Washington Trade Daily reports that the President's chief economic advisor recently said that the President is not likely to focus on the three pending free trade agreements until the U.S. and global economies improve. (WTD, dated 07/19/09) available at www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted the statement from USTR spokeswoman Carol Guthrie on the recent conclusion of the 5th round of negotiations for the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) that was held in Rabat on July 16 and 17, 2009. Participants in this meeting agreed that the next round will be hosted by the Republic of Korea in November 2009. With regard to the progress of negotiations, participants confirmed their intention to conclude the agreement as soon as possible in 2010. (Press Release, dated 07/20/09, available at http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2009/july/statement-ustr-spokeswoman-carol-guthrie-anti-counte-0)
In June 2009, the World Customs Organization Council adopted 221 sets of recommended amendments to the Harmonized System Nomenclature, to enter into force on 1 January 2012. Contracting Parties have 6 months during which they can object to a recommended amendment. Recommended amendments available here. (Notice, available at http://www.wcoomd.org/home_wco_topics_hsoverviewboxes_tools_and_instruments_backgrounddocumenths2012.htm)
Immigration and Customs Enforcement reports that its criminal arrests on the Southwest Border have increased more than 17 percent through the first three quarters of Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, compared to the same period in FY 2008. In the nine months from Oct. 1, 2008 through June 29, 2009, ICE made 6,834 criminal arrests compared with 5,802 arrests during the same period last year. (News Release, dated 07/14/09, available at http://www.ice.gov/pi/nr/0907/090714washington.htm)
Consumer Product Safety Commission staff have requested that the CPSC Commissioners vote by July 10 on whether to give the youth all-terrain vehicle (ATV) industry an additional 90 days to file a report on the lead content of component parts of youth ATVs, off-road motorcycles, and snowmobiles (collectively youth ATVs), made of metal that are accessible to children. The report is required by the CPSC's stay of enforcement of the lead content limits for certain parts of these youth ATVs, and had been due July 11, 2009. (CPSC notice available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/rvlead.pdf.)
The World Trade Organization has created a new database available on its Web site starting July 9, 2009 entitled the WTO Tariff Download Facility. With the database, users can search for members' customs duty rates, as actually charged as well as legally bound maximums, down to a high level of detail. (Notice, dated 07/09/09, available at http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news09_e/tar_09jul09_e.htm)
The Transpacific Stabilization Agreement has issued a press release announcing that its lines have adopted a voluntary guideline across-the-board increase of $500 per 40-foot container, with proportionate increases for other equipment sizes, to take effect August 10, 2009. The increase will apply to rates for all commodities and all U.S destinations. TSA notes that in certain cases, it will be necessary for lines to engage with shippers in a renegotiation of contracts that do not provide for some form of interim rate adjustment. (TSA press release, dated 07/07/09, available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.)
The Census Bureau has issued an Automated Export System broadcast announcing that effective August 3, 2009, AESDirect will deploy modifications to security measures and user authentication practices. All of these changes fall under the Department of Commerce's security guidelines and address the U.S. Census Bureau's IT Security Program Requirements. The upgrade to the AESDirect system will provide AESDirect users with the utmost in account security. (See broadcast for list of changes.) (AES Broadcast 2009027 available by emailing documents@brokerpower.com.)
Note that Daily Update on Capitol Hill Trade Actions does not appear in today's issue of International Trade Today. Publication of this feature will resume as new information becomes available.
The Port of New York/Newark has issued an Informational Pipeline stating that containers consigned to a C-TPAT importer that are designated for drayage to a Centralized Examination Station (CES) for a CBP Enforcement, Trade, or Agriculture examination, will clearly be designated as "C-TPAT Priority," on the Permit to Transfer or CF3461 document faxed to the CES facility. The CES facility will in turn, dray to their facility, and present for examination, the C-TPAT Priority cargo before non-C-TPAT designated containerized cargo. (See future issue of ITT for details.) (Pipeline 09-016-NWK is available via email by sending a request to documents@brokerpower.com)