Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. Brazil Outlines Retaliation Plans in U.S. Cotton Dispute, WTO Panel Established in U.S.-Brazil Orange Juice Dispute

2. July 2009 Surface Trade with Canada, Mexico Fell 28% from July 2008

Trade using surface transportation between the U.S. and its North American Free Trade Agreement partners Canada and Mexico was 28% lower in July 2009 than in July 2008, dropping to $51.5 billion in the seventh consecutive month with a year-to-year decline of greater than 27%, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation. (Press release, dated 09/30/09, available at http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/2009/bts046_09/html/bts046_09.html)

3. USTR Kirk Discusses Intellectual Property, Working to Complete ACTA by 2010

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted USTR Kirk's remarks given at the Global Intellectual Property Center Annual Summit. Kirk states that the U.S. is working with its trading partners to ensure adequate and effective intellectual property safeguards wherever U.S. goods and services are sold. Kirk stated that the USTR is working with its key partners to forge an Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by 2010. (Remarks, dated 09/30/09, available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/speeches/transcripts/2009/september/remarks-ambassador-ron-kirk-global-intelle)

4. U.S.-EC IPR Working Group Discusses IPR Negotiations, Tools, Etc.

The U.S-EU Intellectual Property Rights Working Group met on September 23-24, 2009 in Washington, DC. Officials reviewed the current status of a number of ongoing multilateral discussions currently underway; reaffirmed a commitment to the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) negotiations; rolled out a new brochure entitled "Protecting Intellectual Property at Our Borders", presented agreed guidelines to assist in the development of an electronic IPR product identification toolkit; etc. (Notice, dated 09/30/09, available at http://ec.europa.eu/trade/issues/sectoral/intell_property/pr300909_en.htm)

5. Countries Agree to Steps Forward on Japan's Proposal for Bilateral Patent Agreements

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry has announced the results of the second plurilateral meeting regarding its push for bilateral "Patent Prosecution Highways" which allow for accelerated patent examination. Since concluding the world's first PPH with the U.S. in 2006, Japan's Patent Office has been working to spread this program and improve its usability. The 22 participants agreed Japan will officially provide a tool that allows applicants to prepare PPH requests for different countries through a single entry screen; all offices will continue with the discussion on a common PPH request format; etc. (Press release, posted 09/25/09, available at http://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/data/20090925_02.html)

6. U.S.-Canada Agreement on Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Closer to Entering Into Force

On September 30, 2009, the U.S.-Canadian Framework Agreement on Integrated Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations was tabled in Canadian Parliament, an important step toward bringing the agreement into force in Canada. The framework agreement, informally known as Shiprider, was signed on May 26, 2009, and it enables the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the U.S. Coast Guard to jointly secure the common waterways of Canada and the U.S. (Notice, dated 09/30/09, available at http://news.gc.ca/web/article-eng.do;jsessionid=ac1b105430d71e1aea5c54b04c269c04a28bb41f18de.e34Rc3iMbx8Oai0Tbx0SaxeRaxf0?crtr.sj1D=&mthd=tp&crtr.mnthndVl=&nid=486569&crtr.dpt1D=&crtr.tp1D=1&crtr.lc1D=&crtr.yrStrtVl=&crtr.kw=&crtr.dyStrtVl=&crtr.aud1D=&crt)

7. OTEXA Free Webinar on Peru TPA Interim Commercial Availability Procedures

On October 6, 2009 at 2:00 pm EDT, the Office of Textiles and Apparel will host a free webinar on the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements' interim procedures for participation in the U.S.-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement commercial availability proceedings. The webinar will feature background on the FTA and the commercial availability program, a discussion of CITA's interim procedures, and a question and answer session for webinar participants. (OTEXA notice available at http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/webinars/Peru_webinar_announcement.pdf)

8. Internet to be Reviewed by Int'l Committee, Not U.S. Dept. of Commerce

The U.S.-based Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) which is primarily responsible for managing internet domain names, has announced that it will no longer be subject to unilateral review by the U.S. Department of Commerce, but by independent review panels appointed by ICANN's Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC) and by ICANN itself, with the involvement of governments around the world. The European Commission's Delegation to the U.S. issued a notice welcoming the change. (ICANN notice, dated, 09/30/09, available at http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/announcement-30sep09-en.htmannouncement and EU delegation to the U.S. notice, dated 09/30/09, available at http://www.eurunion.org/eu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3496&Itemid=58)

9. White House Asks Agencies Not to Appoint Lobbyists to Advisory Committees

According to the White House blog, the White House has informed executive agencies and departments that it is the Administration's aspiration that federally-registered lobbyists not be appointed to agency advisory boards and commissions. These appointees to boards and commissions, which are made by agencies and not the President, advise the federal government on a variety of policy areas. (Blog, dated 09/23/09, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Lobbyists-on-Agency-Boards-and-Commissions/)

10. U.S.-Iraqi Business and Investment Conference to be Held Oct 20-21

The U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the Department of Commerce, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Iraqi Embassy announce the U.S. - Iraq Business and Investment Conference, scheduled to take place October 20 & 21, at the Capitol Hill Hyatt Hotel in Washington D.C. (Press release, dated 10/01/09, available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2009/oct/130155.htm.)

11. Clean Trucks Program Marks First Anniversary

At its one-year anniversary, the Port of Long Beach Clean Trucks Program is on track to nearly achieve its goal of an 80% reduction in diesel truck pollution, two years ahead of schedule. The Port's Clean Trucks Program started October 1, 2008, with the aim of dramatically slashing by 2012 air pollution from the thousands of trucks that haul cargo containers to and from Port shipping terminals. (Notice, posted 09/30/09, available at http://www.polb.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=617&targetid=1)

12. FMC Non-Substantive Re-codification of the Shipping Act

The Federal Maritime Commission has issued a final rule, effective October 1, 2009, amending its regulations to reflect the codification of the Shipping Act as positive law. No substantive change is involved. (D/N 09-06, FR Pub 10/01/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-22659.pdf)

13. FTZ Terminates Review of Subzone Application

The Foreign-Trade Zones Board has issued a notice announcing the termination of review of an application submitted by the Indianapolis Airport Authority, grantee of FTZ 72, requesting special-purpose subzone status for the automotive transmission manufacturing plant of GETRAG Transmission Manufacturing LLC, located in Tipton, Indiana. (D/N 45-2008, FR Pub 10/1/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-23697.pdf)

14. CPSC Lists Voluntary Recalls

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

(CPSC recalls available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerelsep09.html)