FDA Release Final Rule to Ensure Food Safety During Transport
Food & Drug Administration
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today finalized a new food safety rule under the landmark FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that will help to prevent food contamination during transportation. The rule will require those involved in transporting human and animal food by motor or rail vehicle to follow recognized best practices for sanitary transportation, such as properly refrigerating food, adequately cleaning vehicles between loads and properly protecting food during transportation.
The action is part of a larger effort to focus on prevention of food safety problems throughout the food chain, and the rule implements the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005 (SFTA) as well as the requirement in section 111 of FSMA that instructed FDA to issue SFTA regulations. The regulation will apply to food transported within the United States by motor or rail vehicle, whether or not the food is offered for or enters interstate commerce. Shippers, loaders, carriers and receivers engaged in transportation operations of food imported by motor or rail vehicle and consumed or distributed in the United States are also subject to the final rule.
“Consumers deserve a safe food supply and this final rule will help to ensure that all those involved in the farm-to-fork continuum are doing their part to ensure that the food products that arrive in our grocery stores are safe to eat,” said Michael R. Taylor, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.
The rule was proposed in February 2014 and takes into consideration more than 200 comments submitted by the transportation industry, food industry, government regulatory partners, international trading partners, consumer advocates, tribal organizations and others. It also builds on the transportation industry’s best practices for cleaning, inspecting, maintaining, loading and unloading and operating vehicles and transportation equipment.
Implementation of the sanitary transportation rule and all FSMA final rules will require partnership, education and training.
“We recognize the importance of education and training in achieving widespread compliance, and we are committed to working with both industry and our government partners to ensure effective implementation of all of the new food safety rules under the Food Safety Modernization Act,” said Taylor.
Businesses would be required to comply with the new regulation one year after publication of the final rule, with smaller businesses having two years to comply with the new requirements.
The FDA has finalized six of the seven major rules that implement the core of FSMA. The final rule on Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food builds on the preventive controls rules for human food and animal food, the Produce Safety rule, Foreign Supplier Verification program rule and the Accreditation of Third-Party Certification rule, all of which FDA finalized last year. The seventh rule, which focuses on mitigation strategies to protect food against intentional adulteration, is expected to be finalized later in 2016. These seven rules will work together to systemically strengthen the food safety system and better protect public health.
The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency is also responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
China to Place New Taxes on Foreign Goods Bought via E-Commerce
Cainix Online
(Beijing) – China is to impose new tax rules on cross-border e-commerce that experts say will increase the cost of many items such as food, health care products and low-price cosmetics.
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USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam
U.S. International Trade Commission
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) today determined that revoking the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on polyethylene retail carrier bags from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time.
As a result of the Commission’s affirmative determinations, the existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on imports of these products from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam will remain in place.
All six Commissioners voted in the affirmative.
Today’s action comes under the five-year (sunset) review process required by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act. See the attached page for background on these five-year (sunset) reviews.
The Commission’s public report Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-462 and 731-TA-1156-1158 (Review) and 731-TA-1043-1045 (Second Review)), USITC Publication 4605, April 2016) will contain the views of the Commission and information developed during the reviews.
The report will be available by May 9, 2016; when available, it may be accessed on the USITC website at: http://pubapps.usitc.gov/applications/publogs/qry_publication_loglist.asp.
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BACKGROUND
The Uruguay Round Agreements Act requires the Department of Commerce to revoke an antidumping or countervailing duty order, or terminate a suspension agreement, after five years unless the Department of Commerce and the USITC determine that revoking the order or terminating the suspension agreement would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of dumping or subsidies (Commerce) and of material injury (USITC) within a reasonably foreseeable time.
The Commission’s institution notice in five-year reviews requests that interested parties file responses with the Commission concerning the likely effects of revoking the order under review as well as other information. Generally within 95 days from institution, the Commission will determine whether the responses it has received reflect an adequate or inadequate level of interest in a full review. If responses to the USITC’s notice of institution are adequate, or if other circumstances warrant a full review, the Commission conducts a full review, which includes a public hearing and issuance of questionnaires.
The Commission generally does not hold a hearing or conduct further investigative activities in expedited reviews. Commissioners base their injury determination in expedited reviews on the facts available, including the Commission’s prior injury and review determinations, responses received to its notice of institution, data collected by staff in connection with the review, and information provided by the Department of Commerce.
The five-year (sunset) reviews concerning Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam were instituted on April 1, 2015.
On July 6, 2015, the Commission voted to conduct full reviews. All six Commissioners concluded that the domestic group response for these reviews was adequate; that the respondent group response from Malaysia was adequate; and that the respondent group responses from China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam were inadequate, but that circumstances warranted full reviews.
A record of the Commission’s vote to conduct full reviews is available from the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may be made by telephone by calling 202-205-1802.
First Import Safety Boot Camp held in Puerto Rico and the USVI
U.S. Customs Border & Protection
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officers are often required to examine and hold merchandise on behalf of other government agencies that have the regulatory authority to determine the admissibility of these products.
In an effort to better protect our country and combat unsafe imports, the San Juan Field Office recently held an “Import Safety Boot Camp”, a unique program to strengthen CBP’s import safety mission.
The program brought together a consortium of the most pivotal Partner Government Agencies (PGAs) on the topic of import safety to create an intensive training experience for Trade employees of the San Juan Field Office, with sessions in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico and in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands.
“What we are trying to build here is togetherness; oneness of purpose; to become One U.S. Government at the Border,” said Edward Ryan, Assistant Director for Trade at the San Juan Field Office. “This Import Safety Boot Camp strives to foster a better understanding of the PGAs and knit them closer to our CBP employees.”
Subject matter experts from Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade (TTB) presented to participants an overview of their agency’s mission, regulatory authority, product scope, admissibility confirmation process, sampling, testing and enforcement process.
Nearly one hundred CBP Officers, Agriculture Specialists, Entry Specialists and Import Specialists from Puerto Rico and the USVI received the training over a 3 day period.
“From the Import Safety Boot Camp CBP expects to see increased awareness in the products it inspects, and more unsafe items seized,” said Ryan. “But, only through a continued commitment to a collaborative approach will we truly accomplish our Import Safety objectives and become One U.S. Government at the Border”.
USITC To Study the U.S. Aluminum Industry
U.S. International Trade Commission
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has launched an investigation to examine the U.S. aluminum industry and global aluminum trade.
The investigation, Aluminum: Competitive Conditions Affecting the U.S. Industry, was requested by the House Committee on Ways and Means in a letter received on February 24, 2016.
The USITC, an independent, nonpartisan, factfinding federal agency, will report on factors of competition in major unwrought and wrought (semi-fabricated) aluminum producing and exporting countries, including the United States. The USITC will examine industry characteristics, recent trade trends and developments, competitive strengths and weakness, factors driving unwrought-production capacity increases, and government policies that affect aluminum production and exports in these countries.
The USITC will also perform a qualitative, and to the extent possible, quantitative assessment of the impact of government policies and programs in the selected foreign countries on aluminum production, exports, consumption, and domestic prices, as well as on the U.S. aluminum industry and global aluminum markets.
The USITC expects to deliver the report to the Committee by June 24, 2017.
The USITC will hold a public hearing in connection with the investigation on September 29, 2016. Requests to appear at the hearing should be filed no later than 5:15 p.m. on September 5, 2016, with the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436. For further information, call 202-205-2000.
The USITC also welcomes written submissions for the record. Written submissions should be addressed to the Secretary of the Commission at the above address and should be submitted at the earliest practical date, but no later than 5:15 p.m. on February 21, 2017. All written submissions, except for confidential business information, will be available for public inspection.
Further information on the scope of this investigation and appropriate submissions is available in the USITC's notice of investigation, dated April 6, 2016, which can be obtained from the USITC Internet site (www.usitc.gov) or by contacting the Office of the Secretary at the above address or at 202-205-2000.
USITC general factfinding investigations, such as this one, cover matters related to tariffs or trade and are generally conducted at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative, the House Committee on Ways and Means, or the Senate Committee on Finance. The resulting reports convey the Commission's objective findings and independent analyses on the subjects investigated. The Commission makes no recommendations on policy or other matters in its general factfinding reports. Upon completion of each investigation, the USITC submits its findings and analyses to the requester. General factfinding investigation reports are subsequently released to the public unless they are classified by the requester for national security reasons.
Ivanka Trump Scarves Recalled by GBG Accessories Group Due to Violation of Federal Flammability Standard
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
This recall involves two styles of Ivanka Trump-branded scarves, Beach Wave, in blue, coral and yellow; and Brushstroke Oblong, in blue, red, neutral and green. Both scarves are 76 inches long by 24 inches wide. Scarves are 100 percent rayon with a machine-rolled hem. A black label with “IVANKA TRUMP” embroidered in silver is sewn on the edge of the scarves.
Incidents/Injuries: None reported
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled scarves and return them to the place where purchased for a full refund. Consumers who purchased the scarves online will be contacted directly by online retailers with return instructions.
Sold at: Century 21, Lord & Taylor, Marshalls, TJ Maxx and Stein Mart retail stores nationwide, and online at amazon.com and loehmanns.com from October 2014 through January 2016 for between $ 12 and $68.
Importer(s): GBG Accessories Group (formerly LF Accessories Group, LLC), of New York
Manufactured in: China