On July 7, 2010, APHIS updated its Seeds Not for Planting Manual. The manual is used for regulating importations of unprocessed seeds that are imported for consumption and are not intended for planting.
The International Trade Administration's U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service and Economic Development Administration are holding the first U.S. Clean Technology Trade & Investment Mission to Lyon, France, November 29 - December 2, 2010 and to Brussels, Belgium, December 2 - 4, 2010, which is intended to increase exports and attract foreign direct investment, placing a particular emphasis on the clean technology sector.
The Government Accountability Office has issued its report to Congressional requesters entitled "Border Security: Improvements in the Department of State’s Development Process Could Increase the Security of Passport Cards and Border Crossing Cards." According to the report, the State Department developed a passport card and second generation border crossing card that generally meet standards and guidance for international travel documents and include numerous, layered security features that, according to document security experts in the Department of Homeland Security, provide adequate security against fraudulent use.
As part of a July 13 strategic dialogue, Canada's Public Safety Minister Toews and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano announced new cooperative initiatives to combat threats and expedite travel and trade, and discussed progress on the Joint Border Threat and Risk Assessment, which will be released later this summer and jointly addresses the illicit movement of prohibited or controlled goods, agricultural hazards, etc.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has posted Deputy USTR Miriam Sapiro's May 28, 2010 interview Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Trade Director Ken Ash. In the interview, Sapiro talks about resisting protectionism, the benefits of trade liberalization and addressing public concerns about the effects of more open markets.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative announced that the Industry Trade Advisory Committee on Small and Minority Business will hold a meeting on August 9, 2010 in Big Sky, MT. The agenda includes an overview of the Congressional trade agenda; discussion of the impact of upcoming legislation on trade competitiveness; pending free trade agreements; the Generalized System of Preferences; the Mexican trucking/retaliation issue; U.S.-China trade issues; etc.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a statement by U.S. Ambassador to the WTO Michael Punke which congratulates Dennis Francis for his election as Chair of the WTO Negotiating Group on Rules, states that the U.S. is committed to achieving a balanced and ambitious agreement within this group, and outlines U.S. viewpoints on antidumping, fisheries subsidies, horizontal subsidies, and regional trade agreements.
APHIS has updated the AQIM as of July 12, 2010. The handbook provides an information source for implementing AQIM at designated work locations, training employees about the basics of risk analysis and risk management, and analyzing information so managers can make better risk-based decisions
The Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau on June 23, 2010 issued guidance stating that Kombucha products containing at least 0.5 percent alcohol by volume are alcohol beverages. Kombucha is a fermented tea that is typically marketed as a non-alcoholic beverage, which means that it may contain a trace amount of alcohol, as long as the overall alcohol content is less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume.
The Commerce Department announced that U.S. exports increased by 2.4 percent in May 2010 to $152.3 billion from their April 2010 level. Imports in May increased 2.9 percent over April to $194.5 billion. Commerce Secretary Locke noted that exports continue to boost the number of U.S. goods and services sold overseas -- up almost 18 percent over the first five months of the year.