The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 17 released a study naming the 12 states most at risk of suffering from a U.S. withdrawal from NAFTA, in terms of potential job losses and export declines. Part of the Chamber’s ongoing urgent effort to preserve the liberalizing aspects of NAFTA and guard it from being abandoned by the U.S., the study notes that all 12 of the states voted for President Donald Trump in the 2016 election. The study ranks Michigan, Wisconsin and North Dakota as Nos. 1, 2, and 3, respectively, in danger of the biggest economic struggles if the U.S. withdraws from the pact, followed in order by Texas, Missouri, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana, Arizona, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. “In general, [politically] ‘red’ and ‘purple’ states seem to be much more reliant on exports in general and exports to Canada and Mexico in particular than ‘blue’ coastal states,” the Chamber said. Out of the 12, the states in jeopardy of losing the most jobs are Texas (970,000), Pennsylvania (513,000) and Ohio (463,000), the study projected.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will again allow imports of elephant hunting trophies from Zimbabwe for animals killed on or after Jan. 21, 2016, it said. FWS “has made a finding that the killing of African elephant trophy animals in Zimbabwe, on or after January 21, 2016, and on or before December 31, 2018, will enhance the survival of the African elephant,” it said. FWS will review permit applications for importing hunting trophies on a case-by-case basis, “and each application also needs to meet all other applicable permitting requirements before it may be authorized,” FWS said. The determination remains in effect until Dec. 31, 2018. FWS “will reevaluate the status of African elephants in Zimbabwe before the end of 2018 and make a new finding in the beginning of 2019 for, at least, the 2019 hunting season,” the agency said.

Fifty-six percent of Americans believe NAFTA is good for the U.S. and 33 percent believe it is bad for the country, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Only 30 percent said Mexico benefits more from the agreement than the U.S., while 20 percent said Canada benefits more. But 54 percent of Republicans and “Republican-leaning independents” view NAFTA negatively, while 35 percent say it is good. Meanwhile, 72 percent of Democrats and “Democratic leaners” say the agreement is good for the U.S. and 18 percent believe it’s bad, Pew said. Further, 53 percent of right-leaning individuals say Mexico benefits more from the deal than the U.S., compared with 31 percent who say the deal benefits the two countries equally and 7 percent who say the U.S. benefits more. Fifty-eight percent of left-leaning individuals said NAFTA benefits the U.S. and Mexico equally, while 16 percent said Mexico benefits more and another 16 percent said the U.S. benefits more.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) is seeking comments on requests by the government of Morocco to revise U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement rules of origin for certain knit apparel, and certain pants, skirts and jackets, the committee said. The U.S. government received petitions from Morocco on Oct. 10 to add 19 knit fabrics in Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States chapter 61, as well as certain jackets, skirts and pants in HTSUS chapter 62 to the FTA’s short supply list. CITA will accept comments through Jan. 5 on whether the U.S. domestic industry can supply the fabrics in commercial quantities in a timely manner.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily adding the synthetic cannabinoid FUB-AMB to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, it said in a temporary scheduling order. The listing takes effect Nov. 3, and will be in effect for up to three years.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is finalizing adjusted 2017 quotas for the manufacture and import of controlled substances in Schedule I and II of the Controlled Substances Act. Substances not listed in the table included in DEA's final rule will have a quota of zero. DEA is also setting quotas for the Schedule I chemicals ephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and pseudoephedrine.

The Labor Department is requesting comments to inform development of the government’s 2018 edition of the List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor and possible updates to the List of Products Produced by Forced or Indentured Child Labor, as needed, Labor said. Labor is requesting that commenters provide information to Labor’s Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking by 5 p.m. Jan. 12, 2018. Further, DOL seeks comments to inform the 2018 edition of the Worst Forms of Child Labor report, an annual review that fulfills a statutory mandate tasking the labor secretary with reporting findings with regard to Generalized System of Preferences countries’ implementation of international commitments to eliminate the “worst forms of child labor,” DOL said.

The Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced a new electronic system for importers and exporters to obtain a FWS import/export license. The voluntary eLicense system allows importers and exporters to apply for a new license or renew or amend a current or expired license from FWS “via a secured Internet web site,” FWS said. “The system facilitates clearance of wildlife imports and exports, allowing users to store data for future use and communicate by e-mail with Service license issuers,” FWS said.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is temporarily adding the synthetic opioids ortho-fluorofentanyl, tetrahydrofuranyl fentanyl, and methoxyacetyl fentanyl to Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, in a temportary scheduling order. The final order takes effect Oct. 26, and may remain in effect for up to three years unless the agency makes the listing permanent.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued its annually updated list of vehicles that are eligible for importation despite not being originally manufactured to conform to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. The agency revised its list, published as an appendix to 49 CFR 593, to add vehicles that it determined to be eligible for importation since Oct. 1, 2016, and to remove vehicles that are now more than 25 years old and no longer need to comply. The new list takes effect Oct. 24.