The Drug Enforcement Administration is listing mesocarb, a substance with stimulating properties marketed in Russia for treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder that has no approved medical use and no known therapeutic application in the U.S., under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice published Nov. 22. “This action imposes the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess), or propose to handle mesocarb," DEA said. The listing takes effect Dec. 22.

Flexport denied allegations by Indiana-based Philip Reinisch Co. that it violated the Shipping Act and asked the Federal Maritime Commission to dismiss the September complaint, which said Flexport failed to include required information on more than $100,000 worth of detention and demurrage charge invoices (see 2210040021).

Simon Lester, president of China Trade Monitor and WorldTradeLaw.net, said he doesn't expect any large changes in the Biden administration's trade policy following the midterm elections. In a blog post Nov. 15, Lester wrote that while the administration could look at the election results as not provoking too much of a backlash to its trade policy, it's more likely that the election cycle was favorable to Democrats, due to the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision and "terrible" GOP candidates.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is listing amineptine, a synthetic tricyclic antidepressant with central nervous system (CNS) stimulating properties, under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice released Nov. 16. “This action imposes the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to schedule I controlled substances on persons who handle (manufacture, distribute, reverse distribute, import, export, engage in research, conduct instructional activities or chemical analysis with, or possess), or propose to handle, amineptine," DEA said. The listing takes effect Dec. 19.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to tighten endangered species permit requirements for imports and exports of African elephants. The agency’s proposed rule, released Nov. 16, would remove an exception from permit requirements for imports and exports of live African elephants and establish standards used to evaluate “enhancement” permits for imports of wild-sourced live African elephants. The proposal also would clarify the FWS’s existing enhancement requirement for applications to import sport-hunted trophies. FWS would also incorporate a country’s designation under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species National Legislation Project into the decision-making process for the import of live African elephants, African elephant sport-hunted trophies, and African elephant parts and products other than ivory and sport-hunted trophies, the agency said. Comments are due by Jan. 17.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said that if China has not complied with its World Trade Organization accession provisions, Congress should pass a law "to immediately suspend China’s Permanent Normal Trade Relations" treatment, which would mean that Chinese imports would face higher base tariffs than from nearly all other countries. Then Congress should assess what conditions it would require to renew Chinese imports' eligibility for Most Favored Nation Tariffs, the commission said in its annual report, released Nov. 15.

The Federal Maritime Commission hired Phillip "Chris" Hughey as general counsel, where he will provide legal advice and recommendations to the FMC chair and commissioners on regulatory and policy matters, the commission announced Nov. 7. Hughey has previously served as the commission’s deputy general counsel and most recently worked as a foreign service officer with the State Department. Katia Kroutil had been serving as the commission’s acting general counsel and is now listed on the FMC’s website as acting assistant general counsel for general law and regulation.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule reclassifying the palo de rosa (Ottoschulzia rhodoxylon), a small evergreen tree native to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, from endangered to threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the emperor penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri), a flightless bird species from Antarctica, as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The listing includes a 4(d) rule for this species that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect Nov. 25.

President Joe Biden signed a new executive order expanding the power of the Treasury Department to potentially block imports from Nicaragua. The Oct. 24 Executive Order on Taking Additional Steps to Address the National Emergency With Respect to the Situation in Nicaragua allows the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretaries of State and Commerce to prohibit imports of Nicaragua-origin products from certain sectors.