The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a set of public hearings relating to its February 24, 2012 proposed driver distraction guidelines. The hearings will provide opportunities for the public to present oral testimony regarding the proposal. NHTSA will hold three public hearings on the following dates: March 12, 2012 in Washington, D.C.; March 15, 2012 in Chicago; and March 16, 2012 in Los Angeles. Each hearing will start at 9 a.m. and continue until 12 noon, local time.
On February 28, 2012 Commerce Secretary Bryson held a joint meeting of the Trade Promotion Coordinating Committee and the Export Promotion Cabinet to discuss strategic priorities for promoting trade and U.S. exports and receive input on new initiatives. He highlighted the progress with the National Export Initiative and the need to strengthen efforts to continue to increase U.S. exports. The groups discussed the President’s Executive Order establishing the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center, which will be the primary forum for the federal government to coordinate enforcement of international and domestic trade rules.
The International Trade Administration has issued the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on steel wire garment hangers from China (A-570-918) which sets an AD cash deposit rate for one exporter and continues the China-wide cash deposit rate from the last review for others. These rates, which are effective March 1, 2012, are expected to be implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection soon.
The International Trade Administration has issued the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain steel nails from China (A-570-909) which sets the AD cash deposit rate for 18 exporters and continues the China-wide cash deposit rate from the last review for others. These rates, which are effective March 1, 2012, are expected to be implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection soon.
On February 29, 2012 the following trade-related bills and resolutions were introduced:
During the February 29, 2012 House Ways and Means Committee hearing on the President’s trade agenda, U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk testified that the U.S. is working with the governments of Columbia and Panama to fulfill their commitments so their free trade agreements can take effect soon. He stated that the administration wants to conclude the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) talks this year with an agreement that will address cross-cutting issues such as promoting regulatory coherence among countries, enhancing the participation of small businesses in Asia-Pacific trade, and building regional supply chains that promote U.S. jobs.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board has issued a final rule, effective April 30, 20121, to comprehensively revise and update the Foreign Trade Zone regulations in 15 CFR Part 400. Key revisions in the final rule pertain to activities in and procedures for zones in which an imported component is combined with one or more other components to create a different finished product, and expedited access to FTZ benefits for U.S. manufacturers.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Codex Task Force on Animal Feeding concluded its Sixth Session in Berne, Switzerland on February 24, 2012. The Task Force focused on drafting Proposed Guidelines on the Application of Risk Assessment for Feed and the proposed Prioritized List of Hazards in Feed.
The International Trade Administration has published its quarterly list of (i) completed antidumping and countervailing duty scope rulings and anticircumvention determinations; and (ii) pending scope inquiries and anticircumvention rulings.
The International Trade Administration has initiated an administrative review for certain firms subject to the antidumping duty order on wooden bedroom furniture from China. The ITA intends to issue the final results of this review not later than January 31, 2013.