The Food Safety and Inspection Service has issued updated versions of its list of Italian (August 6, 2010) firms eligible to export meat and poultry to the U.S.
On August 10, 2010, APHIS updated the Manual for Agricultural Clearance. The manual provides CBP personnel working at airport and maritime locations with the guidelines, directions, and policy for clearing carriers and passengers/crew and controlling garbage and cargo.
FSIS has provided updated information for the export of U.S. meat and poultry to the following countries:
The International Trade Administration announces a meeting of the Civil Nuclear Trade Advisory Committee on September 1, 2010. The agenda for the public session includes a trade promotion activities update, including on a Commerce-led civil nuclear trade mission to Europe, U.S. industry program at the International Atomic Energy Agency, and U.S.-Brazil Nuclear Codes and Standards Workshop.
On August 5, 2010, the State Department issued a fact sheet on the Central America Regional Security Initiative (CARSI), which envisions strengthening and integrating security efforts from the U.S. Southwest border to Panama, including the littoral waters of the Caribbean. The desired objective of CARSI is to produce a safer and more secure region where criminal organizations, including those involved with illicit drugs, no longer wield the power to destabilize governments or threaten national and regional security and public safety,
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of 21 persons it has determined to be the Government of Iran, which prohibits transactions and subjects them to certain sanctions under the Iranian Transactions Regulations, effective August 3, 2010.
The Foreign Agricultural Service has issued an August 6, 2010 GAIN Report that provides provisional details of Russia’s recently announced temporary ban on the export of wheat, barley, rye, corn and wheat and rye flour for the August 15 through December 31, 2010 period. According to FAS, the embargo will apply to all grain exports, including contracts that had been already signed. FAS notes that wheat contracts for 2.0 -- 2.5 million metric tons (MMT) are expected to be canceled due to the ban, and affected exporters will not have to meet their commercial obligations and will be exempt them from any associated penalties.
The Foreign Agriculture Service issued the following GAIN reports:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products which may be considered technical barriers to trade and are therefore required to be reported to the World Trade Organization, which distributes the information to WTO Member countries.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service announces its intention to request extension of approval of an information collection associated with the export of animals and animal products from the U.S. for an additional three years. Comments are due by October 12, 2010.