The U.S. and South Korean business communities need to ensure the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) is implemented quickly and more efficiently to remove bilateral, non-tariff barriers that continue to prevent the pact from reaching its full potential, said Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue during a speech in Seoul on July 24. “In some cases, things are moving too slowly in areas where non-tariff barriers restrict trade, or where new rules or guidelines are required to meet KORUS commitments,” said Donohue. “Resolving these issues quickly is critical to U.S. companies’ confidence in Korea as a good place to invest and do business in.” Administration and industry officials have expressed concern over remaining non-tariff barriers in areas such as agriculture and auto trade (see 13120613). KORUS entered into force in March 2012. Timely implementation is critical for South Korean accession into the Trans-Pacific Partnership in the future, said Donohue. “We will welcome Korea’s entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership once the current negotiations are complete, and we have resolved any outstanding issues related to KORUS implementation,” Donohue added.

The Federal Trade Commission announced on July 22 a settlement with an Ohio-based provider of “Made in USA” certification seals of allegations that the company failed to verify that the products it certified are actually U.S.-origin. Made in the USA Brand, LLC charged $250 to $2,000 for a one-year license to use the certification mark, but never independently evaluated product origin and never turned down an application to use the mark, said the FTC. Under the settlement, the company cannot issue Made in USA seals unless it either independently verifies the origin of the products it is certifying, or discloses to the public that the companies self-certify and are not verified. Comments on the settlement are due Aug. 22, according to a concurrent Federal Register notice (here).

The Fish and Wildlife Service is updating agency addresses in its regulations, as it moves its headquarters down the road from Arlington to Falls Church, Virginia. Effective July 28, references to FWS headquarters will now list the address as 5275 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041-3803.

The Federal Maritime Commission said in a July 24 final rule it will no longer publish lists of Ocean Transportation Intermediary license applications and revocations/terminations in the Federal Register. Instead, FMC will post the information on its website, said the agency. The change will take effect Sept. 22, unless comments in opposition are received by Aug. 22.

The Small Business Administration's Office of the National Ombudsman will hold a regulatory fairness hearing on the Food and Drug Administration's implementation of the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA), said the SBA. The hearing is scheduled for July 31 in Cupertino, Calif. from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., it said. The hearing is expected to include testimony from "small food and grocery manufacturers, food importers and customs brokers" on "compliance issues related to recent regulations" issued as part of FSMA, the SBA said. "Issues reported by participants undergo a high-level fairness review at the appropriate federal agency, and the Office of the National Ombudsman works with its federal agency partners to address those concerns, reduce regulatory burdens, and help small businesses grow."

Beginning on Aug. 1, the Fish and Wildlife Service will no longer provide courtesy notices to importers and exporters that their import/export licenses and designated port exception (DPE) permits are set to expire. For years, the agency has mailed written notifications when the one-year licenses are close to expiration, it said in a public notice dated July 11. But because of “staff and other resource constraints,” FWS says it will no longer provide the service. Holders of wildlife import/export licenses and DPE permits will now be responsible for monitoring expiration dates and obtaining license/permit renewals without notification, said FWS. Agency wildlife inspectors will not clear shipments presented for import or export under expired licenses or DPE permits, it said. FWS says it is looking into providing electronic reminders for users of its eDecs system.

The Federal Trade Commission will make a number of revisions to its guides for rebuilt, reconditioned and other used automobile parts, it said in a notice. The revisions, which are effective Aug. 22, follow an agency review of the guides (see 12051819). The updates are not substantial and are largely stylistic and to improve clarity, it said.

The Federal Trade Commission asked for input on its existing rules for manufacturers and importers of imitation political items, it said in a notice. The rules were implemented as a result of the Hobby Protection Act of 1973 and were last reviewed by the FTC in 2004. The agency asks a number of questions about the rules, including whether there's a continued need for the rules and what benefits they provide. Comments are due Sept. 22.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is amending its regulations on the import/export of nuclear materials in order to implement changes adopted by international organizations to which the U.S. is a party. NRC’s July 10 final rule adopts changes to export controls agreed to by the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2012 and 2013. It also implements revisions to security recommendations made by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The final rule takes effect Aug. 11, except for some changes that are effective Dec. 31.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is amending its regulations on the export and import of nuclear materials and equipment. This final rule is effective in two stages, with partial finalizations on Aug. 11 and Dec. 31. The rule conforms U.S. export controls to the guidelines of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (here), an association of dozens of countries that aim to limit proliferation of nuclear materials. The NRC is not accepting comments on the final rule because a comment period and revision would delay the conforming changes at the expense of the public interest, said the final rule. The rule conforms reactor materials, and related nuclear equipments to the Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines.