Businessmen from the B20 Trade and Investment Task Force, together with Jose Angel Gurria of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), held a meeting with the Trade Ministers of the G20, where they presented a working paper and recommendations, according to the G20. During the ministerial meeting, led by the Mexican Secretary of Economy, Bruno Ferrari, the businessmen highlighted the role played by trade and investment as promoters of development, economic growth and employment.
Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced that it revised ordinances regarding the provision of information about harmful chemicals and their handling to: (i) conform to the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Label-ling of Chemicals (GHS), and (ii) reconcile the standards regarding indications about hazardous and harmful chemical products. These revisions are effective June 1, 2012, for notification of chemical substances, and April 1, 2015, for mixtures. METI also revised its guidance on Measures to Be Taken by Business Operators Handling Designated Chemical Substances for Class I and II chemicals substances.
The Foreign Trade Zones Board is issuing the following notices for April 23, 2012:
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the April 23, 2012, 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 TIT article):
The International Trade Administration is publishing notices in the April 23, 2012, Federal Register on the following AD/CV proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, the scope, affected firms, or effective dates will be detailed in another TIT article):
The International Trade Administration is amending its recently published final results for its antidumping duty administrative review of tapered roller bearings and parts thereof from China (A-570-601) in order to correct an error in the AD cash deposit rate for Changshan Peer Bearing Company, Ltd. and two other exporters. The amended rates, which are effective January 17, 2012, are expected to be implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection soon.
On April 20, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The Commodity Credit Corporation said it's accepting proposals by May 21, 2012, for its 2013 Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program, which is designed to assist U.S. organizations by providing funding for projects that address sanitary, phytosanitary, or related technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. U.S. specialty crops, for the purpose of the TASC program, are defined to include all cultivated plants, or the products thereof, produced in the U.S., except wheat, feed grains, oilseeds, cotton, rice, peanuts, sugar, and tobacco.
The Commodity Credit Corporation said it's accepting proposals by May 21, 2012, for its 2013 Foreign Market Development Cooperator program, which is designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Under the Cooperator program, the Foreign Agricultural Service enters into agreements with eligible non-profit U.S. trade organizations to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities.
The Commodity Credit Corporation said it's accepting proposals by May 21, 2012, for its 2013 Market Access Program (MAP), which is designed to create, expand, and maintain foreign markets for U.S. agricultural commodities and products through cost-share assistance. Under the MAP, the CCC enters into agreements with eligible participants to share the cost of certain overseas marketing and promotion activities. Only non-profit U.S. agricultural trade organizations, nonprofit state regional trade groups, U.S. agricultural cooperatives, and state government agencies can participate directly in the brand program.