The International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations issued a “toolkit” for industry to better understand and apply the Federal Maritime Commission’s May rule on detention and demurrage fees (see 2004290037). The toolkit, released last week, summarizes the rule, details its applicability and scope, and analyzes industry objections. The FMC recently announced an investigation into whether ocean carriers are violating regulations on detention and demurrage charges (see 2011200024), after industry said the rule is being ignored (see 2011170041).

A new State Department paper warning of China and its global trade ambitions “only serves to lay bare the entrenched Cold War mindset and ideological prejudice of some people on the U.S. side and their fear, anxiety and unhealthy mentality towards a growing China,” a Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson said, according to a press conference transcript. “Their vile attempts to bring back the Cold War will be mercilessly rejected by the Chinese people and all peace-lovers around the world,” he said. The Chinese Communist Party “aims not merely at preeminence within the established world order,” but to “fundamentally revise world order,” with China at the center and serving “Beijing’s authoritarian goals and hegemonic ambitions,” according to the Policy Planning staff paper, “The Elements of the China Challenge.” It proposes a “tasks” list to “refashion” U.S. policy by educating Americans “about the scope and implications” of the alleged threat and training a “new generation of public servants” fluent in Chinese. The U.S. also “must promote American interests by looking for opportunities to cooperate with Beijing subject to norms of fairness and reciprocity,” it says. The State Department didn’t respond to questions Nov. 19.

The Fish and Wildlife Service has again delayed implementation of its partner government agency (PGA) message set in ACE, now until March 2021, CBP said in a CSMS message. “FWS is still in the process of formulating regulations requiring the utilization of ACE to submit import data for FWS regulated commodities, and currently expects enforcement of mandatory submission in ACE to take effect in March 2021. A future [CSMS] message will announce the specific date of mandatory filing,” it said. FWS previously said it hoped to complete a rulemaking to allow for the implementation by the end of 2020 (see 2006230058).

The Drug Enforcement Administration is placing the newly approved drug oliceridine in Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in an interim final rule released Oct. 29. Effective Oct. 30, oliceridine, which was granted approval by FDA in August, is subject to new registration, labeling, record-keeping, and import and export requirements. DEA is accepting comments on the rule until Nov. 30.

The International Trade Commission updated the tariff schedule late Oct. 26 to restore an exemption for bifacial panels from safeguard duties on crystalline solar photovoltaic cells pursuant an order from the Court of International Trade. Revision 25 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States again adds U.S. note 18(c)(iii)(15), which provides for the exemption, to subchapter III of chapter 99. The provision had been removed in the prior HTS revision (see 2010260025).

The International Trade Commission on Oct. 14 issued Revision 23 to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. The latest edition implements extensions to exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on products from China under new subheadings 9903.88.60 and 9903.88.61 (see 2010010038). A few technical corrections are also made to General Note 11 on USMCA.

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Oct. 14 released a final rule reclassifying the American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus), a carrion beetle native to most of the U.S., as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The species had been listed as endangered. Though the agency recently ended blanket import-export restrictions for threatened species, FWS is including a 4(d) rule that prohibits imports and exports without a permit. The agency's final rule takes effect Nov. 16.

The European Union and the U.S. should negotiate a limited trade deal on medical supplies and equipment, and environmental goods and services that is open to other World Trade Organization members that agree to the commitments, according to a think tank report issued Oct. 6. The German Marshall Fund of the United States also called for consultation between the EU and the U.S. on financial sanctions on third countries when those sanctions “will have an adverse impact on alliance partners,” and it said those sanctions should have limits.

The Fish and Wildlife Service on Oct. 7 released final rules listing a small mammal and a bird as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. One rule lists coastal populations of the Pacific marten (Martes caurina), a small mammal from coastal California and Oregon. The other rule adds the eastern black rail (Laterallus jamaicensis jamaicensis), a bird subspecies known from the eastern and central U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil and several countries in the Caribbean and Central America as threatened. FWS includes in both notices a 4(d) rule that prohibits importation and exportation without a permit. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rules take effect Nov. 9.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is placing the newly approved drug remimazolam in Schedule V of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in an interim final rule. Effective Oct. 6, remimazolam, which was granted approval by the Food and Drug Administration in June, is subject to new registration, labeling, record-keeping, and import and export requirements. DEA is accepting comments on the rule until Nov. 5.