On Aug. 20, the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Agricultural Marketing Service is proposing to update its Standards for Grades for several types of onions to allow different colors of onions in a single pack. An AMS notice (here) would allow mixed colors of creole onions when designated as a mixed or specialty pack. A concurrent proposed rule (here) would allow mixed colors of Bermuda-Granex-Grano, as well as other types of onions, as long as they’re also designated as a mixed or specialty pack. Both proposals are due for publication in the Aug. 22 Federal Register. Comments on each are due Oct. 21.
New Plant Protection and Quarantine head Osama El-Lissy pledged a thorough review of the Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection program, among other trade-related initiatives, in an Aug. 20 outline of PPQ priorities for 2013 and 2014. El-Lissy also pledged more cooperation between PPQ, an agency within the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and CBP, as well as with foreign countries like Mexico and Canada.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Aug. 21:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the Commerce Department posted to CBP's website Aug. 20, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at addcvd.cbp.gov. (CBP occasionally adds backdated messages without otherwise indicating which message was added. ITT will include a message date in parentheses in such cases.)
Chipboard letters with printed designs for use in scrapbooks are correctly classified as their constituent material paperboard, and not as printed designs on paperboard, said CBP as it affirmed an earlier tariff classification ruling. The shape of the letters is the most important aspect of the product, and not the printed designs, CBP said.
An administrative law judge recommended an import ban on rubber “tackifier” resins that infringe trade secrets held by the SI Group, after finding violations of Section 337 in an International Trade Commission investigation. The judge recommended a 10-year ban on infringing imports, as well as certifications to CBP from importers of similar but non-infringing rubber resins. The case now goes before the full commission, which will vote on whether to adopt the recommended import ban. According to SI Group, that will happen in November.
The Environmental Protection Agency is extending until Oct. 9 the deadline for comments on its proposed standards for formaldehyde emissions from composite wood products under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). Parts of the proposed rule would impose importer recordkeeping requirements and require TSCA import certifications from importers of composite wood products. EPA issued the proposed rule in June, and originally set the comment period to end Aug. 9 (see 13060715).
On Aug. 19 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
During the week of Aug. 13-19, the Food and Drug Administration modified the following existing Import Alerts (not otherwise listed on the FDA's new and revised import alerts page) on the detention without physical examination and/or surveillance of: