Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Senate Passes Own Version of Farm Bill, Requests Conference with House

2. President Signs Energy Bill into Law

The White House has issued a fact sheet announcing that the President has signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 into law. According to the fact sheet, the Energy bill will, among other things, set new appliance efficiency standards, etc. (White House fact sheet, dated 12/19/07, available at

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/12/print/20071219-1.html.)

3. Senate Amends and Passes FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill

On December 18, 2007 the Senate amended and passed H.R. 2764, a fiscal year (FY) 2008 "omnibus" appropriations bill. The House was expected to consider the Senate's version of H.R. 2764 on December 19, 2007. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/19/07 news, 07121999 2, for BP summary on the House passage of its version of H.R. 2764 on December 17, 2007.) (Congressional Record, dated 12/18/07, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20071218).)

4. EU Gains Trade Opportunities in U.S. Postal, R&D, Other Sectors Due to WTO Gambling Dispute

Reuters reports that the European Commission and the U.S. signed a bilateral agreement on December 17, 2007 which provides EU service suppliers with new trade opportunities in the U.S. postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse sectors as part of compensatory negotiations in the U.S.- Antigua and Barbuda on-line gambling World Trade Organization dispute. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/17/07 news, 07071715, for BP summary of a U.S. Trade Representative notice on U.S. compensation talks with 8 countries due to the dispute, with links to previous summaries.) (Reuters, dated 12/17/07, available at http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSL1714465920071217?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews)

5. Canadian Retailer Won't Sell Certain Plastic Bottle Products Due to Health Concerns

MSNBC reports that Canada's Mountain Equipment Co-op has removed from its shelves water bottles and food containers made of polycarbonate plastic containing bisphenol A, becoming the first major Canadian retailer to stop selling such products over fears that bisphenol A, linked to cancer and reproductive problems in animals, can leach from plastic food and water containers. (MSNBC, dated 12/10/07, available at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22183034/)

6. Mercosur to Sign First Free Trade Agreement With Israel

Yahoo! News reports that the Mercosur trading bloc (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Paraguay) will sign its first free trade agreement with Israel during its summit the week of December 17, 2007. According to Israel's Uruguay ambassador, the FTA is broad and complex, with some products getting zero tariffs from the start and others in four years or more. (Yahoo! News, dated 12/16/07, available at http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071216/wl_mideast_afp/mercosursummitisraeltrade_071216230713)

7. Haiti's Economic Growth Rate Increase Tied to Better Security

The State Department's USINFO has issued a press release announcing that State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development officials have stated that an improved economy in Haiti is tied to better security, especially in the capital of Port-au-Prince; and that Haiti will have an economic growth rate of 4.5% in fiscal year 2007, with the same growth rate projected for 2008. (USINFO press release, dated 12/05/07, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2007&m=December&x=200712051518091xeneerg0.7092249)

8. DOT's Aviation Committee Submits Potential Solutions for NY Congestion

The Department of Transportation has issued a press release announcing that its Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), created to review potential solutions to the gridlock hampering New York-area airports, has completed its work and submitted feedback on a range of congestion-fighting possibilities for the region. (DOT-126-07, dated 12/13/07, available at http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot12607.htm)

9. State Dept Final Rule Reorganizes Passport Regulations

The Department of State has issued a final rule effective February 1, 2008, which reorganizes, restructures and updates the passport regulations in 22 CFR Part 51 in order to make them easier for users to access information, to better reflect current practices and changes in statutory authority, and to remove outdated provisions. In general, this rule does not mark a departure from current policy; the intent is to bring greater clarity to the current passport policy and practice. (Public Notice 5991, FR Pub 11/19/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-22461.pdf)

10. AMS Proposes Voluntary Standard a Naturally Raised Meat Marketing Claim

The USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a notice and is requesting comments no later than January 28, 2008 on a proposed voluntary standard for a naturally raised meat marketing claim. (D/N AMS-LS-07-0131; LS-07-16, FR Pub 11/28/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-23103.pdf)

11. NHTSA Proposes to Impose Fee for Cash Deposits in Lieu of Conformance Bond for Nonconforming Vehicles

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a proposed rule to amend regulations in 49 CFR Part 594 in order to establish a fee for the agency's processing of cash deposits or obligations of the U.S. that are furnished in lieu of a DOT conformance bond at the time a nonconforming motor vehicle is offered for importation into the U.S. (D/N NHTSA 2007-0037; Notice 1, FR Pub 11/21/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/30nov20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-22532.pdf)

12. GAO Issues Report on US Trade Policy and the WTO's Declaration on Access to Medicines

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report to Congress titled: "U.S. Trade Policy Guidance on WTO Declaration on Access to Medicines May Need Clarification." Among other things, the report recommends that if Congress disagrees with the USTR's interpretation and implementation of Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) guidance with regard to Intellectual Property (IP) and public health, it should specifiy more clearly its intentions for U.S. trade policy and public health input. (GAO-07-1198, dated 09/28/07, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071198.pdf)

13. GAO Issues Report on the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission

The Government Accountability Office has issued a report to Congress titled: "U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission: Actions Needed to Improve Controls over Key Management Functions." Among other things, the report recommends that Congress should consider aligning the commissioner's appointment dates with the annual report issuance date, in order to improve the report's timeliness. (GAO-07-1128, dated 09/28/07, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d071128.pdf)

14. Recent CPSC Press Releases on Recalls

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued separate press releases (dated 12/01/07 - 12/31/07) announcing that the following companies, in cooperation with the CPSC, are voluntarily recalling the products listed below. Due to the large number of recalls, this is Part II of a multi-part series of summaries. (Press releases available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prereldec07.html)