Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
According to The Wall Street Journal, Homeland Security officials don't plan to drop the orange alert just yet, stating that the terrorist threat is still high after the holidays. (WSJ, dated 01/06/03, www.wsj.com )
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1. Homeland Security Officials Don't Plan to Drop Orange Alert Just Yet
2. EU and Japan Expected to Seek WTO Approval to Impose Retaliatory Trade Measures Against U.S. for Failure to Repeal "Byrd" Amendment
Washington Trade Daily reports that the European Union (EU) and Japan will seek the approval of the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to impose retaliatory trade measures against the U.S. for its failure to repeal the illegal Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (also known as the "Byrd" amendment). The article notes that in 2003 a WTO arbitrator gave the U.S. until December 27, 2003 to bring the "Byrd" amendment law into conformity with WTO provisions, but the U.S. failed to do so. (WTD dated 01/06/04, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
3. Port of Long Beach Hikes General Tariff Rate, Other Ports to Follow
The Journal of Commerce Online (JoC Online) reports that on January 1, 2004, the Port of Long Beach, CA increased its general tariff rate by 5%, which includes wharfage, dockage, storage and demurrage. The article notes that other ports such as Los Angeles and Oakland are also moving to enact tariff increases. California ports generally cited sharp increases in infrastructure and security costs as reasons for the rate increase. (JoC Online, dated 01/06/04, www.joc.com)
4. DHS Releases Summary Conclusions from Simulated WMD Emergency
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a press release announcing that it has released summary conclusions from TOPOFF 2, which was conducted in May 2003 and involved federal, state, local, and Canadian participants (including U.S. Customs and Border Protection) in a full-scale exercise that assessed how responders, leaders, and other authorities would react to the simulated release of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Seattle, WA and Chicago, IL. (DHS press release, dated 12/19/03, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=2693)
5. DHS' National Infrastructure Advisory Council to Meet on January 13, 2004
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS') National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) has announced that it will be holding an open meeting on January 13, 2004 in Washington, DC. NAIC advises the President on the security of information systems for critical infrastructure supporting other sectors of the economy, including banking and finance, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and emergency government services. (NIAC notice (FR Pub 12/24/03) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-31656.pdf.)