On April 12, 2012, 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 released three documents to phase out the use of medically important drugs for feed efficiency or growth promotion in food-producing animals and provide that they be used only for animal health purposes under the supervision of a veterinarian. The three documents include: (1) a final guidance for industry on The Judicious Use of Medically Important Antimicrobial Drugs in Food-Producing Animals, which establishes a framework for phasing out the use of these drugs for feed efficiency or growth promotion and phasing in veterinary consultation or oversight of their medical uses in food-producing animals; (2) a draft guidance, for public comment, to drug companies on how to revise product labels for important antimicrobial drugs to no longer include use for feed efficiency or growth promotion, and include veterinary oversight or consultation; and (3) a draft proposed regulation, also for public comment, amending the regulation that governs veterinary authorization for the use of certain drugs in animal feed.
The Food and Drug Administration said Seng Ong Wholesale, Inc. and Import Foods Wholesale Inc., both of St. Paul, MN, are recalling certain dried and smoked fish products after Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture Laboratory personnel discovered that the products were not properly eviscerated prior to processing. The sale of improperly eviscerated fish, 5 inches in length or greater, is prohibited because Clostridium botulinum spores are more likely to be concentrated in the viscera than any other portion of the fish. Uneviscerated fish has been linked to outbreaks of botulism poisoning which may pose a potentially life-threatening health hazard.
Mexico's Diario Oficial of April 13, 2012, lists notices from the Secretary of the Economy as follows:
The International Trade Administration is seeking comments by approximately May 2, 2012 on an application for an Export Trade Certificate of Review from Panama Poultry Export Quota, Inc. PAN--PEQ plans to export chicken leg quarters (or parts of chicken leg quarters) to Panama. An Export Trade Certificate of Review protects the holder and the members identified in the Certificate from state and federal government antitrust actions and from private, treble damage antitrust actions for the export conduct specified in the Certificate and carried out in compliance with its terms and conditions.
Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade Michelle O’Neill said she will lead an automotive parts and components trade mission to Russia, April 23-27, 2012. Representatives from 13 U.S. automotive manufacturing and service companies that supply parts and environmental solutions ranging from fenders, gaskets, and induction heating system, to emission reduction, leak testing, and engineering design will visit Moscow, Samara, and St. Petersburg, in order to meet with potential buyers to increase exports. In 2010, vehicles sales in Russia grew 30 percent, and are expected to continue at about 15 percent per year through 2015, according to the International Trade Administration.
Commerce Secretary John Bryson today announced the appointment of seven new members of the Manufacturing Council, which advises the Secretary of Commerce on government policies and programs that affect U.S. manufacturing and provides a forum for proposing solutions to industry-related problems. Each of the appointments fills an existing vacancy, and will bring the Council up to a total of 25 members. New appointees to the Manufacturing Council are as follows:
The Census Bureau released its report entitled “Profile of U.S. Importing and Exporting Companies” for 2009-10, which provides a statistical analysis of imports and exports by company size, company type, state of origin and destination, industry, etc. Highlights of the report include:
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the April 13, 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 ITT article):
The International Trade Commission voted to institute an investigation of certain audiovisual components and products containing the same (337-TA-837). The products at issue in this investigation are Wi-Fi components, multimedia processing components, digital televisions (DTVs), Blu-ray players, DVD players/recorders, DTV/DVD combinations, DTV/Blu-ray combinations, multimedia streaming players, home theater systems, etc.