Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. House Scheduled to Vote on ATPA/ATPDEA Extension during Week of Feb 25, 2008

2. Toy Industry Association Drafts Proposal to Strengthen Safety

The Toy Industry Association reports that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and a working group of industry, retail, government and consumer representatives has finished drafting a proposal to strengthen the testing and verification of safety for toys sold in the US market. (TIA press release, dated 02/01/08, available at http://www.toyassociation.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Press_Releases&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=4499)

3. WTO Preliminarily Rules in Favor of U.S. in China Auto Parts Dispute

The International Political Economy Zone reports that the U.S. has won a preliminary ruling in a World Trade Organization dispute concerning auto parts exports by the U.S., EU, and Canada to China for which Chinese authorities levied tariffs equivalent to those for complete automobiles. The WTO's final report in the case is expected to be made public by the second or third quarter of 2008. (IPEZ, dated 02/13/08, available at http://ipezone.blogspot.com/2008/02/china-loses-to-us-in-wto-auto-parts.html)

4. NHTSA Warns Parents of Evenflo's Discovery Child Safety Seat Recall

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has issued a press release urging parents with Evenflo Discovery child safety seat Models 390, 391, 534 and 552 manufactured between April 2005 and January 29, 2008, to be aware that Evenflo is recalling approximately one million Discovery child safety seats that could fail to adequately protect children in a high impact side collision. (NHTSA, dated 02/01/08, 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&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=token&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=token&itemID=17ff4dd7880d7110VgnVCM1000002fd17898RCRD&overrideViewName=PressRelease)

5. U.S. and Australia Initial Open Skies Agreement

The State Department has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and Australia have initialed an agreement on a comprehensive Open Skies framework in which airlines (not the respective governments) will decide which cities to serve, the frequency of flights, the equipment used, and the prices charged. The State Department adds that the U.S. has concluded Open Skies agreements with 90 countries and territories. (State Dept. press release, dated 02/15/08, available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2008/feb/100956.htm)

6. ITC Posts Working Paper on China's Market for Large Civil Aircraft

The International Trade Commission has issued a working paper entitled, "China's Growing Market for Large Civil Aircraft," which describes China's growing market for LCA and the challenges for LCA producers in realizing China's potential market. It further discusses China's trade in LCA and parts, U.S. exports and imports with China, key infrastructure and regulatory challenges in China, and China's ambitions of building a domestic LCA by 2020. (ITC working paper, dated February 2008, available at http://www.usitc.gov/ind_econ_ana/research_ana/research_work_papers/documents/ChinaLCA2-14-2008final.pdf)

7. Census Issues 2008 Winter/Spring AESPcLink Workshop Schedules

Census issued AES broadcasts regarding the following 2008 winter/spring AESPcLink workshop schedules:

San Diego, CA; Los Angeles, CA; and Denver, CO

Newark, NJ and Boston, MA

Milwaukee, WI and Chicago, IL

(AES broadcasts 2008011, 2008012, and 2008013, dated 01/08/08, available at http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/documentlibrary/broadcasts/2008011.html; http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/documentlibrary/broadcasts/2008012.html; and http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/documentlibrary/broadcasts/2008013.html)

8. CA Transportation Research Board Workshop on Air Quality March 17-18

The Transportation Research Board of California has announced that it is sponsoring the Data for Goods Movement Impacts on Air Quality Workshop on March 17-18, 2008, in Irvine, CA, which will explore the data sources needed to measure the impact of freight flows on air quality. The workshop will focus on California as an example setting, but the findings about data and issues will have widespread applicability. (TRB notice, posted 11/02/07, available at http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=8355)

9. DEA to Amend List of Non-Traditional Countries Authorized to Export Narcotic Raw Materials

The Drug Enforcement Agency has issued a final rule, effective March 7, 2008, amending the list of non-traditional countries authorized to export narcotic raw materials (NRM) to the U.S. by removing Yugoslavia and adding Spain. This final rule provides DEA registered importers with another potential source from which to purchase NRM that are used in the production of controlled substances for medical purposes in the U.S. (DEA final rule, D/N DEA-282F, FR Pub 02/06/08, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-2142.pdf)

10. CPSC Corrects 2006 Final Rule on Flammability Standard of Mattress Sets

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a correcting amendment, effective February 6, 2008, to the flammability standard for mattress sets that were published in the March 15, 2006 Federal Register. The corrections clarify technical aspects of running the flammability test required by the standard, clarify that the certification statement on the mattress set label may appear in another language in addition to English, etc. (CPSC final rule, FR Pub 02/06/08, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-2027.pdf)

11. Foreign-Trade Zones Board Actions

The FTZB has issued the following notice of recent FTZ actions:

12. APHIS Pest Risk Analysis on Importation of Blueberries from Guatemala

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice advising the public that it has prepared a pest risk analysis that evaluates the risks associated with the importation into the continental U.S. of blueberries from Guatemala. Based on its analysis, APHIS believes that the application of one or more designated phytosanitary measures will be sufficient to mitigate the risks of introducing or disseminating plant pests or noxious weeds via the importation of blueberries from Guatemala. Comments are due on or before April 7, 2008. (APHIS notice, D/N APHIS-2008-0025, FR Pub 02/07/08, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-2263.pdf)

13. APHIS Adopts Wood Packaging Material Interim Rule as Final

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice announcing that it is adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations for the importation of unmanufactured wood articles to bring the methyl bromide treatment schedule into alignment with current international phytosanitary standards. This final rule is effective February 7, 2008. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/04/07 news, 07060430, for BP summary of interim rule.) (APHIS final rule, D/N APHIS-2006-0129, FR Pub 02/07/08, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-2262.pdf)

14. CBP Accredits Six Companies as Commercial Gaugers and/or Laboratories

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued notices stating that it has accredited and approved the following companies as commercial gaugers and/or laboratories for petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils, and to test petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes, in accordance with 19 CFR 151.12 and/or 151.13, on the effective dates listed (see individual notice for dates of next triennial inspections):

(Intertek - Chickasaw, AL; Deer Park, TX; and Fort Lauderdale, FL, FR Pub 02/20/08, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-3090.pdf)

(SGS; SEA; and Intertek - Ponce, PR, FR Pub 02/20/08, available athttp://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-3097.pdf)

15. Various Agencies Seek Comments on Information Collections

Various U.S. government agencies are seeking comments on the following information collections for which they have requested or intend to request Office of Management and Budget approval or extension of approval (see notices for details):

APHIS 1 & 2 Information Collections (FR Pub 02/25/08) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-3495.pdf

FDA Information Collection (FR Pub 02/25/08) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20081800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-3415.pdf