The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a final rule that adds a new Subpart J to 21 CFR Part 1 (Subpart J) and a new paragraph (f) to 21 CFR 11.1 to, among other things, require the establishment and maintenance of records by persons (unless excluded) who manufacture, import, process, pack, transport, distribute, receive, or hold food in the U.S.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting comments by 5 p.m. on February 11, 2005 regarding whether any foreign countries should be identified under Section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974 (Trade Act) (19 USC 2242), which is commonly referred to as the "Special 301" provision of the Trade Act.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a statement that although the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed that an older dairy cow from Alberta has tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), the USDA remains confident that measures that Canada has in place, combined with existing U.S. safeguards and additional safeguards announced as part of the USDA's BSE minimal-risk regions final rule, provide the utmost protections. (USDA Release No. 0001.05, dated 01/03/05, available at http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?contentidonly=true&contentid=2005/01/0001.xml)
The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the container congestion that has affected the Los Angeles - Long Beach harbor for the past three months will continue for at least four to eight weeks, or even longer, due to higher than projected cargo volumes, compounded by lack of capacity on railroads serving the docks and a severe shortage of longshore labor. (JoC Online, dated 09/29/04, www.joc.com)
The Journal of Commerce reports that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has asked for permission to keep the hours-of-service (HOS) final rule for truck drivers in effect for at least six more months while it tries to revise it after it was vacated by a court decision in July. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/08/04 news, 04090810, for the FMCSA's filing to stay the court decision.) (JoC, dated 09/06/04, www.joc.com)
According to The Washington Post and a National Council of Textile Organizations (NCTO) press release, on September 9, 2004 a group of industry, farm, and labor groups, seeking to put pressure on the Bush Administration before the Presidential election, petitioned the government to accept a Section 301 petition against China's currency policies. The Washington Post reports that the groups are accusing China of manipulating its currency to gain trade advantages against U.S. firms. (WP dated 09/09/04, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8529-2004Sep9.html; NCTO press release, www.ncto.org/newsroom/pr200407.asp.)
The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued The Year in Trade 2003, an annual review of U.S. trade-related activities during 2003. According to the ITC, this report covers major multilateral, regional, and bilateral developments that occurred during 2003, as follows:
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice announcing that it has determined not to initiate an investigation regarding a Section 301 petition filed by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) which addressed workers' rights in China.
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has released a statement on U.S. China trade relations which announces, among other things, that the administration has rejected a section 301 unfair trade practices petition filed by the AFL-CIO with regard to China's worker's rights policies. The USTR explains while there are serious concerns about labor rights and working conditions in China, the administration believes that trade and economic growth, among other things, will move China faster and further toward achieving results. (USTR Statement, dated 04/28/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/04/2004-04-28-statement-china.pdf)
The Washington Trade Daily (WTD) reports that the AFL-CIO has filed a Section 301 petition with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) urging bilateral negotiations with China to correct what it believes are China's inadequate labor practices and laws. The AFL-CIO asserts that these practices and laws are tantamount to unfair trade practices. (WTD Pub 03/17/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com)