U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued its weekly quota commodity report as of December 12, 2005. This report includes tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) on various products such as beef, tuna, sugar, dairy products, peanuts, cotton, cocoa powder, tobacco, certain JFTA, NAFTA, SFTA, UAFTA and UCFTA TRQs, etc. This report also includes the AGOA, ATPDEA, CBTPA, NAFTA, SFTA, and UCFTA (CFTA) tariff preference levels (TPLs) for qualifying apparel and/or other textile articles, the TRQs on worsted wool fabrics, etc. (CBP's weekly quota commodity report, dated 12/12/05, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/)
American Shipper reports that on Sunday Japan said it would reopen its market to U.S. beef imports, after they had stopped accepting U.S. beef in late December 2003 due to BSE concerns. According to the article, under a new agreement with Japan, the U.S. is able to export beef from cattle 20 months of age or younger to Japan, adding that more than 94 percent of total U.S. beef products, with a value of $1.7 billion (in 2003), are again eligible for export. (American Shipper, dated 12/12/05, available at ShippersNewsWire@americanshipper.com )
The House Ways and Means Committee has issued a press release announcing that on December 7, 2005, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4340, the U.S.-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act of 2005. According to the press release, H.R. 4340 must now be approved by the Senate before being sent to the President to be signed. (Ways and Means press release, dated 12/07/05, available at http://waysandmeans.house.gov/News.asp?FormMode=release&ID=359.)
On November 22, 2005, the President signed into law the conference version of H.R. 2862, the Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Public Law (P.L.) 109-108.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has announced that the Materials Technical Advisory Committee will hold a partially open meeting on December 8, 2005 in Washington DC. The agenda for the public session includes a presentation by Boeing. (BIS notice, FR Pub 12/01/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-23535.pdf.)
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule, which effective December 1, 2005, amends 15 CFR Part 748.9 to remove the requirement to obtain an Import Certificate in support of an export or reexport license when the ultimate consignee or purchaser is a foreign government or foreign government agency of Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, or India.
The Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release stating that the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body has found in favor of the U.S. in a challenge of Mexico's antidumping (AD) duties on U.S. long grain white rice and several provisions of Mexico's trade laws. (USTR release, dated 11/29/05, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2005/November/United_States_Wins_WTO_Challenge_Against_Mexican_Rice_Duties_Trade_Laws.html )
The State Department has released its International Outreach and Coordination Strategy (Strategy Plan), one of eight plans developed in support of the National Strategy for Maritime Security, as directed by Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) - 13.
American Shipper reports that on November 19, 2005, the House of Representatives passed the Deficit Reduction Act (H.R. 4241), which included a provision to repeal the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (known as the Byrd Amendment). The article notes that H.R. 4241 will now go to a House-Senate conference, and that opposition to the Byrd Amendment's repeal remains strong in the Senate. (ShipperNewsWire, dated 11/21/05, www.americanshipper.com )
According to Washington Trade Daily, President Bush is likely to sign legislation (S. 1713) soon that would expand U.S. sanctions against Syria. (WTD, 11/16/05, www.washingtontradedaily.com )