During a January 19, 2010 NCBFAA webinar, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials discussed options for the use of bonds for Importer Security Filing purposes.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a final rule, effective January 20, 2010, which finalizes its interim final rule exempting certain components of children's electronic devices from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) lead content limits1 for children's products,2 as it is not currently technologically feasible for such components to comply.
The U.S. Trade Representative is seeking comments for its annual Special 301 review of trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights. The 2010 review will include a public hearing, USTR said, to provide “an additional opportunity for direct public interaction with officials of key agencies.” There will also be a website dedicated to the review process, it said.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has issued a notice requesting comments on countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to U.S. persons who rely on intellectual property protection.
On January 26, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is expected to begin "full enforcement" of the 10+2 interim final rule that amended 19 CFR to require Security Filing information from importers and additional information from carriers for vessel (maritime) cargo before it is brought into the U.S.
In his annual State of American Business address, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Donohue covered key areas where both government and business can work to achieve economic growth and job creation. These include expanding U.S. exports, approving the pending free trade agreements with Korea, Colombia and Panama, rebuilding U.S. infrastructure, investing in both traditional and renewable energy resources, expanding credit, and tightening U.S. fiscal policy. (Remarks, 01/12/10, available at http://www.uschamber.com/press/releases/2010/january/100112soab.htm)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a notice of its provisional acceptance of a settlement agreement and an order containing a civil penalty against RC2 Corporation and its subsidiary Learning Curve Brands, Inc. (collectively, RC2) for allegedly violating the lead paint ban of 16 CFR Part 1303.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has issued a proposed rule that would update 19 CFR Parts 101, 113, and 133 to reflect the centralization of the continuous bond program at CBP's Revenue Division (RD), Office of Finance, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has received a petition requesting that it amend 16 CFR Part 1303 to authorize certain alternative procedures when testing products for compliance with the lead paint ban. The petition also requests an interpretative rule that clarifies test procedures for these alternative methods.
The Oklahoma Corporation Commission plans hearings Monday on whether to address a coming number shortage in the 918 area code by overlaying a new area code and assigning new numbers from that code, or splitting the 918 geographic area and assigning a new area code to one part. Hearings start at 9:30 a.m. in Room 301, 2101 N. Lincoln, Oklahoma City.