Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Internet Has Changed Cargo Theft, Currently No Secure Prevention

2. Teamsters, NRDC Warn Shipping Lines About SoCal Terminal Development

American Shipper reports that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the National Resources Defense Council sent letters to major shipping lines threatening to challenge any future development at Southern California container terminals unless they have approved the projects beforehand. (American Shipper, dated 12/06/07, www.americanshipper.com)

3. Certain African Nations May Lose EU Trade Benefits Unless They Sign Deals by Year's End

The Parliament reports that the European Union and certain African nations have failed to reach agreement in their negotiations to replace existing preferential trade agreements with a new series of "economic partnership agreements." If agreements are not reached by December 31, 2007, the African countries could lose tariff-free access to European markets. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/04/07 news, 07120499 2, for BP summary of a new trade deal reached between East African countries and the EU.)(The Parliament, dated 12/10/07, available at http://www.theparliament.com/EN/Bulletins/PressReview/Items/200712/306bcef8-4f43-4634-b572-b5da29fe1ca5.htm)

4. TSA Updates its Quarterly TWIC Deployment Plan

The Transportation Security Administration has issued an updated version, as of December 18, 2007, of its quarterly deployment plan for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TSA's TWIC Quarterly Deployment Plan as of 12/18/07, available at http://www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/twicquarterlydeploymentschedule_12_18_07.pdf)

5. FAS Reports on Canadian Export Certificates, "Counterfeit" Italian foods, EU Allergen Labeling

The Foreign Agricultural Service has issued three attach reports which respectively state that: (1) for the 2007 Annual Canada report, updates were made to the sections covering the Export Verification Certificate for Bison, organic food, and the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Certification; (2) Italian farmer associations are calling on the Italian government and the European Union to help stop the growing business in "counterfeit" Italian foods; and (3) European Commission Directive 2007/68/EC repeals an earlier directive and establishes a list of ingredients and substances which are permanently exempted from the mandatory allergen labeling requirement. (Attach reports, released 11/29/07, 12/07/07, and 12/10/07, respectively, available by query at http://www.fas.usda.gov/cots/attache.html)

6. Foreign Subsidiary Settles Charges of Antiboycott Violations

The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a press release announcing that Colorcon Limited of the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of Colorcon, Inc. of West Point, PA, has agreed to pay a $39,000 civil penalty to settle allegations that it committed 21 violations of the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations for, among other things, furnishing items of prohibited information about business relationships with boycotted countries or blacklisted persons to persons in Syria. (BIS press release, dated 12/07/07, available at http://www.bis.doc.gov/news/2007/colorcon12072007.html)

7. U.S.-Vietnam Hold First Meeting Under Trade and Investment Framework

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that USTR Schwab and the Chairman of Vietnam's Office of Government met on December 17, 2007 for the first ministerial meeting under the U.S.-Vietnam Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which focused on Vietnam's implementation of its World Trade Organization commitments as well as ways to further deepen trade and investment relations between the U.S. and Vietnam. (USTR press release, dated 12/17/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/December/United_States_Vietnam_Hold_First_Meeting_Under_Trade_Investment_Framework_Agreement.html)

8. FMC Corrects OTI Applicant Name

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a notice which corrects the name of the applicant listed in the October 17, 2007 Federal Register as Manns Freight Systems, Inc. dba Guardian Global Transport to read: "Manna Freight Systems, Inc. dba Guardian Global Transport."

FMC correction notice, FR Pub 11/15/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-22383.pdf

9. FMC Lists OTI Applications

The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a notice listing those applying for Ocean Transportation Intermediary (OTI) licenses as a Non-Vessel Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC), Ocean Freight Forwarder (FF), or NVOCC/FF, as follows: