PierPASS has issued a press release announcing that more than half a million truck trips have been diverted from peak daytime traffic since the start of the OffPeak program on July 23, 2005, relieving congestion inside the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and reducing traffic congestion on area freeways. According to the press release, on a typical day, more than 10,000 trucks use the new OffPeak shifts. (PierPASS press release, dated 10/14/05, available at
The State Department has issued a notice announcing that effective October 11, 2005, the Secretary of State designates the Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, aka Groupe Islamique Combattant Marocain (GICM) as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. (State Dept Public Notice 5203, FR Pub 10/11/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-20341.pdf.)
The Wall Street Journal reports that U.S.-China textile talks could resume in Beijing this week. According to the article, a person close to the U.S. textile negotiation team said exact dates have not been fixed for the coming round of talks, but said they would likely occur October 14-15, 2005. (WSJ, dated 10/07/05, www.wsj.com )
The American Shipper reports that during a symposium on reducing supply chain vulnerabilities hosted by MIT's Center for Transportation and Logistics, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Bonner stated on September 29, 2005 that companies that participate in C-TPAT and aspire to the greatest level of expedited customs clearance must take a page from the Sarbanes-Oxley law that holds corporate leaders accountable for the accuracy of their financial statements, and similarly make supply chain security part of their corporate governance structure. According to Bonner, CBP will require that supply chain security practices are periodically reviewed for adequacy and for adequate investment by CEOs and corporate boards seeking eligibility for Tier Three C-TPAT benefits. (AS, dated 10/03/05, ShippersNewsWire@americanshipper.com)
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule which amends the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), effective September 16, 2005, by making certain revisions and clarifications.
According to government sources, the U.S. and China will meet for a third round of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement on textiles and apparel on September 26 - 27, 2005 in Washington, D.C. Previous talks were held in San Francisco on August 16 - 17, 2005 and in Beijing on August 30 - September 1, 2005. (Industry sources have previously reported that the U.S. is pushing for quotas through December 2008, while China wants them to end a year earlier. Sources also previously reported that China is seeking agreement that the U.S. will not pursue safeguard actions on categories that are excluded from the agreement.)
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule, effective August 30, 2005, which implements the following:
According to a brief statement from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), the U.S.-China textile talks which took place in Beijing on August 30 and 31, 2005, will continue in Beijing for a third day on September 1, 2005.
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) reports that on August 16 & 17, 2005, the U.S. and China held negotiations on a broad bilateral textile agreement. HKTDC states that negotiations are expected to resume and it is possible that the countries could agree to some type of documentation system similar to the Electronic Visa Information System (ELVIS) mechanism. HKTDC states that the lack of such a system was partly to blame for the very rapid embargoes experienced by a number of Chinese products in 2005. (HKTDC Pub 08/22/05, available at http://www.tdctrade.com/alert/us0516.htm)
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that on August 18, 2005, Mexico will impose retaliatory tariffs of $20.9 million on U.S. exports to Mexico of certain dairy products (including baby formula), wine, candy, and chewing gum. The article states that Mexico's action follows that of Japan, the European Union and Canada, which have imposed duties on the U.S. this year because of the Byrd Amendment. (JoC, dated 08/18/05, www.joc.com )