Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Wall Street Journal reports that China will impose export duties from 0.2 yuan (2.4 U.S. cents) and 0.5 yuan per unit on textiles starting January 1, according to the International Business Daily, which is published by China's Ministry of Commerce. Subject items cover six categories of goods, including outerwear, dresses, pants, knitted and nonknitted blouses, sleepwear and underwear, according to the report. (WSJ, dated 12/27/04, www.wsj.com )
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1. China Sets Textile Export Duties
2. U.S. Wins WTO Case Against EU Over Geographic Food Names
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has announced that the U.S. has prevailed in its World Trade Organization (WTO) case against the European Union (EU) regarding geographic food names known as "geographical indications" (GIs), which have a particular association with a product (e.g., Idaho potatoes or Florida oranges). (USTR press release, dated 12/21/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2004/December/United_States_Wins_WTO_Case_Against_EU_Over_Food_Names.html)
3. White House Considers CBP Commissioner Bonner to Head DHS
Shippers' NewsWire reports that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert Bonner is on the short list of candidates being considered by the White House to head the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) following Tom Ridge's resignation. (SNW, dated 12/17/04, www.americanshipper.com)
4. Taiwan Imposes Temporary Import Ban on U.S. Apples
The Journal of Commerce Online (JoC Online) reports that Taiwan has imposed a temporary import ban on apples from the U.S. after a coddling moth larvae was discovered in a shipment of apples from Oregon. According to JoC Online, the U.S. has adopted emergency measures to restore exports to Taiwan under the terms of a 2003 agreement between the two countries. (JoC Online Pub 12/23/04, www.joc.com)
5. DHS Finds that Port Au Prince Airport Does Not Meet Int'l Standards
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a press release announcing that the Port Au Prince Airport in Haiti does not meet international security standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). (DHS Press Release, dated 12/22/04, available at http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4248)
6. ITA Publishes Federal Register Notice Recognizing ITC Softwood Lumber Determination
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice which sources explain acknowledges the International Trade Commission's (ITC's) November 24, 2004 determination that the U.S. softwood lumber industry is threatened with material injury by reason of imports of subsidized and dumped softwood lumber from Canada. The ITC made this determination under section 129 of the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA). The ITA states that it is amending the antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders on certain softwood lumber products from Canada to reflect the ITC's determination. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/06/04 news, 04120640, for BP summary of the ITC's determination.) (FR Pub 12/20/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/E4-3741.pdf)
7. Presidential Determination on Renewal of Trade Agreement with Vietnam
President Bush has issued Presidential Determination 2005-11 regarding the renewal of the trade agreement with Vietnam. In that determination, President Bush states that he has determined that actual or foreseeable reductions in U.S. tariffs and nontariff barriers to trade resulting from multilateral negotiations are being satisfactorily reciprocated by Vietnam and that a satisfactory balance of concessions in trade and services has been maintained during the life of the trade agreement with Vietnam. (Determination 2005-11, FR Pub 12/21/04, http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-28027.pdf.)
8. DHS Final Rule Implements Agreement with Canada on Asylum Claims
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a final rule, effective December 29, 2004, that, among other things, codifies specific terms of an agreement between the U.S. and Canada that permits the respective governments to manage which government decides certain aliens' requests for protection from persecution or torture pursuant to domestic implementation of international treaty obligations. (DHS final rule, FR Pub 11/29/04, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/06jun20041800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2004/pdf/04-26239.pdf.)