Yahoo! News Canada reports that South Korea says it will move slowly in allowing back U.S. beef imports so as to calm an angry public that has staged mass street protests for weeks against the product. (The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced on June 21, 2008 that the two countries had reached a commercial understanding that only U.S. beef from cattle under 30 months of age will be shipped to Korea as a "transitional" measure, to improve Korean confidence in U.S. beef.) (Yahoo! News Canada, dated 06/23/08, available at http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/080623/world/international_korea_usa_beef_dc)
Treasury Secretary Paulson will attend a day of meetings hosted by theMexican Finance Minister on Tuesday to discuss regional finance and economic issues. (Treasury Dept. press release, HP-1045, dated 06/19/08, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1045.htm)
On June 18, 2008, the House and Senate overrode President Bush's veto of H.R. 6124, the "complete" (i.e., all 15 titles) version of the Farm Bill, enacting previously omitted Title III into law. (See ITT's Online Archives or 06/09/08 and 05/23/08 news, 08060999 1 and 08052399 1, for BP summaries of the Senate and House passage of H.R. 6124.) (President's veto message, dated 06/18/08, available at http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080618-1.html)
The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a final rule1, effective June 10, 2008, amending the penalty provisions of 17 sanctions programs to reflect amendments made by Public Law 110-962 to the penalty provisions of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
The Department of Health and Human Services has issued a news release announcing that the Bush Administration is amending its budget request for fiscal year 2009 to include an additional $275 million for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. HHS also posted a fact sheet on investing in FDA's transformation. (HHS press release, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2008pres/06/20080609a.html; HHS fact sheet, dated 06/09/08, available at http://www.hhs.gov/news/facts/fdatransformation.html.)
In October 2007, the Office of Foreign Assets Control authorized all specific licenses and all nongovernmental organization (NGO) registrations issued pursuant to Executive Order 13067 or the Sudanese Sanctions Regulations (SSR) prior to October 13, 2006 to remain in effect until the expiration date specified in the license or registration, or, if no expiration date is specified, to remain in effect until June 30, 2008.
The Federal Maritime Commission has issued an Order to Show Cause for Central Agency of Florida, Inc., operating as an ocean transportation intermediary, for failure to designate and maintain a qualifying individual (QI). If Central Agency does not show cause, the FMC will order it to cease and desist from operating as an OTI. (FMC Order, D/N 08-02, dated 06/06/08, available at http://www.fmc.gov/UserFiles/pages/File/Dkt_08-02_Order_to_Show_Cause.pdf)
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted its report to Congress on the Automated Commercial Environment for the second quarter of fiscal year 2008 (January 1, 2008 - March 31, 2008). The report provides an update on ACE accomplishments, challenges, fiscal status, and upcoming program milestones.
On June 5, 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 6124, the "complete" (i.e., all 15 titles) of the Farm Bill, clearing the measure for the President. (The previously enacted version of the Farm Bill was incomplete (i.e., missing Title III (Trade).) (See ITT's Online Archives or 05/27/08 news, 08052705, for previous BP summary regarding the Farm Bill and H.R. 6124.)(Information on H.R. 6124 available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.06124.)
The Justice Department reports that two CBP officers and five others were arrested on narcotics importation and bribery conspiracy charges. According to the criminal complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the arrests were the culmination of an investigation into a network of individuals importing large quantities of hashish and other controlled substances as well as contraband into the U.S. through John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. (Justice Dept. press release, dated 05/28/08, available at http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/drugcorruption052808.htm)