The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued a final rule, effective April 24, 2007, which amends the Export Administration Regulations by making a technical correction to the contact information for the Drug Enforcement Administration, and by making corrections inadvertently omitted in three rules previously published in the Federal Register.
The April 30, 2007 Federal Register contains the semi-annual regulatory agendas for numerous federal government agencies.
The Trucker reports that the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Public Citizen, the Sierra Club, and the Environmental Law Foundation, have filed a lawsuit in the Northern District of California requesting that the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration "comply with the law" for federal pilot programs and provide public notice and an opportunity for comment on a plan to allow approved Mexican carriers beyond the current southern border transition zone. (The Trucker, dated 04/24/07, available at http://www.thetrucker.com/News/Stories/2007/4/24/OOIDATeamstersothersseekinjunctionagainstMexicantrucks.aspx.)
The Journal of Commerce reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is developing procedures that will give Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) members an additional benefit designed to reduce container demurrage. According to the article, CBP would only require container(s) targeted for exam to be held at the ocean terminal for trusted C-TPAT importers (instead of all containers listed on the entry). The article states that the remaining containers would be allowed to be removed from the terminal, reducing demurrage fees. (JoC, dated 04/12/07, www.joc.com)
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a notice announcing a tentative agenda for topics for discussion for the public session of the May 2, 2007 meeting of the Deemed Export Advisory Committee (DEAC) in Atlanta, GA.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America (NCBFAA) and the Airforwarders Association recently announced a "Strategic Alliance for Freight Forwarder Endeavors," a joint lobbying effort to work on issues facing forwarders, such as inspection of all air cargo on passenger planes, etc. (JoC dated 04/11/07, www.joc.com.)
The Commerce Department has issued a press release stating that on March 23, 2007, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and National Economic Council Director Allan Hubbard announced the establishment of a U.S-Brazil CEO Forum, which will bring together American and Brazilian business leaders to identify ways to strengthen economic ties between the two countries. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/30/07 news, 07033099 1, for BP summary announcing membership opportunities for this Forum (applications due by April 20, 2007).) (Commerce Dept. press release, dated 03/23/07, available at http://www.commerce.gov/opa/press/Secretary_Gutierrez/2007_Releases/March/23_Gutierrez_US_Brazil_CEO_Forum_rls.html)
The Journal of Commerce reports that approximately 30,000 chemical substances are covered by the European Union's (EU's) new regulations known as REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals), which will be phased in beginning June 2007. The article notes that unlike some other regulations, the rules of REACH are based on the substance used in each product, not its end use. See future issues of ITT for additional details on REACH. (JoC, dated 03/19/07, www.joc.com.)
The Treasury Department has published its current list of countries that require or may require participation in, or cooperation with, an international boycott. The countries included on this list are:
The Journal of Commerce reports that the Florida Legislature may kill a state law establishing a Florida Universal Port Access Credential now that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) is moving forward. The article notes that Florida is the only state facing duplicate credentials for port access when the TWIC program is implemented. (JoC, dated March 19, 2007, www.joc.com.)