As part of the United States-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council, the U.S. is seeking public comments by Nov. 8 on how the federal government can "reduce or eliminate unnecessary regulatory differences" between the two countries, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs said in a notice. OIRA is under the Office of Management and Budget. "This request for information (RFI) may inform agencies' development of regulatory reform proposals to modify or repeal existing agency requirements to increase efficiency related to economic activity with Canada, reduce or eliminate unnecessary or unjustified regulatory burdens, or simplify regulatory compliance, while continuing to meet agency missions and statutory requirements," it said. Among areas of interest mentioned by OIRA are "particular forms, surveys, or other information collections that exist in both" countries "where consolidation could reduce burden or increase practical utility" and "the appropriate role for stakeholders in furthering international regulatory cooperation and how stakeholders can best engage with Canadian and U.S. regulators on regulatory cooperation opportunities."

The Fish and Wildlife Service announced tentative negotiating positions for the upcoming meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), scheduled for May 23 through June 3, 2019, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The agency's notice includes "proposed amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals) as well as proposed resolutions, decisions, and agenda items that the United States might submit for consideration." Among the proposals is a recommendation that any revision to CITES annotations on wood products "account for and prevent potential unintended consequences for trade, allow appropriate timeframes for implementation, and can be supported through harmonized interpretations across CITES Parties." Comments are due Nov. 30

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements set fiscal year 2019 limits on imports of apparel articles from sub-Saharan Africa qualifying for preferences under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, CITA said in a notice. For the year running Oct. 1, 2018, through Sept. 30, 2019, the aggregate quantity of imports eligible for preferential treatment under AGOA is capped at 2,048,357,135 square meters equivalent, up from 2,022,822,376 square meters equivalent in FY18. Of that amount, 1,024,178,567 square meters equivalent will be available to apparel imported under AGOA’s third-country fabric provisions.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is issuing a final rule listing the chambered nautilus (Nautilus pompilius) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The agency did not set specific import prohibitions for the species, saying it is still evaluating whether its listing in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) is sufficient protection. The final rule takes effect Oct. 29.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is classifying FDA-approved drugs that contain cannabidiol (CBD) derived from cannabis and no more than 0.1 percent tetrahydrocannabinols in schedule V of the Controlled Substances Act. As a result of the order, Epidiolex, which had previously been classified in schedule I, is now placed in Schedule V, along with any generic versions of the same formulation that might be approved by the FDA in the future. DEA is also adding such drugs to the list of schedule III, IV and V drugs that require a permit for importation or exportation. Any material, compound, mixture or preparation other than Epidiolex that falls within the CSA definition of marijuana, including any non-FDA-approved CBD extract that falls within such definition, remains a schedule I controlled substance under the CSA, the agency said.

The Federal Communications Commission has noted an uptick in illegal imports of two-way radios that don’t comply with FCC rules, it said in an enforcement bulletin issued Sept. 24. A “growing number of conventional retailers and websites” are advertising and selling low-cost unauthorized two-way radios, many of which have been imported from abroad. “These radios must be authorized by the FCC prior to being imported, advertised, sold, or operated in the United States,” the agency said.

The Energy Department is amending energy efficiency test procedures it set for LED lamps in a July 2016 final rule (see 1606300013), it said. The amended test procedures are effective for representations of energy use or efficiency beginning March 20, 2019.

Nokia officials met with Federal Communications Commission commissioners Mike O’Rielly and Jessica Rosenworcel, and aides to the other commissioners, to talk about new mobile technologies known as 5G and potential issues created by tariffs. “Of particular concern to Nokia are the recent tariffs imposed on trade with China, which specifically target a wide range of components that are critical to 5G," Nokia said. “Unless exemptions are provided for these products, these latest duties threaten to raise the cost of 5G infrastructure in the U.S. by hundreds of millions of dollars. This is an important context that further emphasizes the need for the Commission to lower barriers to deployment where it can.”

The International Trade Commission recently issued Revision 11 to the Harmonized Tariff Schedule. Changes include those required to implement new exemptions from absolute quotas on steel from Argentina, Brazil and South Korea, and aluminum from Argentina, imposed as part of those countries’ deals to escape Section 232 tariffs (see 1808300004). Those changes take effect Aug. 30. The updated HTS also includes amendments effective Sept. 1 to rules of origin under the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement. Finally, the recently revised subheading 9705.00.0085, which since July 1 has covered “zoological, botanical, mineralogical, anatomical, historical and paleontological pieces,” now refers more broadly to “other” collections or collectors’ pieces (i..e, other than numismatic, archaeological or ethnographic pieces). That change takes effect retroactively to July 1.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily adding the synthetic cathinone N-Ethylpentylone to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said. The listing takes effect Aug. 31, and will be in effect for up to three years.