The Food Safety and Inspection Service has announced the signing of a procedural agreement with Mexico's National Service of Health, Food Safety, and Agro-Alimentary Quality (SENASICA). The agreement focuses on matters of equivalence, audit procedures, the listing and delisting of eligible establishments for the export of meat, poultry and eggs. (FSIS release dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_042710_01/index.asp)
The Consumer Product Safety Commission has posted draft proposed rules that would designate certain children’s upper outerwear with drawstring violations and handheld hairdryers without immersion protection to be substantial product hazards under section 15 (j) of the Consumer Product Safety Act.
The U.S. held its first Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship for Muslim-majority countries on April 27, 2010. The Commerce Department's 2010 schedule for achieving Summit goals includes leading at least five trade missions and hosting as many as 27 reverse trade missions with partners from Muslim majority countries. The State and Commerce Departments are working to advance the legal frameworks in Muslim-majority countries for advancing entrepreneurship. Fact sheet available here. (Speech, dated 04/26/10, available at http://www.commerce.gov/NewsRoom/SecretarySpeeches/PROD01_009173)
On April 27, 2010, the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated four Guatemalan drug traffickers as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. This action prohibits U.S. persons from conducting financial or commercial transactions with the four designated individuals and freezes any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction. (Press release, dated 04/27/10, available at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/tg665.htm)
On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Import PPQ Manual. The manual lists by country fruits and vegetables that are admissible into the United States. It includes a description of methods for sampling and inspecting selected fruits and vegetables. It also contains pictorial identification guides, and a glossary for common and scientific names of fruits and vegetables. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/downloads/fv.pdf)
On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated the Manual for Agricultural Clearance. The manual provides CBP personnel working at airport and maritime locations with the guidelines, directions, and policy for clearing carriers and passengers/crew and controlling garbage and cargo. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/mac.shtml)
On April 26, 2010, APHIS updated its Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) Animal Product Manual. This Manual provides the background, procedures, and regulatory actions to enforce the regulations governing the import and export of animals, animal products, and animal by-products. (Manual, updated 04/26/10, available at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/plants/manuals/ports/apm.shtml)