Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
On Monday, January 14, 2008, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach approved a new cargo fee that will generate $1.4 billion for transportation projects to improve traffic flow and air quality in the harbor area. The fee will be in addition to the one approved in December to help fund the ports' Clean Trucks Program. (www.polb.com, www.portoflosangeles.com )
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1. Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach Approve Additional Port Fee
2. Teamsters File Suit Against Continuation of U.S.-Mexico Truck Pilot
Shipper's NewsWire reports that on January 7, 2008, the Teamsters filed a letter with the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco claiming that the Bush Administration has violated the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act in moving forward with the U.S.-Mexico cross-border trucking pilot, as the Act defunds the pilot. The article notes that the January 7, 2008 letter adds a new violation to the Teamster's previous suit filed against the pilot and that a February 12, 2008 hearing has been set in the case. (SNW, dated 01/11/08, available at http://www.americanshipper.com/SNW_story.asp?news=81265.)
3. U.S. Trade Deficit Grew in Nov 2007, USTR Promotes FTAs to Expand Trade
The Census Bureau has announced that the U.S. international deficit in goods and services increased to $63.1 billion in November 2007 (from $57.8 billion in October). In response to the trade deficit announcement, the U.S. Trade Representative issued a statement noting the trade expansion benefits of free trade agreements (i.e., the Colombia, Panama, and Korea FTAs, which are awaiting Congressional action). (Census announcement, dated 01/11/08, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/current_press_release/press.html; USTR statement, dated 01/11/08, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/January/Statement_by_US_Trade_Representative,_Susan_C_Schwab_on_monthly_trade_deficit_numbers.html.)
4. CBP Staffing, Facilities, Workload, Etc. Contribute to Long Waits at U.S. Borders
Tahoco Logistics Inc. reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and employees recently testified before the House Homeland Security Committee that staffing shortages, poor training among border personnel, outdated facilities, the workload, and the absence of standardized, tamperproof travel document requirements are contributing to long wait times and security lapses at U.S. borders. (Tahoco, dated 01/09/08, available at http://tahocologistics.blogspot.com/2008/01/staffing-shortages-at-us-border.html)
5. CA Air Resources Board Proposes Funding for Truck Retrofitting
eTrucker reports that the California Air Resources Board is proposing that $25 million in funding go to diesel emissions reduction projects for the South Coast, Central Valley, San Francisco and San Diego air districts, mostly for truck retrofit and replacements. The proposal will go before the entire board for approval at a Jan. 24th hearing, and if approved, allocation will begin immediately. (eTrucker, available at http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=65858)
6. NIST Report Shows High-Tech Industry Effect of Advancing Measurement
The Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology has issued a report which shows that investment in measurement science will continue to have a dramatic effect on innovation, productivity, growth, and competitiveness among high-technology sectors, estimating that the $12 billion spent on advancing measurement capabilities during the decade beginning in 1996 will have saved that sector more than $51 billion in costs by 2011. (NIST report, dated December 2007, available at http://www.nist.gov/director/prog-ofc/report07-2.pdf)
7. BIS Removes Second Definition of Production in 15 CFR 772.1
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a correction to its definition of terms in 15 CFR 772.1 in order to remove the second definition of Production. (BIS correction notice, FR Pub 12/28/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-55526.pdf)
8. CBP LA/LB Bulletins on Annual Broker Fees, Paperless Entries, Etc.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach has recently issued the following Public Bulletins:
Submission of Annual Broker Permit User Fees for 2008 (LA08-001, dated 01/02/08)
Submission of Documents for Paperless Entries Overridden for Review or Examination by the LA/LB Seaport (LA08-002, dated 01/04/08)
CBP Form 7553, Notice of Intent to Export, Destroy or Return Merchandise for Purposes of Drawback - Change in Seaport Processing Procedures (LA08-003, dated 01/03/08)
(LA/LB Public Bulletins are available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
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:
FMC notice (FR Pub 01/09/08) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-197.pdf