Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee Chair Loses Reelection Bid

Washington Trade Daily reports that House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee will have a new chairman next year now that the current chairman, Representative Phil Crane lost his bid for a 19th term on November 2, 2004. WTD dated 11/02-03/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)

2. Truckers May Get Grace Period for Nov. 15^th FAST ID Card Requirement

The Journal of Commerce Online reports that the U.S. is expected to grant truckers a grace period that is likely to last several weeks from a new requirement that drivers hauling Border Release Advance Screening and Selectivity (BRASS) shipments from Canada have a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) identification card as of November 15, 2004 at certain border crossings. (JoC Online, dated 11/01/04, www.joc.com)

3. Office of Air and Marine Operations Moved to CBP

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary for Border and Transportation Security (BTS), has announced that the Office of Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has been transferred intact from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as Phase I of a plan in order to integrate air and marine law enforcement. The integration of all CBP air and marine personnel, missions and assets will occur in Phase II. Completion of this full effort is expected by the end of FY 05. (DHS press release, dated 11/02/04, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?theme=43&content=4086&print=true )

4. Export-Import Bank Bilingual Web Page for Russia

The Washington File reports that Russian companies seeking financing to purchase U.S. goods and services and American companies interested in exporting goods and services to Russia can now access information in Russian and English on the financial products offered by the Export-Import Bank of the United States. The Internet sites are http://www.exim.gov/russia/index-ru.html for Russian, and http://www.exim.gov/russia/index.html for English. (Public Notice dated 11/01/04, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2004&m=November&x=200411011401121CJsamohT6.728762e-02&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html )

5. CPSC Provisionally-Accepted Settlement Agreement with $1,400,000 Penalty for Dynacraft Regarding Mountain Bicycle Forks

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has published a notice regarding a provisionally-accepted settlement agreement with Dynacraft BSC, Inc. (formally known as Dynacraft Industries, Inc.), containing a civil penalty of $1,400,000 to settle CPSC allegations that Dynacraft BSC, Inc. knowingly failed to report defects in its mountain bike's front suspension forks in a timely manner. Requests that the CPSC not accept this agreement or other comments are due by November 18, 2004. (CPSC notice, FR Pub 11/03/04, D/N 05-C0003, available, at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24580.pdf )

6. President Continues National Emergency With Respect to Sudan

On November 1, 2004, the President continued for one year the national emergency that was declared on November 3, 1997 by Executive Order 13067 with respect to Sudan. (FR Pub 11/02/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24663.pdf )

7. ITA Issues Export Trade Certificate of Review

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued an Export Trade Certificate of Review to the Export Trade Association of the Americas ("ETAA"). In granting other Export Trade Certificates of Review, the ITA has previously stated that such Certificates protect the recipients from certain antitrust lawsuits and private actions. (FR Pub 11/01/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/E4-2943.pdf )

8. State Dept Telecommunications Advisory Committee to Meet

The State Department is announcing that its International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet on November 15, 2004 to prepare for the next meetings of ITU-T Study Groups 15 and 9. (State P/N 4867, FR Pub 10/27/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24133.pdf )

9. State Dept Advisory Committee on Int'l Law to Meet

The State Department has announced that its Advisory Committee on International Law will hold a public meeting on November 19, 2004 in Washington, DC on various issues relating to current international legal topics. (Public Notice 4870, FR Pub 11/03/04, at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24548.pdf )

10. Census Conducts Annual Retail Trade Survey

The Bureau to the Census (Census) has issued a notice that it is conducting the Annual Retail Trade Survey, as it has determined that it needs to collect data covering annual sales, e-commerce sales, percent of e-commerce sales to customers located outside the U.S., year-end inventories, purchases, accounts receivables, and for select industries, merchandise line sales, and the percent of sales by class of customer. Census states that it is collecting this data because these data are not available publicly on a timely basis form nongovernmental or other governmental sources. (D/N 041021286-4286-01, FR Pub 11/03/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24504.pdf )

11. Foreign-Trade Zones Board Actions

The Foreign-Trade Zones Board (FTZB) has issued the following notices of recent FTZB actions:

FTZB notice (FR Pub 11/03/04) available on the Federal Register web site under the appropriate date, then under 'Foreign-Trade Zones Board,' at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-24551.pdf

12. Recent CPSC Press Releases on Recalls

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued separate press releases (dated 08/03/04-08/27/04) announcing that the following companies, in cooperation with the CPSC, are voluntarily recalling the products listed below (Press releases available at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html):