The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Sept. 5:

The supply chain for textiles and apparel is increasingly global and now includes North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and the Asia Pacific region, the International Trade Administration's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) said in an export guide published Sept. 4. Last year saw an increase in total textile and apparel exports of over $22.4 billion, up from $19.7 billion in 2010, it said. As foreign markets rebound and seek to up their purchases of textiles and apparel, U.S. companies have an opportunity to expand internationally, it said. The report highlights the 15 largest export markets for U.S. sales of yarns, fabrics and finished products to mills, processors, assemblers and consumers. It also provides economic and trade information for each market, and detailed data on export trends and processes. The guide also profiles the five fastest-growing markets for U.S. textile and apparel exports.

The International Trade Administration is asking for comments by Nov. 5 on its proposed “request for a textile and apparel safeguard action on imports from Korea” information collection. The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KFTA) provides that an interested party in the U.S. domestic textile and apparel industry may file requests for safeguard actions on imports from Korea with the Committee. If as a result of the reduction or elimination of a customs duty under the KFTA, a Korean textile or apparel article is being imported into the U.S. in such increased quantities as to cause serious damage or threat of damage to a U.S. industry, the U.S. can suspend further reduction in customs duties or increase duties on the imported article from Korea.

The International Trade Administration said it issued an Export Trade Certificate of Review to Colombia Poultry Export Quota, Inc. Aug. 14. a Federal Register notice scheduled for Sept. 4 summarizes the conduct for which certification has been granted.

The International Trade Administration is seeking comments on the Commercial Availability Provision of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, it said in a Sept. 4 Federal Register notice. Comments are due by Nov. 4 to Jennifer Jessup, Departmental Paperwork Clearance Officer, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230, or JJessup@doc.gov.

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Aug. 30:

The Foreign Trade Zones Board issued the following notices for Aug. 29:

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is issuing a final rule lifting the trade restrictions on importing bigeye tuna from Bolivia and Georgia, it said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for Aug. 29. The action implements a recommendation from the 2011 meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. It also changes the regulations containing species-specific harmonized tariff codes to be consistent with recent changes adopted by the U.S. International Trade Commission, effective Sept. 28. The earlier prohibited imports were to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated catches of tuna by large-scale Bolivian and Georgian longline vessels. At its 2011 annual meeting, ICCAT decided Bolivia and Georgia vessels were no longer diminishing the effectiveness of conservation and management measures.

The International Trade Administration announced a medical/healthcare industry trade mission to Brazil May 21-24, 2013, in conjunction with Hospitalar 2013, the region’s major healthcare trade show, which attracts a high number of visitors from Mexico, Central and South America, as well as attendees from Europe, Asia and Africa. The trade mission is intended to include representatives from a variety of U.S. medical/healthcare industry manufacturers (equipment/devices, laboratory equipment, emergency equipment, diagnostic, physiotherapy and orthopedic, healthcare information technology, and other allied sectors), service providers, and trade associations, the ITA said. Mission participants will have tabletop exhibits at the ITA booth at Hospitalar and prearranged one-on-one appointments at the tables to introduce the participants to end-users and prospective partners whose needs and capabilities are best suited to each U.S. participant’s strengths. Recruitment for the mission will begin immediately and conclude by March 8, 2013. The ITA said it will review applications and make selection decisions on a rolling basis.

The International Trade Administration issued its quarterly update to its annual list of foreign government subsidies on articles of cheese subject to an in-quota rate of duty that were imported during the period April 1, 2012, through June 30, 2012.