The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) states it has issued a final rule, effective March 31, 2005, to carry out the purposes of Executive Order (EO) 13338, which entered into effect on May 12, 2004.
The European Commission (EC) has adopted a proposal to impose sanctions on certain U.S. products in retaliation for the U.S.' failure to repeal the Byrd Amendment. EC sources explain that in order for the retaliatory measures to go into effect, the European Council must adopt the EC's proposal. As proposed, the measure would impose an additional duty of 15% to certain U.S. products beginning May 1, 2005.
American Shipper reports that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel Joe Whitley has resigned, with no departure date announced. The article states that the General Counsel's departure continues the high turnover among top officials at DHS since November 2004. (ShippersNewsWire@americanshipper.com , dated 03/23/05)
The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) maintains a Web page entitled Sanctions Program and Country Summaries.
The U.S. Census Bureau (Census) has issued a proposed rule to amend the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations (FTSR, 15 CFR Part 30)1 in order to require mandatory filing of export information through the Automated Export System (AES) or AESDirect for all shipments where a Shipper's Export Declaration (SED) is currently required, etc.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has issued a final rule, effective February 22, 2005, which amends the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (31 CFR Part 515) to clarify the meaning of the term "payment of cash in advance" which is used in the restrictions on payment and financing terms for certain authorized exports (e.g. agricultural commodites) from the U.S. to Cuba.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a request for comments on behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) with regard to the interim environmental review of the proposed U.S.-Andean Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The interim environmental review is available at http://www.ustr.gov/assets/Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/Andean_FTA/asset_upload_file27_7305.pdfand comments should be received by April 15, 2005 to inform negotiations (comments received thereafter will be used in the development of the final agreement). (FR Pub 03/0/3/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-4153.pdf)
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a final rule, effective February 18, 2005, which amends License Exception TMP (15 CFR 740.9) in order to allow certain organizations, as well as their staff and employees, to export basic communications equipment to Sudan for up to one year to be used in the activities of those organizations to relieve human suffering.
The U.S. Census Bureau (Census) has issued a proposed rule that would amend the Foreign Trade Statistics Regulations (FTSR) to incorporate the requirement for reporting the Kimberley Process Certificate (KPC) number for exports/reexports of rough diamonds filed through the Automated Export System (AES) in accordance with the Clean Diamond Trade Act (Public Law (P.L.) 108-19).
The Washington Trade Daily (WTD) reports that a coalition of U.S. orange juice producers has filed an antidumping (AD) petition against alleged dumped orange juice concentrate from Brazil. The petition contends that both frozen concentrated orange juice and not-from-concentrate orange juice have been dumped in the U.S. during the past year by Brazilian importers at prices below European prices and their own costs of production. (WTD Pub 12/28 - 29/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com)