The Foreign Agricultural Service’s Agricultural Trade Office in Seoul, Korea recently launched a website to showcase potential opportunities to be created by the U.S. Korea Trade Agreement, which will take effect on March 15, 2012. The FAS recommends that U.S. agricultural exporters and those interested in expanding sales to international markets visit the page, titled What U.S. Exporters Need to Know about the KORUS Agreement, to learn about the agreement and understand the new tariff schedules. Information available on the website includes effects of KORUS on key products, monthly Korean trade statistics, and instructions on how to determine tariffs under KORUS.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito, Managing Editor, International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking comments, due by May 16, 2012, on proposed changes to its Appliance Labeling Rule, which requires energy efficiency labels for major household appliances and other consumer products. In reviewing the Rule, the FTC seeks comments on its benefits and costs, and on several proposed changes, including whether the FTC should: (1) eliminate duplicative reporting requirements for manufacturers; (2) require a uniform method for attaching labels to appliances; (3) place EnergyGuide labels on room air conditioner packages instead of the products; (4) improve website disclosures; and (5) revise ceiling fan labels. According to the FTC, the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, approved by a 4-0 Commission vote, will be published in the Federal Register soon.
The International Trade Administration announced on March 5, 2012 that Matthew Murray has been named as the Market Access and Compliance business unit’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Europe and Eurasia, and will join ITA on March 12, 2012. Murray, a Russian affairs expert, will be responsible for recommending, developing, and implementing policies and programs that promote U.S. economic and commercial relations with 52 European countries, and will lead the ITA’s trade policy and market access efforts in Europe and Eurasia.
The International Trade Administration has issued the preliminary results of its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from India (A-533-840) for two manufacturer/exporters. The ITA has also preliminarily determined a margin for 172 companies that were not individually examined, and preliminarily determined that nine companies had no reviewable transactions during the period of review.1 These preliminary results are not in effect. The ITA may modify them in the final results of this review and change the estimated AD cash deposit rate for these companies.
The International Trade Administration has issued the preliminary results of its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on stainless steel bar from India (A-533-810) for two manufacturer/exporters. These preliminary results are not in effect. The ITA may modify them in the final results of this review and change the estimated AD cash deposit rate for these companies.
The International Trade Administration has issued the preliminary results of its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on small diameter graphite electrodes from China (A-570-929) for 8 companies and the China-wide entity (unchanged since last review). These preliminary results are not in effect. The ITA may modify them in the final results of this review and change the estimated AD cash deposit rate for these companies.
The International Trade Administration has issued the preliminary results of its administrative review of the antidumping duty order on certain preserved mushrooms from China (A-570-851) for 5 exporters and the China-wide entity (unchanged since last review). These preliminary results are not in effect. The ITA may modify them in the final results of this review and change the estimated AD cash deposit rate for these companies.
The Department of Defense, General Services Administration, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration issued a final rule, effective March 2, 2012, amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) to incorporate adjusted thresholds for application of the World Trade Organization Government Procurement Agreement and the Free Trade Agreements, as determined by the U.S. Trade Representative.
The Energy Department is extending the time period for submitting comments on its energy conservation standards notice of public meeting and availability of the preliminary technical support document for automatic commercial ice makers. The comment period is extended to April 20, 2012 (from March 9, 2012). Original DOE notice announcing public meeting and request comments (published 01/24/12) here. (FR Pub 03/05/12)
The Office of Science and Technology Policy has announced that the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO), on behalf of the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology Subcommittee of the Committee on Technology, National Science and Technology Council, will hold the “2012 Regional, State, and Local (RSL) Initiatives in Nanotechnology Workshop” in Portland, Oregon on May 1 -- 2, 2012.