Miscellaneous International Trade Notices

1. House Passes FY 2008 Appropriations Bill for DHS (including CBP)

2. USTR Rejects Another Section 301 China Currency Petition

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that it has declined to accept a petition requesting that the U.S. initiate World Trade Organization dispute settlement procedures against China over that country's currency exchange rate policies. The press release notes that it received the China currency petition on May 17, 2007 and that the petition is substantively the same as two previously filed (and rejected) petitions filed in September 2004 and April 2005. (USTR press release, dated 06/13/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/June/Administration_Declines_Section_301_Petition_on_Chinas_Currency_Policies.html.)

3. Dumping Cold Water on Hopes for a G8 Global Warming Deal

U.S News and World Report states that hopes for any kind of serious international agreement on climate change cooled after the Group of Eight summit in Germany last week, as the G8 leaders only pledged to "consider seriously" halving global emissions by 2050. (USNWR, 06/18/07, www.usnews.com)

4. U.S. and Rwanda Have Begun Bilateral Investment Treaty Negotiations

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. and Rwanda have begun formal negotiations toward a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) designed to strengthen investor protections and encourage the continuation of market-oriented economic reforms in Rwanda. The negotiations with Rwanda are the first BIT treaty talks with a sub-Saharan African country in nearly a decade. (USTR press release, dated 06/14/07, available at http://www.ustr.gov/Document_Library/Press_Releases/2007/June/United_States_Launches_Investment_Treaty_Negotiations_with_Rwa.html?ht=)

5. State Dept. Int'l Law AC to Revise UNCITRAL Model Procurement Law and Meet June 27, 2007

The State Department has issued a notice announcing that the study group of its Advisory Committee on Private International Law is participating in an initiative by the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) to revise the 1994 UNCITRAL Model Law on Procurement of Goods, Construction and Services (Model Procurement Law) to reflect advances in electronic procurement. The study group will hold a public meeting on June 27, 2007 in Washington, DC to review and discuss the proposed reforms to the UNCITRAL Model Procurement Law. (Public Notice 5808, FR Pub 06/15/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11596.pdf)

6. OFAC Blocks Property of Four Entities Under WMD Executive Order

The Office of Foreign Assets Control has issued a notice publishing the names of four newly-designated entities, effective June 8, 2007, whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to Executive Order 13382, "Blocking Property of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferators and Their Supporters." (FR Pub 06/15/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11593.pdf)

7. OFAC Publishes Enforcement Information for June 1, 2007

The OFAC has issued a notice announcing the following enforcement information for June 1, 2007:

(OFAC notice available at http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/civpen/penalties/06082007.pdf)

8. President Continues National Emergency with Respect to Belarus for One Year

On June 14, 2007, the President issued a notice continuing for one year Executive Order 13405 blocking the property of certain person undermining democratic processes or institutions in Belarus. (FR Pub 06/15/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/07-3005.pdf)

9. APHIS Corrects Proposed Rule on Importation of Blueberries from South Africa, Uruguay, Argentina

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a notice correcting an error in its proposed rule to amend 7 CFR Parts 305 and 319 in order to allow the importation into the continental U.S. of fresh blueberries from South Africa and Uruguay under certain conditions and to allow the use of cold treatment for blueberries imported into the U.S. from Argentina. APHIS corrects the word "importing" to read "exporting" in three different paragraphs of the proposed rule. (D/N APHIS-2007-0061, FR Pub 06/15/07, available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/pdf/E7-11616.pdf)

10. FDA Posts Various Notices to its Web Site

The Food and Drug Administration has posted the following notices to its Web site:

FDA releases new software tool to help strengthen U.S. food defense. FDA has issued a press release announcing that on June 15, 2007, it released a new tool to help growers, packers, processors, manufacturers, warehousers, transporters, and retailers in the food industry determine the vulnerability of individual food facilities to biological, chemical, or radiological attack. The software program, called the CARVER Shock Software Tool, is a science-based prevention strategy to safeguard the food supply. (FDA press release P07-103, dated 06/15/07, available at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01652.html. Software tool available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/vltcarv.html)

FDA to implement Tomato Safety Initiative in Summer 2007. FDA has issued a notice and press release announcing that it will ill begin a Tomato Safety Initiative in the Summer of 2007. The Initiative will be a multi-year initiative to reduce the incidence of tomato-related foodborne illness in the U.S. (FDA notice, dated 06/12/07, available at http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/tomsafe.html. FDA press release P07-102, dated 06/12/07, available at http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01651.html)