President Bush signed H.R. 3222 into law which provides fiscal year 2008 appropriations for the Department of Defense military programs and a continuing resolution (CR) which provides FY 2008 appropriations for continuing projects and activities of the Federal Government through December 14, 2007. (Press release, dated 11/13/07, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/11/20071113-3.html)
5. WTO Accord May Improve Access to Clean-Energy Tools But Increase Pollution
Reuters reports that a new World Trade Organization accord could improve access to clean-energy tools in poorer countries. However, slashing import taxes, duties and tariffs may also increase polluting output from the cars, trucks, boats and planes shipping such goods worldwide, as the transport sector accounts for a quarter of the world's energy-related output of greenhouse gases. (Reuters, dated 11/16/07, available at http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKL1641431620071116)
6. USDA Grants Protection to 17 New Plant Varieties
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has issued certificates of protection to developers of 17 new varieties of seed-reproduced and tuber-propagated plants, including bluegrass, fescue, oat, soybean, triticale and wheat. AMS states that owners will have the exclusive right to reproduce, sell, import and export their products in the U.S. for the duration of protection. (AMS No. 189-07, dated 11/09/07, available at http://www.ams.usda.gov/news/189-07.htm)