On July 14, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 1182, to express the sense of the House that American flags flown on Federal Government buildings and on Federal property be made in the U.S. (Congressional Record, dated 07/14/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080714).)
World Trade Organization Director-General Lamy has said that revised Doha negotiating texts in agriculture and industrial goods trade released on July 10, 2008 have helped prepare the ground for crucial Doha Development Round negotiations in those areas in the days ahead. (WTO release no. 536, dated 07/10/08, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/pres08_e/pr536_e.htm; USTR statement on revised Doha texts (dated 07/10/08) available at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/July/asset_upload_file47_15002.pdf )
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a press release announcing that at the request of the U.S. Navy, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), it will assess the scope and impact of counterfeit electronics on U.S. supply chain integrity, defense readiness, and industrial capabilities. Military and related industrial supply chains are vulnerable to counterfeit electronics which, if undetected, can cause the malfunction and failure of defense systems and critical civilian infrastructure.
On July 10, 2008, the Senate Appropriations Committee ordered favorably reported a bill to make fiscal year 2009 appropriations for the Department of Transportation, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and related agencies. (Congressional Record, dated 07/10/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080710)
On July 8, 2008, the House agreed to the Senate's version of H.R. 802, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act of 2008, which would require the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency to prescribe regulations to implement vessel air emission standards and requirements that are outlined under Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention. This clears the measure for the President. (Congressional Record, dated 07/08/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080708))
The Bureau of Industry and Security issued a final rule, effective July 8, 2008, which amends the Export Administration Regulations to, among other things, implement the understandings reached at the April 2008 plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG)1.
The House Committee on Energy and Commerce has issued a press release containing a statement by Committee Chairman Dingell and Chairman of the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee Rush, commending the Consumer Product Safety Commission's import safety strategy. (See ITT's Online Archive or 07/03/08 news, 08070307, for BP summary of CPSC import safety strategy.) (Press release, dated 07/02/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110nr309.shtml.)
On June 26, 2008, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 802, the Maritime Pollution Prevention Act, which would require the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency to prescribe regulations to implement vessel air emission standards and requirements that are outlined under Annex VI to the MARPOL Convention. The House passed its version of H.R. 802 on March 26, 2007. (Senate Commerce Committee press release, dated 06/27/08, available at http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=82f3560a-d664-42ec-82af-87a9d0ab0fec&Month=6&Year=2008.)
The International Trade Administration frequently issues notices on antidumping and countervailing duty orders, investigations, etc. which Broker Power considers to be "minor" in importance as they concern actions that occur after an order is issued, neither announce nor cause any changes to an order's duty rates, scope, affected firms, or effective period, etc.
The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission will hold an open public hearing on July 16, 2008 in Washington, D.C. to address "Research and Development and Technological Advances in Key Industries in China. (Notice, FR 06/26/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-14533.pdf.)