On Monday, January 14, 2008, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach approved a new cargo fee that will generate $1.4 billion for transportation projects to improve traffic flow and air quality in the harbor area. The fee will be in addition to the one approved in December to help fund the ports' Clean Trucks Program. (www.polb.com, www.portoflosangeles.com )
CNN Money reports that tough safety measures implemented in response to the high-profile toy recalls in 2007 will drive up the cost of China-made toys by at least 10% in 2008. (CNN Money, dated 01/07/08, available at http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/07/news/international/bc.apfn.as.fin.hongkong.ap/index.htm?postversion=2008010713)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective January 2, 2008, which makes revisions and technical corrections to the Export Administration Regulations and the Defense Priorities and Allocations System Regulation.
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective June 19, 2007, which amends the Export Administration Regulations at 15 CFR Parts 742, 743, 744, 748, 750 and 758 to revise and clarify U.S. licensing requirements and licensing policy on exports and reexports to China, among other things.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the Internet has changed the nature of cargo theft, which makes the market for stolen cargo instantly global, and that to date, there is no quick, easy, inexpensive and secure method to prevent the theft of cargo from containers and trailers in transit. (JoC, dated 11/12/07, www.joc.com)
The Commerce Department has issued a press release announcing that the Commerce Department and China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) have signed the "Guidelines for U.S.-China High Technology and Strategic Trade Development," in order to facilitate safe and secure, bilateral civilian high-technology trade.
The Long Beach Board of Commissioners on December 17, 2007 approved a cargo fee to help fund clean trucks and improve air quality that will place a $35 charge on every loaded twenty-foot equivalent (TEU) cargo container entering or leaving any terminal by short-haul (or "drayage") truck beginning June 1, 2008. The fee will not apply to containers entering or leaving the Port by train and will end when the fleet of drayage trucks meets Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) requirements in about 2012. The Port of Los Angeles is scheduled to consider a similar fee December 20, which would apply the Clean Truck Fee to the entire San Pedro Bay. (LB Port release dated 12/17/07, available at http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=315&targetid=1 )
Reuters reports that the World Trade Organization decision on the amount of retaliation that Antigua and Barbuda can impose on the U.S. as a result of a gambling trade dispute has been postponed. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/17/07 news, 07071715, for BP summary of a U.S. Trade Representative notice on U.S. compensation talks with 8 countries due to the dispute, with links to previous summaries.) (Reuters, dated 12/14/07, available at http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-12-14T190520Z_01_N14311323_RTRUKOC_0_US-USA-TRADE-GAMBLING.xml)
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective December 12, 2007, which expands the availability of License Exceptions Temporary Imports, Exports, and Reexports (TMP) and Baggage (BAG) to allow for certain temporary exports and reexports of technology by U.S. persons to U.S. persons or their employees traveling or temporarily assigned abroad, etc.
The General Services Administration has posted to its RegInfo.gov Web site the semi-annual regulatory agendas for Federal government agencies.