Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
Shippers' NewsWire reports that Starbucks Corp. has said that it will install a security device that detects unauthorized opening of container doors on all shipments of coffee beans from Guatemala to the U.S. and Europe. According to the article, Starbucks is the first commercial customer for CommerceGuard, the container security device manufactured by GE Security. The article notes that Starbucks is moving out on its own with the security device even though U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is still evaluating it as part of its Smart Box initiative. (SNW, dated 03/16/06, www.americanshipper.com.)
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1. Starbucks to Install Container Security Device on Shipments from Guatemala to U.S. and Europe
2. U.S. Says it Will Treat China as a Mature Trading Partner
Washington Trade Daily reports that Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Bhatia has stated that after a "top-to-bottom" review of its trade relations with China, the U.S. concluded that it should treat China as a mature trading partner, that must bear its responsibilities under a global rules-based trading system. (WTD dated 03/17/06, www.washingtontradedaily.com.)
3. EPA Issues Report on Air Quality at U.S.-Mexican Border
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of its Good Neighbor Environmental Board (GNEB) has issued a press release announcing the issuance of the 9th of a series of reports advising the President and Congress on environmental protection along the U.S.-Mexico border. The report addresses new solutions to improving air quality along the U.S.-Mexico border and protecting Native American cultural and natural resources. (EPA Press release, dated 03/14/06, available at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/7c02ca8c86062a0f85257018004118a6/80ed88f41b43d7fb8525713100605b3d!OpenDocument)
4. A Pandemic Could Restrict Transportation Severely
The Washington File reports that if a pandemic occurs, the movement of goods and travel of people throughout the world could be restricted severely to keep the disease contained. According to the article, national or regional borders might have to close, shortages of fuel likely would occur, and major bottlenecks in the flow of many goods would arise. (Washington File Pub 03/13/06, available at http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=March&x=20060309134700AKllennoCcM0.1390279&t=xarchives/xarchitem.html)
5. ITA Announces Dismissal of NAFTA Panel Review on Wheat from Canada
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice announcing the dismissal of a North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFT) binational panel review of the International Trade Commission's (ITC's) final material injury review regarding certain durum wheat and hard red spring wheat from Canada. (USA-CDA-2003-1904-05, FR Pub 03/14/05, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-3571.pdf)
6. BIS Extends Order Imposing Export Sanctions to Sunford Trading to Additional 14 Persons
The Bureau of Industry and Security has issued an order which extends to an additional 14 persons the August 25, 2005 order imposing a number of export Sanctions on Sunford Trading, Ltd. of Hong Kong for three violations of export regulations involving the financing, forwarding, etc. of an industrial hot press furnace to an entity in China. These sanctions will apply to these 14 persons until August 25, 2008. (See ITT's Online Archives or 09/01/05 news, 05090199 5, for BP summary of BIS' order against Sunford Trading, Ltd.)(D/N 04-BIS-14, FR Pub 03/16/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-2484.pdf)