The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued an interim final rule, effective October 1, 2009, which raises fiscal year 2010 user fees for agricultural quarantine and inspection (AQI) services provided in connection with certain commercial vessels, commercial trucks, commercial railroad cars, commercial aircraft, and international airline passengers arriving at ports in the customs territory of the U.S.
Senate's Customs Reauthorization Bill Would Allow $325 Million in MPF Collections for ACE/ITDS, Etc.
On August 6, 2009, Senate Finance Committee leaders Baucus (D) and Grassley (R) introduced the "Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009" (S.1631).
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued notices of its provisional acceptance of settlement agreements and orders containing civil penalties against K.S. Trading Corporation and Maran, Inc. for their alleged failure to immediately report drawstrings in certain children's sweatshirts/jackets.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued notices of its provisional acceptance of settlement agreements and orders containing civil penalties against Kohl's Department Stores and Hill Sportswear for failure to report drawstrings in children's sweatshirts as they represent a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, etc.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued a notice of its provisional acceptance of a settlement agreement and an order containing a civil penalty against TGH International Trading, Inc. for allegedly violating the Federal Hazardous Substances Act (FHSA).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has revised its enforcement phase-in schedule for the Lacey Act declaration requirement for imported plants and plant products.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued an interim final rule, effective September 1, 2009, containing CPSC's interpretation of the statutory factors it considers in determining civil penalty amounts for "knowing" violations1 of the prohibited acts in the CPSA, FFA, and FHSA2, as amended by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA).
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued an advance notice of proposed rulemaking and is requesting comments on regulatory options that could be applied to wood packaging material (e.g., crates, dunnage, wooden spools, pallets, packing blocks) used in domestic commerce to decrease the risk of the artificial spread of plant pests such as the emerald ash borer and the Asian longhorned beetle.
On July 30, 2009, the House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2749), a bill to require registration of importers and brokers; generate resources to support FDA oversight of food safety; increase inspections; and require food imports to demonstrate safety; among other things.