The International Trade Commission is seeking submissions for the foreign-trade zones investigation it is doing, which includes a question on whether firms manufacturing in American FTZs are at a disadvantage to firms operating in similar zones in Canada and Mexico. A notice in the Federal Register gives details about a public hearing in connection with the ITC investigation that will be held May 17. Requests to testify must be submitted by May 3. The report will be complete and sent to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative by April 14, 2023, the agency said.
The New York state legislature is currently considering a bill that would impose oversight and transparency in the supply chains of major fashion companies that do business in the state. The state Senate and Assembly versions of the Fashion Sustainability and Social Accountability Act would require fashion retailers with global revenues over $100 million to "map their supply chains, disclose the environmental and social impact of their activities, and set targets to improve those impacts." It would require fashion businesses to disclose "environmental and social due diligence policies, process and outcomes, including significant real or potential advice about environmental and social impacts, and disclose targets for prevention and improvement" including "supply chain mapping and disclosure" and "map[ping] suppliers across all tiers of production." A minimum of 50% of suppliers by volume would need to be mapped under the proposed law. This effort is part of a larger trend toward increased oversight of the fashion industry and would impose a duty on major brands to actively monitor their supply chains. The bill was introduced in January 2021 and currently is in the Senate Consumer Protection Committee.
The U.S. and the United Kingdom this week began talks aimed at resolving their trade dispute over steel and aluminum tariffs (see 2112210051), the two countries said in a Jan. 19 joint statement. Although they didn’t release a timeline for the negotiations, the two sides will try to seek “effective solutions” for the Trump-era Section 232 aluminum and steel tariffs and the U.K.’s subsequent retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to list five tryptamine hallucinogens -- 4-OH-DiPT, 5-MeO-AMT, 5-MeO-MiPT, 5-MeO-DET and DiPT -- under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice released Jan. 13. “If finalized, this action would impose 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 these five specific controlled substances.” Comments are due by Feb. 14.
The International Trade Commission completed changes to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule to reflect the removal of Ethiopia, Guinea and Mali from the African Growth and Opportunity Act preferences program, a commission spokesperson said Jan. 5. The ITC hadn’t initially deleted the countries from Chapter 98 provisions in AGOA (see 2201040066), despite instructions in a recent presidential proclamation (see 2112230046). “The changes have been completed and are reflected in the change record,” the spokesperson said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the Panama City crayfish (Procambarus econfinae), a terrestrial crayfish species native to Bay County, Florida, 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 Feb. 4.
New processing fees will apply to ATA Carnets beginning Feb. 1, according to the U.S. Council for International Business. The new structure will increase processing fees for all carnets and also will impose higher processing charges for continuation sheets, additional sets and the post issue of original carnets. Fees will remain the same for certain replacement carnets.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission postponed the deadline for bids to produce an unclassified report on China’s growing influence over shipping hubs (see 2112150014). The deadline, which was previously Jan. 3, is now Jan. 13, the commission said Dec. 16.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission is seeking a contractor to produce a report on China’s National Public Information Platform for Transportation and Logistics and other Chinese logistics services, the commission said Dec. 15. The report should include information on China’s growing influence over global shipping and logistics hubs, including ports, and its efforts to bolster its shipping competitiveness. The commission is accepting proposals from contractors through 5:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 3, 2022.
The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to temporarily add seven synthetic benzimidazole-opioid substances -- butonitazene, etodesnitazene, flunitazene, metodesnitazene, metonitazene, n-pyrrolidino etonitazene, and protonitazene -- to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice of intent released Dec. 6. Once the temporary scheduling order is published, it will be in effect for up to three years, the DEA said.