The Food and Drug Administration is confirming the effective date of April 27, 2010 for the final rule that appeared in the March 26, 2010 Federal Register, which amended the color additive regulations by increasing the permitted use level of bismuth citrate as a color additive in cosmetics intended for coloring hair on the scalp for exemption from certification.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission announces a public hearing on June 30, 2010 in Washington, DC entitled “China’s Information Control Practices and the Implications for the United States,” regarding national security implications of the U.S. bilateral trade and economic relationship with China.
U.S. Trade Representative Kirk met with United Arab Emirates Minister for Foreign Trade, Lubna al-Qasimi. Kirk and Lubna discussed a number of issues important to the bilateral trade relationship, including the potential for increasing the already strong U.S. business presence in the UAE.
The Bureau of Industry and Security announces that Messina, Inc. of Dallas, TX has agreed to pay a $10,800 civil penalty to settle allegations that it violated the antiboycott provisions of the Export Administration Regulations when it furnished to a U.S. bank two certificates signed by the agent for a vessel that attested to the vessel’s eligibility to call at the port of a boycotting country.
The Congressional Research Service has issued a report entitled, “The Future of U.S. Trade Policy: An Analysis of Issues and Options for the 111th Congress.”
On June 14, 2010, the U.S. Business Coalition for TPP sent a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Kirk expressing support for Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations. The Coalition also urges the U.S. and its seven TPP negotiating partners to agree not to adopt new trade or investment restrictions that would limit beyond existing levels the access of TPP countries to each other’s commercial and procurement markets or reduce levels of transparency or protections for intellectual property or investment that affects goods and services of the TPP countries.
Commissioner Nord of the Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted a podcast in which she and fellow Commissioner Adler discussed their differing views on the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, as well as how they reached those conclusions.
The Foreign Trade Zone Board has issued the following notice:
The State Department announces that the Government of the Republic of Nicaragua has proposed to extend its agreement with the U.S. concerning the imposition of import restrictions on archaeological material from the pre-Hispanic cultures of Nicaragua, and possible additional restrictions on certain ethnological material.
The Bureau of Industry and Security is issuing correcting amendments to its June 4, 2010 final rule which clarified language regarding certain performance criteria of turning machines, among other things. BIS corrects the NS Column number under ECCN 2B001, and inserts quotation marks around "APP" in the Technical Note on Adjusted Peak Performance.