Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Farm Bill Conferees Work to Resolve Last Details of Deal

2. House Passes FY 2008 Coast Guard Authorization Bill

On April 24, 2008, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 2830, a bill to authorize appropriations for the U.S. Coast Guard for fiscal year 2008. (Congressional Daily Digest, dated 04/24/08, available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/B?r110:@FIELD(FLD003d)@FIELD(DDATE20080424))

3. USDA Amends GSM-102 Credit Guarantees for South/Central America

The U.S. Department of Agriculture amended the following credit guarantees for sales of U.S. agricultural commodities under the Commodity Credit Corporation's Export Credit Guarantee Program (GSM-102) for fiscal year 2008: an additional $50 million for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay; and for Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. (Press releases, dated 04/23/08) available at http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/PressRelease/pressrel_dout.asp?Entry=valid&PrNum=0074-08 and

http://www.fas.usda.gov/scriptsw/PressRelease/pressrel_dout.asp?Entry=valid&PrNum=0075-08)

4. Mex-Cal Truckline Settles Air Quality Violations for $50,000

The California Air Resources Board has issued a press release announcing that Mex-Cal Truckline, also known as Cal-Mex International Broker, Inc., has settled with the State Attorney General's Office for $50,000 for failing to properly self-inspect its fleet of 20-plus trucks for excess diesel emissions as state regulations require. (CARB, dated 04/17/08, available at http://www.arb.ca.gov/newsrel/nr041708.htm)

5. China to Blacklist Corrupt Government Suppliers

The Chinese Government's Official Web Portal has issued a press release announcing that the Chinese government is to establish a credit record system and blacklist individuals and organizations found committing illegal practices in government procurement, pursuant to the launch of a special nationwide survey from May to September 2008. (Press release, dated 04/22/08, available at http://english.gov.cn/2008-04/22/content_951645.htm)

6. EC to Open Negotiations on an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement

The International Chamber of Commerce has issued a press release announcing that its Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy and the International Trademark Association welcomed news that the Council of Ministers had confirmed the proposed mandate authorizing the European Commission to open negotiations on the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) between the EU and key economic partners, including the U.S., Japan, South Korea, Mexico and New Zealand. (ICC press release, dated 04/16/08, available at http://www.iccwbo.org/icccacea/index.html)

7. GAO Issues Report, Testimony on Nanotechnology

The Government Accountability Office has released the following report and testimony on nanotechnology: "Nanotechnology: Better Guidance Is Needed to Ensure Accurate Reporting of Federal Research Focused on Environmental, Health, and Safety Risks; and Nanotechnology: Accuracy of Data on Federally Funded Environmental, Health, and Safety Research Could Be Improved." (GAO No. GAO-08-402, dated March 2008, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d08402.pdf)

8. FSIS Updates Export Requirements, Plant Lists, Eligible Foreign Establishments

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has posted updated export requirements for the following countries Japan (red meat) and Korea (beef, poultry, pork). FSIS has also updated lists of U.S. plants approved to export to Australia (meat and poultry). In addition, FSIS updated its list of eligible foreign establishments in Mexico and Chile certified to export meat and poultry to the U.S.

9. EC Increases Age Limit for Removal of Vertebral Column from Beef

The European Commission has adopted a regulation raising the age limit at which the vertebral column must be removed from beef from 24 to 30 months. (EC press release, IP/08/624, dated 04/22/08, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/624&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)

10. EC Receives Reports on Safety of Two Consumer Electrical Products

The European Commission has received the final reports on two projects aimed at enhancing the safety of two categories of consumer electrical products: portable household lights and cord extension sets. These cross-border market surveillance actions found a significant number of non-compliant products on which action was taken and concluded that more needs to be done to further safeguard the safety of European consumers. (EC press release, No. IP/08/615, dated 04/21/08, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/615&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)

11. EC Notice on Video Games and Safety of Minors

The European Commission has issued a press release stating that industry must invest more to strengthen and in particular to regularly update the PEGI (Pan European Games Information) system so that it becomes a truly effective pan-European tool. Also, industry and public authorities should step up cooperation to make classification and age rating systems better known and to avoid confusion caused by parallel systems. A Code of Conduct for retailers should be drawn up within two years on sales of video games to minors. (EC press release, No. IP/08/618, dated 04/22/08, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/618&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en)

12. CBP Approves Two Companies as Commercial Gaugers

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a notice stating that it has approved the following companies as a commercial gauger for petroleum and petroleum products, organic chemicals and vegetable oils, and to test petroleum and petroleum products for customs purposes, in accordance with 19 CFR 151.12 and 151.13, on the effective dates listed (see individual notice for dates of next triennial inspections):

(CBP Notice, FR Pub 04/21/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-8464.pdf)

(CBP Notice, FR Pub 04/25/08, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-9119.pdf)