On April 17 the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The Food and Drug Administration issued its weekly Enforcement Report for April 17 that lists the status of recalls and field corrections for food, drugs, biologics, and devices. The report covers both domestic and foreign firms.
The Food and Drug Administration is proposing to allow symbols on labeling for medical devices and biological products, as long as the symbol has been established as part of a standard developed by a nationally or internationally-recognized standards development organization. The standardized symbol will have to be part of a standard recognized by FDA for use on medical devices, and it would have to be explained in a symbols glossary that accompanies the device, the agency said. FDA is also proposing to allow the statement “Rx only” on the labeling of prescription devices. Comments on information collection aspects of the proposed rule are due by May 20, and comments on all other parts of the proposal are due by June 18.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is asking for comments by June 17 on whether it should allow importation of oranges and tangerines from Egypt. Based on a commodity import evaluation on the issue for public comment, the agency thinks certain phytosanitary measures would mitigate any pest risk, it said.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service finalized the addition of 31 plants for planting that are quarantine pests, and 107 plants for planting that are hosts of 13 quarantine pests, to its lists of taxa of plants for planting whose importation is not authorized pending pest risk analysis (NAPPRA). The agency said it made some changes to its July 2011 proposal in response to comments it received, only adding 31 pest hosts instead of the proposed 41 (see 11072813). The changes, which may be viewed (here), are effective May 20.
The Agricultural Marketing Service’s March 12 proposed rule to amend Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulations for meat would be even more discriminatory than the current regulation that was struck down by the World Trade Organization, said several commenters on the rule. Both the Canadian and Mexican governments said they intend to retaliate against U.S. exports if the proposal is finalized. Some commenters agreed with the proposal, and said country of origin labeling adds value for U.S. consumers. But others disputed that contention, and said the COOL proposal would instead increase costs for imported meat and for meat processors.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for April 18:
A listing of recent antidumping and countervailing duty messages from the International Trade Administration posted to CBP's website April 17, 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.)
Mexico has made substantial progress in simplifying customs procedures and lowering tariff barriers, said the World Trade Organization in its 2013 Trade Policy Review of the country. In fact, Mexico was one of the only countries in the world to carry out tariff reductions in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, the WTO said. But Mexico still has room to reduce non-tariff barriers, particularly in the area of sanitary and phytosanitary measures, the report said.
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the April 17 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):