On May 27, 2009, the House Energy and Commerce Committee posted a discussion draft of comprehensive food safety legislation, called the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.
Financing for broadcast deals remains scarce as institutional lenders and big hedge funds have largely abandoned funding transactions involving radio and TV assets, media bankers and brokers told us. Smaller lenders are also leaving the sector as investors are looking for safer bets, they said. Some traditional lenders to broadcasters have scaled back their outlays to the sector and others, such as Wells Fargo Foothill’s broadcast division, have closed shop completely. More regulations on broadcasters, such as the performance royalty for terrestrial radio stations, could further drive money away from broadcasting, said David Honig, executive director of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council.
"Daily Update on Capitol Hill Trade Actions" is a regular feature of International Trade Today. The following are brief summaries of recent Capitol Hill actions.
On May 27, 2009, the House Energy and Commerce Committee posted a discussion draft of comprehensive food safety legislation, called the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009.
Comments on certain aspects1 of U.S. Customs and Border Protection's interim final rule that amended 19 CFR to require Security Filing (SF) information from importers and additional information from carriers (10+2) for vessel cargo before it is brought into the U.S. were due by June 1, 2009.
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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a technical amendment to an interim final rule in order to change the effective date for replacement of the current Guam Visa Waiver Program with a new Guam-Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands Visa Waiver Program and the establishment of six ports of entry in the CNMI to November 28, 2009 (from June 1, 2009). (D/N USCBP-2009-0001; CBP Dec. No. 09-14, FR Pub 05/28/09, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-12345.pdf)
The Agricultural Marketing Service has issued a proposed rule to amend 7 CFR Part 1150 in order to implement an assessment (tax) on imported dairy products, as required by the 2002 and 2008 Farm bills.
During the May 6, 2009 Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Related Homeland Security Functions (COAC) meeting, COAC adopted a white paper on Account Based Processing (which would include what is currently known as Account Management).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued notice that a temporary restraining order implemented in November 2008 and converted into a preliminary injunction, has been preventing CBP from making timely distribution of funds available in fiscal year 2008 for Certain Frozen Warmwater Shrimp and Prawn from Ecuador, Brazil India, Thailand, Vietnam, and China (case numbers A-331-802, A-351-838, A-533-840, A-549-822, A-552-802, and A-570-893). However, on May 15, 2009 the Court of International Trade dismissed the injunction. Customs is currently processing distributions related to these cases, and distribution will be made as soon as possible. Claims remain subject to verification and audit by appropriate parties. (dated 05/18/09, available at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/trade/priority_trade/add_cvd/cont_dump/warm_water_shrimp.xml )