American Shipper reports that according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials, the pilot program to test 100% scanning of U.S.-bound cargo containers at three foreign seaports known as the Secure Freight Initiative is working in concept but experiencing some problems with system reliability and difficulty checking vessel transshipment cargo. (American Shipper, dated 02/14/08, www.americanshipper.com)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. will join negotiations on investment and financial services set to begin in March among Singapore, Chile, New Zealand and Brunei, known as the "P-4" group of countries, which have negotiated their own free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership, based largely on the U.S.' FTAs with Singapore and Chile. The U.S. will also determine whether it should participate in the full Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership. (USTR press release, dated 02/04/08, available at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2008/February/asset_upload_file806_14451.pdf)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has posted to its Web site a set of links to lists compiled by BIS, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, and the State Department that may be relevant to export and reexport transactions.
The New York Times reports that Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co.; the Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products, Arts and Crafts I/E Co.; and Chemnutra Inc. of Las Vegas were recently indicted in the tainted pet food incidents that, according to Food and Drug Administration consumer complaints, resulted in the deaths of 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs. (New York Times, dated 02/06/08, available at http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/business/apee-pet.html?ex=1360040400&en=db6959b2932bb191&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss)
The Census Bureau has issued an Automated Export System broadcast regarding changes to the Bureau of Industry and Security License Exceptions reporting requirements in AES. (BIS has also posted this information to its Web site.)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective February 5, 2008, which corrects errors in 15 CFR Parts 742 and 744, and Categories 1, 3, 6 and 7 on the Commerce Control List, as well as its list of eligible items for Authorized Validated End-User (VEU) affected by the November 5, 2007 final rule that amended the Export Administration Regulations to implement the agreement reached at the December 2006 plenary meeting of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies (Wassenaar Arrangement, or WA).
American Shipper reports that the Department of Commerce has undertaken an intensive review of a recent committee report that recommended significant changes to the regulations that help control access to certain U.S. technologies by foreign nationals, and it has already begun to implement some of the recommendations such as the formation of an Emerging Technologies Advisory Committee. (See ITT's Online Archives or 01/23/08 news, 08012330, for BP summary of the advisory committee's recommendations.) (American Shipper, dated 01/28/08, http://www.compairdata.com/compairdatanews/080728_010.asp)
American Shipper reports that according to former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, Robert Bonner, if the import-export industry gets behind the Department of Homeland Security's efforts to upgrade cargo security, it may have a chance to get Congress to reverse course on its mandate to require every ocean container to be scanned overseas by 2012. (Bonner is now a homeland security consultant and principal with the Sentinel HS Group, headed by former aide Brian Goebel.) (American Shipper, dated 01/24/08, www.americanshipper.com)
On January 22, 2008, President Bush signed a package of export control directives to ensure that U.S. export control policies and practices support the National Security Strategy of 2006 while facilitating U.S. economic and technological leadership.
The Bureau of Industry and Security's Deemed Export Advisory Committee (DEAC) has submitted a report to the Secretary of Commerce entitled, "The Deemed Export Rule in the Era of Globalization," which reviews the current deemed export policy and recommends changes.