The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a proposed rule that would relieve nearly 3,300 FMC-licensed non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) from the costs and burdens of publishing in tariffs the rates they charge for cargo shipments.

On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import PPQ Manual. The manual lists by country fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States. It includes a description of methods for sampling and inspecting selected fruits and vegetables. It also contains pictorial identification guides, and a glossary for common and scientific names of fruits and vegetables. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf)

On April 26, 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. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/mac.shtml)

On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Animal Product Manual. This Manual provides the background, procedures, and regulatory actions to enforce the regulations governing the import and export of animals, animal products, and animal by-products. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/apm.shtml)

The Food and Drug Administration has posted revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has published notice of the following voluntary recall:

On April 27, 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a report titled Climate Change Indicators in the United States. The report looks at 24 measurable indicators that show how climate change impacts human health and the environment. (News release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/3f28e17ccf1a508985257712005c8f4d!OpenDocument)

On April 27, 2010, the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated four Guatemalan drug traffickers as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. This action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the four designated individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction. (Press release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg665.htm)

The U.S. held its first Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship for Muslim-majority countries on April 27, 2010. The Commerce Department's 2010 schedule for achieving Summit goals includes leading at least five trade missions and hosting as many as 27 reverse trade missions with partners from Muslim majority countries. The State and Commerce Departments are working to advance the legal frameworks in Muslim-majority countries for advancing entrepreneurship. Fact sheet available here. (Speech, dated 04/26/10, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/SecretarySpeeches/PROD01_009173)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture released to Congress a comprehensive report on agricultural transportation in the U.S. The report, Study of Rural Transportation Issues, and covers the four major modes of transportation commonly used by agriculture in the United States-truck, rail, barge, and ocean vessel. (News release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome)