Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Secretary of State Urges Product Diversification, Removal of Intra-Africa Trade Barriers at AGOA Forum

2. U.S. and Mauritius Launch Investment Treaty Talks

U.S. Trade Representative Kirk and Secretary of State Clinton announced that the U.S. and Mauritius will begin formal negotiations toward a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) that would strengthen investor protections and encourage the continuation of market-oriented economic reforms in Mauritius. (Press release, dated 08/05/09, available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2009/august/united-states-and-mauritius-launch-investment-treat)

3. CPSC Announces Top Ten Recalled Children's Products

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced its Top Ten list of recalled children's products as part of the agency's "Resale Round-up" campaign. Re-selling recalled products is a violation of federal law. Before re-selling products, CPSC encourages re-sellers to check its Web site, www.cpsc.gov, to determine if the product has been recalled. (Top ten list available at http://www.cpsc.gov/roundup/roundup2009.html)

4. CPSC Announces Two Settlement Agreements for Reporting Failures

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has announced two recent settlement agreements. In one,Ross Stores agrees to pay a $500,000 civil penalty for failing to report drawstrings in children's outerwear. In the other,Wagner Spray Tech Corp.,of Minnesota and Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd, of Hong Kong, including its wholly-owned subsidiary Techtronic Industries North America Inc., have agreed to pay an $800,000 civil penalty for delay in reporting overheated battery chargers.

5. Three Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Exporting Highly Sensitive U.S. Technology to China

The Justice Department reports that in two separate cases, three Beijing men have been sentenced to federal prison for attempting to transport sophisticated integrated circuits and advanced thermal imaging cameras to China. (Press release, dated 08/04/09, available at http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/la080409.htm)

6. State Dept Final Rule Amends ITAR for Body Armor

The Department of State has issued a final rule, effective August 6, 2009, which amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations to add an exemption for the temporary export of body armor for exclusive personal use to destinations not subject to restrictions under the ITAR section 126.1, and to Afghanistan and Iraq under specified conditions. (FR Pub 08/06/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18843.pdf)

7. State Department Terminates Debarment of Electro-Glass Products

The Department of State is announcing that it has terminated, effective June 9, 2009, the ineligible status and statutory debarment of Electro-Glass Products, Inc., as it has taken appropriate steps to address the causes of the violations and to mitigate any law enforcement concerns. (FR Pub 08/06/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18847.pdf)

8. BIS Materials Technical Advisory Committee Meeting

The Bureau of Industry and Security's Materials Technical Advisory Committee will meet on August 13, 2009, in Washington, D.C. The committee provides advice on technical questions that affect the level of export controls applicable to materials and related technology. (FR Pub 08/06/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18846.pdf)

9. State Dept Waiver for DR, Dominica, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and St. Vincent and Grenadines

The State Department is announcing that pursuant to section 7088(c)(2) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2009 (Division H, Pub. L. 111-8), the U.S. is waiving the requirements of section 7088(c)(1) for Bolivia, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. (FR Pub 08/06/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18844.pdf)

10. FDA Posts Enforcement Report for August 5th

The Food and Drug Administration has posted its Enforcement Report for the week of August 5, 2009. The report contains information on actions taken in connection with agency regulatory activities. (Report, dated 08/05/09, available at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/EnforcementReports/ucm175990.htm)

11. GAO Report on CPSC Data Collection & Protecting Minority Children

The Government Accountability Office has issued its report to congressional committees entitled "Consumer Product Safety Commission: Better Data Collection and Assessment of Consumer Information Efforts Could Help Protect Minority Children." (Report, posted 08/05/09, available at http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09731.pdf)

12. FSIS Posts Updated Meat/Poultry/Egg Inspection Directory

The Food Safety and Inspection Service has posted an updated "Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory," a listing of establishments that produce meat, poultry, and/or egg products regulated by FSIS. (Directory, updated 08/03/09, available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/Meat_Poultry_Egg_Inspection_Directory/index.asp)

13. OMB Approves DHS Proposed Rule on Marianas Islands Investors

The Office of Management and Budget has approved a Department of Homeland Security proposed rule that would create a new Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Transitional Nonimmigrant (E2 CNMI) Investor Classification for the duration of the transition period before the Immigration and Nationality Act is fully applicable. These temporary provisions are necessary to reduce the potential harm to the CNMI economy before these foreign workers and investors are required to convert into U.S. immigrant or nonimmigrant visa classifications. (Rule, posted 07/31/09, available at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=200904&RIN=1615-AB75)

14. WCO Posts Panel Reports on Inter-Agency Forum on Coordinated Border Management

The World Customs Organization has posted the presentations of an inter-agency and business forum focusing on the potential for establishing an effective and efficient coordinated border management system was held on June 29-30, 2009 in Brussels, Belgium. (Notice, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/event_iafcbm.htm)

15. Application File with Foreign Trade Zone Board

FTZ 54: Application for Reorganization: Clinton County, NY

16. CPSC Lists Voluntary Recall

The Consumer Product Safety Commission has published notice of the following voluntary recall:

(FMC notices, FR Pub 08/06/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18881.pdf and http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18883.pdf)

18. FMC Lists OTI Applications

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has issued a notice that lists those applying for ocean transportation intermediary licenses as a non-vessel-operating common carrier (NVOCC), ocean freight forwarder (FF) or NVOCC/FF OTI, as follows:

FMC notice (FR Pub 08/06/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-18880.pdf