The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has issued a policy directive which provides information and guidance that may be used by aircraft operators (except individuals), indirect air carriers, foreign air carriers, airports and flight training providers when voluntarily disclosing to TSA apparent violations of its regulations contained in 49 CFR Parts 1542, 1544, 1546, 1548, and 1550.

Washington Trade Daily reports that the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee has said that in June 2004 he hopes to move on legislation (S. 1900) to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) trade preferences program. According to the article, both the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee are committed to moving AGOA legislation; however, they have not yet decided how to handle extension of the special third-country fabric provision. (WTD dated 05/05/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the low-duty Tariff Preference Level (TPL) (1) for Mexico filled on April 27, 2004 at 1:57 p.m eastern time.

On March 25, 2003, the Department of Transportation's (DOT's) Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA) published a final rule which requires, among other things, that each person who offers for transportation in commerce, or who transports in commerce, i) certain specified (e.g. radioactive, explosive, poisonous, etc.) highly hazardous materials; ii) certain select agents or toxins regulated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; or iii) a quantity of hazmats that require placarding under Subpart F of 49 CFR Part 172; develop and implement security plans by September 25, 2003.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice announcing that the governments of the U.S. and China have agreed to establish a U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) working group on structural issues (working group) to discuss a range of issues relevant to China's aspiration to be recognized as a market economy for purposes of U.S. antidumping (AD) law. Under U.S. AD law, China is currently treated as a non-market economy country (NME).

The ITA states that it has applied the adverse facts available rate of 183.80% to company A, a U.S. importer who was the second sale in the U.S. for purposes of Dudao's new shipper review, as it failed to participate in Dubao's review and as an interested party can be assessed this rate.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule, effective April 29, 2004, which revises certain entries on the Commerce Control List (CCL) controlled for national security reasons in Categories 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Part I (telecommunications), 5 Part II (information security), 6, and 7 to conform with changes in the List of Dual-Use Goods and Technologies maintained and agreed to by the governments participating in the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies that were agreed to at the December 2003 meeting.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has announced that all parties required to register with FSIS, including those that are currently registered, now have until May 24, 2004 (instead of March 22, 2004) to file the new registration form that FSIS has developed.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice announcing that it has issued the second edition of its Questions and Answers (Q&A) on the prior notice requirement for imported food. This revised guidance is entitled "Questions and Answers Regarding the Interim Final Rule on Prior Notice of Imported Food (Edition 2)" and is dated May 2004.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted notice to the Pilot Bond Centralization Program section of its Web site stating that in order to expedite the processing of continuous bonds, a fax number, telephone number, and the 3-digit broker filer code should be provided on bond applications. (Notice available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/communications_to_industry/pilot_program/.)