The Commerce Department's Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) has posted to its Web site an updated "informal list" of recent petitions (requests) submitted to the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) requesting China safeguard quotas on certain textile and apparel imports from China.
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice announcing that on October 27, 2004, it received a request from certain groups asking that a safeguard quota be imposed on imports from China of combed cotton yarn (cat 301) on the ground that an anticipated increase in such imports after January 1, 2005 threatens to disrupt the U.S. market.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has posted a statement and fact sheet to its Web site announcing that on November 18, 2004, the Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) agreed to consider a petition filed by certain textile groups requesting a safeguard quota on combed cotton yarn (Category 301) from China.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective December 10, 2004, to amend its regulations at 7 CFR 319.56 on the importation of fruits and vegetables in order to list a number of fruits and vegetables from certain parts of the world as eligible, under specified conditions, for importation into the U.S.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a final rule, effective November 22, 2004, amending its regulations at 7 CFR Parts 319 and 322 on the importation of honeybees, honeybee semen, bees other than honeybees, certain beekeeping byproducts, and used beekeeping equipment.
The U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) has issued a Textile Development Memo stating that on October 27, 2004, domestic groups filed a seventh China textile safeguard petition, this time for combed cotton yarn (Cat 301). (See ITT's Online Archives or 10/22/04 news, 04102215, for BP summary of the Office of Textiles and Apparel's (OTEXA's) list of recently filed petitions for China safeguard quotas.) (TDM, dated 10/28/04, www.usaita.com)
The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued an interim rule, effective October 20, 2004, which amends 7 CFR Part 319 in order to impose restrictions on the importation from Canada of pine shoot beetle (Tomicus peniperda) host material, such as pine nursery stock, and pine products (such as cut pine Christmas trees, pine logs, etc.) that consist of pine bark or have pine bark attached.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued a notice announcing that it is launching two pilot programs that will open CPSC staff activities for public review and comment. The CPSC has launched these programs in an effort to increase the transparency and openness of CPSC staff voluntary standards activities and CPSC staff and CPSC-sponsored research.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has issued a proposed rule that would amend the regulations at 10 CFR Part 110 pertaining to the export and import of nuclear equipment and radioactive materials.
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting electronic comments on its Special 301 out-of-cycle reviews of Malaysia, Poland, and Taiwan regarding intellectual property rights (IPR).