Miscellaneous International Trade Notices
The Washington Post reports that President Bush's move to nominate current U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Rob Portman as the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has been widely viewed as indicating that the Bush Administration holds little hope for secure a far-reaching deal in the Doha round of trade talks in 2006 and possibly for much longer than that. (WP dated 04/19/06, available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/18/AR2006041801488.html.)
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1. Hopes for Trade Talks Dim Due to USTR's Nomination to OMB
2. CBP Conditionally Establishes Port of Entry at New River Valley, VA, etc.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a final rule, effective May 19, 2006, that conditionally establishes a new port of entry at New River Valley, VA, and terminates the user-fee status of New River Valley Airport. The new port of entry consists of all the area surrounded by the continuous outer boundaries of the Montgomery, Pulaski and Roanoke counties in Virginia, including New River Valley Airport, which currently is operated as a user-fee airport. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/14/05 news, 05071499 5, for BP summary of CBP's proposed rule.) (CBP final rule, FR Pub 04/19/06, CBP Dec. 06-10, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-3694.pdf.)
3. WTO Ruling Lets Stand ITC Section 129 Determination on Canada Softwood Lumber
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release stating that the WTO Appellate Body declined to make a finding on the ITC's Section 129 consistency proceeding, which determined that threat of material injury existed in the AD/CV duty investigations on certain softwood lumber from Canada. (See ITT's Online Archives or 12/06/04 news, 04120640 for BP summary.) As a result, the USTR states that there is no basis for Canada to pursue retaliation. (USTR statement, dated 04/13/06, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2006/April/Statement_by_USTR_Spokesperson_Neena_Moorjani_Regarding_Todays_WTO_Appellate_Body_Report_on_Lumber.html )
4. DoD, GSA, and NASA Issue Interim Rule to Implement the Morocco FTA
The Department of Defense (DoD), the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have issued an interim rule amending the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), effective April 19, 2006, in order to implement the new Free Trade Agreement with Morocco (MFTA), which went into effect January 1, 2006. Written comments are due by June 19, 2006. (See ITT's Online Archives or 03/29/06 news, 06032999 4 for related BP summary.)(FAC 2005-09; FAR Case 2006-001; Item VII; Docket FAR-2006-0020, FR Pub 04/19/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-3685.pdf
5. APHIS Withdrawal of Proposed Rule on Cattle from Mexico
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has published notice that it is withdrawing its proposed rule that would have added San Luis, AZ as a port through which cattle that have been infested with fever ticks or exposed to fever ticks or tick-borne diseases may be imported into the U.S. (See ITT's Online Archives or 11/15/05 news, 05111599 4 for BP summary of proposed rule.)(D/N 05-041-2, FR Pub 04/13/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-5509.pdf )
6. State Dept Open Meeting of Advisory Committee on Int'l Law
The State Department has issued notice that an open meeting of the Advisory Committee on International Law will take place on April 28, 2006 in Washington, D.C. The meeting will discuss various issued relating to current international legal topics, including immunity for visiting artworks, international tribunals, etc. (State Dept Public Notice 5374, FR Pub 04/14/06, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/E6-5581.pdf )
7. Temporary Denial of Export Privileges to Tysonic Enterprises, Etc.
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a notice announcing the issuance of an order temporarily denying certain export privileges to Tysonic Enterprises and Chan Heep Loong. BIS has alleged that the respondents violated the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) in certain shipments subject to the Iranian Transaction Regulations. (BIS notice, FR Pub 04/19/06, http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/06-3726.pdf.)