The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a news release announcing that the Bush Administration is amending its budget request for fiscal year 2009 to include an additional $275 million for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HHS also posted a fact sheet on investing in FDA's transformation. (HHS press release, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/06/20080609a.html; HHS fact sheet, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/fdatransformation.html.)
Forced Labor
CBP is the primary U.S. agency tasked with combating forced labor in international trade. It is the only agency with legal authority to take enforcement action and prevent entry into domestic commerce of goods produced with forced labor. CBP combats forced labor by issuing Withhold Release Orders (WROs) and Findings, and enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA). Goods subject to WROs and Findings, UFLPA, and CAATSA status cannot be entered at any ports of the U.S.
On March 14, 2008, President Bush signed into law S. 2745, a bill that extends certain aspects of the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (2002 Farm Bill) to April 18, 2008 (from March 15, 2008), including funding for certain trade programs. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/14/08 news, 08031415, for BP summary of the House and Senate passage of S. 2745.) (White House press release, dated 03/14/08, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080314-9.html.)
Business Week reports that inflation has hit China in recent months, hurting margins, forcing price increases on some products, and putting pressure on companies to find new ways to cut costs. This will in turn affect U.S. manufacturers that have come to rely on inexpensive Chinese labor to help keep costs low, an advantage they passed along to U.S. consumers in the costs of finished products. (Business Week, dated 03/02/08, available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice announcing that its Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) is conducting a child labor review in the production of certain hand-loomed or hand-hooked carpets and certain other textile floor coverings eligible for duty-free treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences.
The Labor Department's Bureau of International Labor Affairs has issued its final procedural guidelines, effective December 27, 2007, for the development and maintenance of a list of goods from countries produced by child labor or forced labor in violation of international standards.
On June 15, 2007, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2638, the fiscal year (FY) 2008 appropriations bill for the Department of Homeland Security, affecting U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, etc.
On December 14, 2007, President Bush signed into law H.R. 3688, the U.S. - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA1) Implementation Act.
The Senate passed the Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA1) implementing legislation (H.R. 3688) by a vote of 77 to 18 on December 4, 2007.
The Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) has issued a notice requesting information regarding the implementation of international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor by countries seeking benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), Caribbean Basin Trade and Partnership Act (CBTPA), the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), and the Andean Trade Preference Act as amended and expanded by the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPA/ATPDEA).
According to numerous government sources, on November 8, 2007, the House of Representatives approved the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA, Peru FTA), which was revamped earlier this year to include new labor and environmental provisions pursuant to a May 10th bipartisan agreement.