Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Journal of Commerce Online (JoC Online) reports that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary-designate Michael Chertoff testified before a Senate committee on February 2, 2005 and opined that the port security grant program should be re-focused to address threats of WMDs being transported in sea containers. Chertoff also noted, among other things, that he would review DHS' overall structure and clarify the roles of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). (JoC Online Pub 02/03/05, www.joc.com)
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1. DHS Secretary-Designate on Port Security Grants, Role of CBP, Etc.
2. U.S. and Canada Release 5th Smart Border Status Report, Cite Progress
The Washington File reports that on December 16, 2004, DHS Secretary Ridge and the Canadian Deputy Prime Minister released the fifth joint status report on the U.S.-Canadian Smart Border Action Plan. Among other accomplishments, Secretary Ridge noted that seven new free and secure trade (FAST) sites have opened along the U.S.-Canada border and cited the expansion of U.S. pre-clearance facilities to Halifax. (Washington File Pub 12/17/04, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/wh/Archive/2004/Dec/17-708641.html)
3. USDA Secretary Testifies that Canada's BSE Safeguards are Adequate
The Washington File reports that Agriculture Secretary Michael Johanns testified before the Senate Agriculture Committee that Canada has adequate safeguards to prevent any likely case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, or "mad cow disease") from entering the U.S. Johanns cited Canada's prohibition on specified risk materials entering the food supply as well as its ban on ruminant material in cattle feed as two major "firewalls" to prevent the occurrence and spread of BSE to the U.S. (Washington File Pub 02/03/05, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2005&m=February&x=20050203161750AKllennoCcM0.6792108&t=xarchives/xarchitem.html.)
4. FTC Final Rule Amends Appliance Labeling Rule for Certain Washers
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has issued a final rule, effective April 27, 2005, which amends its Appliance Labeling Rule by publishing new ranges of comparability to be used on required labels for compact and standard-sized clothes washers. In addition, the FTC is making several technical corrections to language in the final rule related to clothes washers and dishwashers. (FR Pub 01/27/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-1498.pdf)
5. FSIS Announces Codex Public Meetings
The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has issued two notices announcing the following public meetings:
| Meeting |
| Preparation for 11th Session of the Codex Committee on Meat Hygiene (CCMH). |
| Preparation for 26th Session of the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. |
(FSIS notices, FR Pub 01/19/05, available at
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-1102.pdf (CCMH) and FR Pub 02/02/05 available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-1894.pdf (CCMAS).