The Energy Department on Sept. 14 issued a final rule amending its energy efficiency test procedures for fluorescent lamp ballasts. The final rule, which is effective Oct. 14, “updates references to industry standards; clarifies the selection of reference lamps; removes extraneous requirements in the stabilization procedure; provides a second stabilization option for measuring ballast luminous efficiency; and revises the test procedure for measuring standby mode energy consumption,” DOE said. The revised test procedures will be mandatory for product testing beginning on March 15, 2021.
The Fish and Wildlife Service delayed implementation of its partner government agency (PGA) message set in ACE, CBP said in a CSMS message. “FWS is in the process of formulating regulations requiring the utilization of ACE to submit import data for FWS regulated commodities, and expects enforcement of mandatory submission in ACE to take effect in January 2021,” it said. FWS previously said it hoped to complete a rulemaking to allow for the implementation by the end of 2020 (see 2006230058).
The International Trade Commission recently issued two revisions to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule to implement changes to exclusions on tariffs from China, as well as modifications of Section 301 tariffs on the European Union and Section 232 tariffs on aluminum from Canada. In Revision 20, issued Aug. 31, the ITC implemented recent changes to Section 301 tariffs on the European Union that removed cheeses from Greece and sweet biscuits from the United Kingdom, while adding fruit jams and purees from France and Germany to the list of goods subject to tariffs (see 2008130031). New subheading 9903.89.55 is added to implement some of the changes. The ITC also implemented new and amended exclusions from list three Section 301 tariffs on products from China (see 2008210003).
The Drug Enforcement Administration proposed 2021 quotas for the manufacture and import of controlled substances listed in Schedules I and II of the Controlled Substances Act. Substances not listed in the table included in DEA's notice will have a quota of zero. DEA is also proposing 2021 quotas for the Schedule I chemicals ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine and pseudoephedrine. Both notices were released Aug. 31.
The Department of Energy is proposing changes to its enforcement regulations for certain consumer products and commercial and industrial equipment, it said in a notice released Aug. 28. “The proposal, if adopted, would provide the regulated industry with further clarity and transparency about DOE’s enforcement process, including enforcement sampling procedures and test notice requirements. The proposal provides for a process to petition DOE for reexamination of a pending determination of noncompliance, and for DOE to have the discretion to consider third-party certification program testing as official enforcement test data,” the agency said. Comments are due Oct. 30.
The Drug Enforcement Administration is extending for one more year the temporary listing of N-ethylpentylone in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a notice published Aug. 27. The synthetic cathinone, first temporarily listed in 2018, will now remain listed in schedule I until Aug. 31, 2021. DEA also published on Aug. 27 a proposed rule to permanently list N-ethylpentylone in schedule I, with comments due Sept. 28. Substances may be temporarily listed under the CSA for three years.
The Department of Energy is withdrawing mandatory testing requirements for conventional cooking tops, it said in a final rule published Aug. 18. “DOE has determined that the conventional cooking tops test procedure is not representative of energy use or efficiency during an average use cycle and is overly burdensome to conduct,” it said. “A design standard for conventional cooking tops still remains, which does not require a test procedure. DOE will continue collecting testing data for conventional cooking tops to determine any appropriate test procedure for use in developing any subsequent energy conservation standard,” the agency said. The final rule takes effect Sept. 17.
The Drug Enforcement Administration on Aug. 20 announced the temporary listing of the synthetic opioid isotonitazene in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The chemical will be subject to import and export restrictions for schedule I substances. The agency can temporarily list controlled substances for up to three years before a permanent listing is required. The temporarily listing for isotonitazene will remain in effect until Aug. 20, 2022, unless extended for another year.
The Drug Enforcement Administration will remove from its regulations the import and export provisions for FDA-approved products that contain cannabidiol (CBD), the agency said in a notice issued Aug. 20. The import and export provisions applied to “drug products in finished dosage formulations that have been approved by FDA and that contain CBD derived from cannabis and no more than 0.1 percent (w/w) residual tetrahydrocannabinols.” The DEA in 2018 classified the products in Schedule V of the CSA (see 1809270033), but because the products are no longer controlled, that listing is being removed, it said.
The International Trade Commission on July 30 issued Revision 18 to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. This latest version implements extended exclusions from list two Section 301 tariffs on products from China under new subheading 9903.88.54 and new U.S. note 20(ggg) to subchapter III of chapter 99. The ITC also made a technical fix to general note 11 for USMCA. The changes are effective July 31.