The Food and Drug Administration has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to request data and information on the food1 transportation industry and its practices. FDA is also requesting data and information on the contamination of transported foods and any associated outbreaks.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has released its 2010 “Special 301” annual report on the adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection by U.S. trading partners.
China’s policy of promoting its own homegrown intellectual-property industries at the expense of those trying to make inroads in the country drew the top concern in the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 report on IP protection, released Friday. Also earning criticism were Spain and Canada for lax policies on punishing Internet piracy.
China’s policy of promoting its own homegrown intellectual-property industries at the expense of those trying to make inroads in the country drew the top concern in the U.S. Trade Representative’s Special 301 report on IP protection, released Friday. Also earning criticism were Spain and Canada for lax policies on punishing Internet piracy. But Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic were dropped from USTR’s “watch list” altogether, largely because of improved enforcement at borders, street markets and online. IP industries generally praised the report, while a public interest group said USTR should make transparent its factors in designating countries.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and seeks comments on developing procedures for evaluating imports of fish and fish products with respect to marine mammal bycatch to implement provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA).
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued two proposed rules that would create mandatory safety standards for: (1) toddler beds; and (2) bassinets and cradles.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a proposed rule that would interpret the term "children's product" as used in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 and provide additional guidance on the factors that must be considered when evaluating what is a children's product.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued a proposed rule that would change the disease status of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina to allow importation into the U.S. of certain animals and animal products by adding Santa Catarina to the list of regions recognized by USDA as being free of various animal diseases. Because Santa Catarina borders a region where animal diseases exist, however, APHIS is proposing that imports of meat and other animal products from Santa Catarina be subject to certain restrictions.
The National Marine Fisheries Service has issued a final rule, effective May 10, 2010, which details and amends certain requirements for importing, exporting, and re-exporting toothfish (Dissostichus spp.), in order to facilitate conservation and management of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (AMLR).
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule, effective March 31, 2010, containing CPSC's interpretation of the statutory factors it considers in determining civil penalty amounts for "knowing" violations of the prohibited acts in the CPSA, FFA, and FHSA1, as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA).