International Trade Today is providing readers with some of the top stories for March 4-8 in case they were missed.
The Energy Department issued a supplemental proposed rule to establish a new test procedure for television sets. DOE repealed the prior Federal test procedure for TVs in 2009, due to petitions in light of the Federal Communications Commission's transition from analog to digital broadcast transmissions for TVs. DOE is now proposing a new test procedure for TVs that was developed from existing industry test procedures, including those by the International Electrochemical Commission (IEC) and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Comments are due by April 26. Additionally, DOE will hold a public hearing on April 4.
The Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a final rule to list as threatened the yellow-billed parrot (Amazona collaria) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. The yellow-billed parrot final rule applies to all commercial and noncommercial international shipments of live and dead yellow-billed parrots and parts and products, including the import and export of personal pets and research samples. The species is only found in Jamaica and is one of only two Amazona species endemic to the country. The final rule will be effective April 11. The notice also clarifies the specific acts of interstate commerce allowed without a threatened species permit for salmon-crested cockatoos.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) scheduled a public meeting to discuss the agency's budget and program restructuring for April 11 from 10 a.m. to noon, it said in March 12 Federal Register notice. APHIS seeks to engage with stakeholders over several issues related to the decreasing budgets, it said. Issues include public/private partnerships, non-regulatory solutions and new technologies, it said. APHIS will accept comments through May 13 on the issues mentioned in the notice, it said.
Two air freight forwarding companies in Japan agreed to plead guilty and pay the U.S. a total of $18.9 million in criminal fines in connection to a price fixing conspiracy, said the Justice Department in a press release. "K" Line Logistics will pay about $3.5 million and Yusen Logistics will pay $15.4 million, said the DOJ.
In the Feb. 27 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (Vol. 47, No. 10), CBP published a notice of revocation of rulings and treatment regarding the tariff classification of perforating gun assemblies.
Customs Rulings Online Search System (CROSS) was updated March 8 with 151 rulings, bringing the total number of searchable rulings to 176,279. The most recent ruling is dated 03/08/2013.
There may be some delay in the processing of broker license applications because the FBI has stopped processing fingerprint cards for CBP's background checks, said the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America in an alert to its members. CBP will use the Global Entry System (GES) to process the fingerprint cards as it works to find a permanent solution, said the NCBFAA.
March 10-12 Air Cargo 2013, Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas (here)
The New York Shipping Association and the International Longshormen's Association reached a tentative agreement on a contract for the Ports of New York and New Jersey, said a NYSA spokeswoman. "There are a few issues which will require refinement that will be discussed when the parties meet again next week in Tampa, Florida," she said. No details will be released until the tentative agreement is presented to the full ILA wage scale early next week, she said.