The Congressional Research Service issued a Nov. 7 report on the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., detailing issues surrounding the board’s previous lack of a quorum. The report also describes the bank's leadership, funding and the main issues in the bank’s reauthorization debate.
U.S. agriculture official Ted McKinney said pesticide maximum residue levels (MRLs) are too often used as trade barriers and praised an endorsement by the Inter-American Board of Agriculture that emphasized the need for global science-based agricultural regulations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Sonny Perdue will travel to Mexico this week in the latest in a series of trade missions to try to expand market access for U.S. exporters, the USDA said Nov. 5. Perdue will also travel with Ted McKinney -- undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs -- and about 40 industry representatives to “forge new opportunities” in Mexico, the USDA said. Previous trade missions this year include West Africa (see 1910280030) and Vietnam (see 1910110050).
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls will hold an in-house seminar on April 8, 2020, the DDTC said in a Nov. 4 notice. Registration will open March 6 and close March 27, the DDTC said, and attendees will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. To attend, send a completed registration form as an attachment to DDTCInHouseSeminars@state.gov.
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls on Oct. 31 released two forms for public comment relating to disclosures of violations of the Arms Export Control Act. The first document is the disclosure form issued by the State Department, and the second document is instructions for completing the form. The agency asked for public comments on Oct. 28, and comments are due Nov. 27 (see 1910280029).
The Agriculture Department's Agricultural Marketing Service released new rules on domestic hemp production that do not contain regulations for exports, it said in a notice. "The 2018 Farm Bill allows for the interstate transportation" but "does not affect the exportation of hemp," it said. "Should there be sufficient interest in exporting hemp in the future, USDA will work with industry and other Federal agencies to help facilitate this process."
The State Department approved a potential military sale to Japan worth about $4.5 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Oct. 29. The sale includes upgrades of 98 F-15J aircraft “to a Japanese Super Interceptor” configuration and calls for various radars, core processors and computers, the DSCA said. The prime contractors are Boeing Aircraft Company and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
In the Oct. 23 issue of the CBP Customs Bulletin (Vol. 53, No. 38), CBP published notices that propose to revoke or modify rulings and similar treatment on the application of Jones Act coastwise laws to certain merchandise and vessel equipment that are transported between coastwise points. The Jones Act limits activities by foreign-flagged vessels around the U.S. CBP said consideration will be given to any written comments received by Nov. 22 before taking this action.
The Congressional Research Service on Oct. 29 issued a fact sheet on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. The sheet includes key statistics about the history of the act, how it enforces certain export controls and which countries are subject to IEEPA regulations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is leading a trade mission to West Africa to try to expand markets for U.S. exporters, the USDA said in an Oct. 25 press release. The trade mission includes Stephen Censky, deputy secretary of agriculture, and officials from more than 40 U.S. companies and trade groups. USDA will travel to Ghana and will hear from buyer groups based in Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Senegal. The USDA released a report on the opportunities for U.S. exporters in West Africa (see 1910250023) and recently returned from a trade mission to Vietnam (see 1910180052).