Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade has announced that MDIC and the U.S. Department of Commerce have relaunched the U.S-Brazil Commercial Dialogue, which last met in 2008. Commerce has also issued a press release, stating that the two sides agreed to focus on: innovation/green technology, trade facilitation/business development, intellectual property cooperation, standards and metrology, and services and small- and medium-sized enterprises (MDIC notice, in Portuguese, dated 05/04/10, available at http://www.mdic.gov.br/sitio/interna/noticia.php?area=5¬icia=9795 and DOC notice, dated 05/04/10 available at http://www.trade.gov/press/press-releases/2010/us-brazil-commercial-dialogue-deepens-trade-relations-050410.asp)
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has announced that representatives from the U.S. and Argentina recently met under the auspices of the U.S.-Argentina Bilateral Council on Trade and Investment. This was the first meeting between the U.S. and Argentina under this mechanism in seven years. The purpose of the meeting was to advance the two countries’ reciprocal trade and investment interests and to strengthen coordination on multilateral trade liberalization efforts. (Notice, dated 04/30/10, available at http://www.ustr.gov/node/5773)
The International Trade Administration has made a preliminary affirmative antidumping determination that certain coated paper suitable for high-quality print graphics using sheet-fed presses from China is being, or is likely to be, sold in the U.S. at less than fair value (A-570-958).
The International Trade Administration has issued its preliminary results of the following antidumping duty administrative reviews:
The Directorate of Defense Trade Controls has revised its Guidelines for Completion of Export and Temporary Import License Applications in order to add guidance on the use of individual names.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announces a closed meeting on May 12, 2010, in which the staff will brief the Commission on various compliance matters. (CPSC notice, FR Pub 05/06/10, available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-10833.pdf)
The Department of Agriculure has issued a report that analyzes the role imports have played in stabilizing Afghan wheat prices by mitigating the effects of shortfalls in domestic production and assesses whether Afghanistan’s internal wheat markets are sufficiently connected with international markets to cope with volatility in domestic output. (Report No. WHS-10D-01, dated May 2010, available at http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/WHS/2010/04Apr/WHS10D01/ )
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau has ruled that the use of hexane (mixed isomers), n-hexane, cyclohexane, heptane, potassium hydroxide, distilled lime oil (Citrus aurantifolia), lemon oil (Citrus limonium), and cornmint oil (Mentha arvensis and Mentha canadensis) are authorized as substitute denaturants. (TTB ruling 2010-3, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.ttb.gov/rulings/2010-3rule.pdf)
Broker Power recently reported that the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s April 2010 version of its Lacey Act Primer indicates that units of measure such as pieces (pcs) or planks are no longer allowed to be used on the Lacey Act declaration for imported plants and plant products.
Broker Power is now issuing weekly summary reports highlighting the most active textile and apparel tariff preference levels1 from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s “Quota Weekly Commodity Status Report.” BP’s weekly report also lists the TRQ commodities on CBP’s weekly “TRQ/TPL Threshold to Fill List.”