The World Shipping Council's President Koch recently stated before the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee that a decision not to proceed with the "10 plus 2" initiative could easily raise more difficult supply chain security strategy questions than what the trade faces today. Koch stated that the most significant questions about 10 plus 2 won't be its format or the length of its implementation phase-in period, but the strategic question of whether and how CBP intends to improve its advance cargo risk assessment capabilities. (Hearing statement, dated 04/02/08, available at http://www.worldshipping.org/testimony_house_approps_homeland_security_subcommitee_42008.pdf)
On May 1, 2008, both the House and Senate passed S. 2954, a bill to extend certain trade and other provisions of the 2002 Farm Security and Rural Investment Act (2002 Farm Bill) another two weeks, until May 16, 2008. This is the third extension. (S. 2954 available at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=110_cong_bills&docid=f:s2954enr.txt.pdf.)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a press release announcing the establishment of a new process to systematically review one third of the Commerce Control List each year to ensure that the export control regime meets today's challenges.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective April 18, 2008, which makes technical corrections to the Export Administration Regulations, 15 CFR Parts 748 and 774, as part of BIS' 2007/2008 systematic review of the Commerce Control List1.
CongressDaily reports that the Food and Drug Administration reversed an earlier decision, which had been sharply criticized by Congress, to close seven of its 13 labs nationwide. The FDA now states it will refrain from closing any of its field laboratories equipped to analyze potentially dangerous food and drugs. (CongressDaily, dated 01/31/08, available at http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=39170&ref=rellink)
The International Trade Data System has posted the 2008 quarter 1 issue of its ITDS e-Newsletter. The newsletter covers the Coast Guard joining ITDS, CPSC announcing the development of a new Import Surveillance Division, the completion of the first version of the ACE Portal Reports Dictionary, etc. (e-Newsletter available at http://www.itds.gov/linkhandler/itds/news/e_newsletters/1st_qrtr_nwsltr.ctt/1st_qtr_nwsltr.pdf)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a proposed rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to clarify the license requirement for certain in-transit exports, reexports, or in-country transfers.
The leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee has posted a "discussion draft" of the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008 to tackle the problem of tainted imports, create a registry of food and drug importers, etc. The Committee will be holding a hearing on this issue on April 24, 2008. (Memo on "Discussion Draft", dated 04/17/08, available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/041708.DiscDraft.Memo.pdf; "Discussion Draft" available at http://energycommerce.house.gov/FDAGlobalAct-08/Dingel_60AXML.pdf.)
The Census Bureau has announced that effective April 28, 2008, certain Automated Export System (AES) reporting requirements for export license exceptions administered by BIS under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) will change.
USA Today states that the Transportation Security Administration's plans to screen all cargo on passenger planes could lead to longer delivery times for packages shipped through the air. The plan would rely on manufacturers and freight forwarders screening packages with x-ray machines and explosive sensors before delivery to airports. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/31/08 news, 08033115, for BP summary of TSA notice on limited rollout of Certified Cargo Screening program.) (04/09/08, http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-04-09-Aircargo_N.htm )