A Weekly Look at the Federal Register: Feb 13th

So I decided to begin picking apart the weekly notices the Federal Register posts to highlight any relevant new changes that may be on their way for the world of import/export law. Unfortunately, this week the only update in the pipelines involves form and paperwork reduction under the Paperwork Reduction Act, in regards to Form I-94W (Nonimmigrant Visa Waivers). Hopefully in the near future the register will provide more substantive material for discussion.
Last Weeks Federal Register

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act takes affect tomorrow; assuming there are no last minute changes of heart. The law which was passed last year sets new limits for lead and phthalates in children's products. Retailers have made an 11th-hour appeal to Congress to roll back part of the law, no word yet on if they were successful. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Thursday rejected an interpretation of the law by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that would have allowed the sale of products with phthalates made before Feb. 10th.

Trade Wars???

Jeffrey E. Garten just published an article in Newsweek outlining the possibility of future trade wars spurred on by protectionist legislation in response to the current global economic meltdown. While there has been a lot of talk about this recently, especially in regards to the "Buy America" clause in Obama's bailout plan, this article seems to standout above the rest.

The article is located here.

Colombia Free Trade Agreement

Today Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) posted an article on NJ.com calling for the passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement. Frelinghuysen cited both the current economic downturn and the war on drugs as reasons to pass the agreement. The agreement which was signed by President Bush two years ago has yet to be approved by Congress.

The article can be found here.

Gargantuan Cargo Ships Green?

There has been a lot of talk about the launching of the MSC Daniela and its brethren, however it appears on top of all this talk these ships may also be green? The Wall Street Journal has recently posted an article explaining this phenomenon, turns out it's just economies of scale, and outlining the current down turn in international trade. Turns out green ships have just as hard of a time filling their decks as their predecessors.

The WSJ article is located HERE.

Nintendo Wii Goes Before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC)

Hillcrest Labs has recently issued a statement in regards to a complaint for patent infringement it has brought before the ITC, regarding Nintendo and it's Wii system. The complaint seeks a ban on the importation of Wii consoles into the United States. Hillcrest Labs has also brought a separate patent infringement suit in the U.S. District Court in Maryland.

A statement in regards to this legal action can be found here.

Signed Into Law: Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

President Bush recently signed into law H.R. 4040, otherwise known as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008. The bill which reauthorizes and modernizes the Consumer Product Safety Commission also establishes consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products. White House Deputy Press Secretary Tony Fratto has stated, "This bill will help to ensure that products Americans find on their store shelves are safe and that the regulating agencies have the resources they need to enforce law. This has become an increasingly difficult and complex job as more imports from more nations are now sold in the United States than ever before."