The Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing to list the opioid zipeprol as a schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. “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 zipeprol,” DEA said. Comments are due July 13.

The Federal Communications Commission granted a waiver for GE Healthcare to import, market and operate medical devices from new suppliers for use in healthcare facilities. The devices hadn’t been cleared under FCC equipment authorization rules. The order “benefits the public interest by allowing GEHC to overcome disruptions in the medical device supply chain as it addresses the surge in demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the declared state of national emergency,” a May 11 order by the Wireless Bureau and Office of Engineering and Technology said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule listing the island marble butterfly (Euchloe ausonides insulanus), an insect species from Washington state, as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect June 4.

The International Trade Commission recently issued two rapid-fire updates to the 2020 Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Revision 8 to the HTS implemented the suspension of Generalized System of Preferences treatment for many products from Thailand in response to labor rights violations (see 1910280044), effective April 25. Also on that update, the ITC implemented extensions to list 1 Section 301 tariff exclusions under U.S. Note 20(j), as announced in an April 10 notice from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (see 2004080011). In Revision 9, issued April 29, the ITC implemented a new set of Section 301 exclusions for products on list 3, as announced in a USTR notice issued April 24 (see 2004230010). The exclusions are found under U.S. Note 20(xx), and filed under 9903.88.45.

The State Department updated its list of countries certified to have a regulatory program for protection of sea turtles that is comparable to that of the U.S., or to fish in conditions that pose no risk to sea turtles, and therefore eligible to export shrimp to the U.S. without a certification from a government official on State Form DS-2031. The list includes 37 countries and Hong Kong. State removed China and Venezuela from this year's edition of list, after finding China using methods of harvesting shrimp that may harm sea turtles, and Venezuela was unable to confirm whether its methods harm sea turtles. As a result, like other countries not on State's list, shrimp from China and Venezuela may only be imported if harvested from aquaculture. The notice takes effect April 30.

The International Trade Commission recently issued two revisions to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule, largely to implement changes that had been previously announced to exclusions from Section 301 tariffs on goods from China and changes to tariffs on goods from the European Union imposed as part of the large civil aircraft dispute. Both revisions were issued by the ITC in March.

The Fish and Wildlife Service is issuing a final rule reclassifying the golden conure (Gauruba guarouba), a psittacine bird (parrots, parakeets, macaws, cockatoos, and others) endemic to the south Amazon Basin in Brazil, 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, unless the export is authorized under Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and the import is authorized under CITES and the Wild Bird Conservation Act. New import and export restrictions set by the agency’s final rule take effect May 26.

The U.S. has asked China to amend its increased export control inspections that are causing delays of medical supply shipments (see 2004160035, 2004150034 and 2004130014), according to a State Department spokesperson. “We appreciate the efforts to ensure quality control. But we do not want this to serve as an obstacle for the timely export of important supplies,” the spokesperson said in an April 17 statement. The spokesperson added that the U.S. has “raised these concerns” with China and requested that it “revise its new requirements to allow the expeditious export of vital [personal protective equipment] to the United States.” The U.S. is working “closely” with U.S. companies exporting medical supplies from China to help them “understand the new regulations and raise concerns about held-up shipments,” the spokesperson said. The request was first reported by Reuters.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is designating norfentanyl as a fentanyl precursor chemical and setting controls for it as a schedule II substance under the Controlled Substances Act, the DEA said in a final rule. “The scheduling of norfentanyl as an immediate precursor of the schedule II controlled substance, fentanyl, subjects norfentanyl to all of the regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions applicable to the manufacture, distribution, dispensing, importing, and exporting of a schedule II controlled substance,” DEA said. The final rule takes effect May 18.

The Federal Aviation Administration is set to issue guidance allowing for cargo shipments in the cabins of passenger jets, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Passenger jets typically carry cargo in the aircraft bellies, but the COVID-19 pandemic has all but stopped air travel, limiting air cargo capacity. The lifting of FAA restrictions would allow for more air shipment capacity. The FAA didn't comment.