The General Services Administration has posted to its RegInfo.gov Web site the Fall 2008 semi-annual regulatory agendas for Federal government agencies.
The International Trade Data System has posted a presentation providing a global product classification context overview, which was given during the November 11, 2008 Product Information Committee meeting. (Presentation available at http://www.itds.gov/linkhandler/itds/tsn/product_info_comm/gpc_overview.ctt/gpc_overview.pdf.)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted a document providing statistics on the national total of fiscal year 2007 and 2008 (for October 1 through June 30 only) interception statistics for wood packaging materials.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a federal order, effective immediately, requiring heat treatment for shipments of all firewood made of hardwood species entering the U.S. from Canada.
The World Customs Organization has posted a press release announcing that on October 22, 2008, Ecuador deposited with the WCO Secretary General its instrument of accession to the International Convention on the Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (Harmonized System). This makes Ecuador the 135th Contracting Party to the Harmonized System Convention. (WCO, dated 11/07/08, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/press/default.aspx?lid=1&id=168)
The Department of Homeland Security has issued a press release announcing the completion of Southern Exposure, a full-scale exercise (FSE) marking the culmination of the Southeast Transportation Corridor Pilot (SETCP). The exercise ran from Oct. 23 through Nov. 5, 2008, and was sponsored by the DHS Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), along with other federal, state, and local participants. The FSE was intended to demonstrate the Southeast region's capabilities to coordinate, communicate, and respond during and after a possible radiological/nuclear threat to the region's interstate highways. (Dated 11/06/08, available at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1225999813655.shtm)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and U.S. Customs and Border Protection are working to liberalize the proposed phase-in plan, scheduled to begin in April 2009, for enforcing the imported plant and plant products declaration required by the Lacey Act Amendments, which was enacted as part of the 2008 Farm Bill.
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. has issued a release regarding its hosting of more than 1,000 leading suppliers, Chinese officials, and NGOs in Beijing, China. The company outlined a series of aggressive goals and expectations to build a more environmentally and socially responsible global supply chain. (Wal-Mart press release, dated 10/22/08, available at http://walmartstores.com/FactsNews/NewsRoom/8696.aspx.)
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued an interim rule, effective November 3, 2008, which adds Russia and Azerbaijan to the list of regions where African swine fever exists. APHIS notes that it is imposing these restrictions retroactively to November 19, 2007, for Russia, and to January 28, 2008, for Azerbaijan. Comments are due by January 2, 2009. (D/N APHIS-2008-0107, FR Pub 11/03/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-26140.pdf)
The Department of Homeland Security has posted a border security and immigration enforcement fact sheet. Among other things, DHS states that it has completed more than 216 miles of pedestrian fence and 154 miles of vehicle fence on the southwest border, for a total of approximately 370 miles. (DHS fact sheet, dated 10/23/08, available at http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1224777640655.shtm)