On March 31, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (PACT Act). The law goes into effect on June 29, 2010. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is currently working to publish an Interpretive Rule, including a request for comments, in the Federal Register. This website will be updated as further developments occur.
The State Department, World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently issued the following travel warnings, travel alerts, country specific information sheets, and disease outbreak-related information:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology posts drafts and changes to foreign technical regulations for manufactured products which may be considered technical barriers to trade and are therefore required to be reported to the World Trade Organization, which distributes the information to WTO Member countries.
The U.S. Trade Representative has posted readouts from days 2-4 of the second round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement that took place in San Francisco, CA. On Day 2, topics raised included services and development elements in the TPP, and how USTR will stay in touch with stakeholders beyond the face-to-face meetings in San Francisco. On Day 3, several working groups from the eight TPP partner countries began negotiations on various issue areas (customs cooperation, labor, etc.), while others continued their talks. Day 4 included discussions on how best to address the needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises and supply chains across the Asia-Pacific.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control is publishing the names of two individuals in Peru and Mexico whose property and interests in property have been unblocked pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, effective June 10, 2010.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announces a meeting via telephone on July 8, 2010, in which the Unified Carrier Registration Plan Board of Directors will continue its work in developing and implementing the Unified Carrier Registration Plan and Agreement.
The Justic Department announces that Omid Khalili, an Iranian national, has pleaded guilty to attempting to illegally export fighter jet or military aircraft parts from the U.S. to Iran, which are designated as defense articles on the U.S. Munitions List. Khalili faces a maximum penalty of ten years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The Office of Management and Budget has approved the Bureau of Industry and Security's final rule to revise the Export Administration Regulations as a result of a systematic review of the Commerce Control List.The revisions in this rule include: (i) Clarifications to Existing Controls; (ii) Eliminating Redundant or Outdated Controls; (iii) Establishing More Focused and Rationalized Controls; and (iv) Adding Additional Controls for Clarity or for Consistency with International Regimes. This rule also makes CCL related changes to other parts of the EAR, including CCL related definitions and license exceptions.
The Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau announces an agreement with the Agricultural Marketing Service, which clarifies and delineates the enforcement responsibilities of each agency with respect to the labeling and advertising of alcohol beverages produced under the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, and for other related purposes.