Tag: import/export
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Procedural Missteps Doom Trade Association Challenge to EPA Rule Ending Domestic Pesticide Tolerances
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld, in part, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) denial of objections filed to its final rule revoking all residues of the pesticide carbofuran permitted on or in raw and processed foods. Nat’l Corn Growers Ass’n v. EPA, No. 09-1284 (D.C. Cir., decided July 23, 2010). EPA revoked the carbofuran…
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Catfish Farmers of America Warn Lawmakers of Import Risks
The Catfish Farmers of America (CFA) has reportedly released a commissioned report that evaluates the human health risks associated with catfish consumption. Presented to lawmakers and backed by Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.), the report identifies several major hazards for aquaculture fish, including “pathogenic microorganisms, antimicrobial/drug residues, and environmental chemicals.” In particular, the…
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Russia and U.S. Reach Agreement on Poultry Exports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a trade agreement with Russia that ends a January 2010 ban on chlorine-treated poultry from the United States. In exchange for lifting the ban, USDA has pledged to post on its website information about “which disinfectants/pathogen reductions treatments are known to be approved by Russia for use…
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Animal Welfare Groups Join Forces to Influence Transatlantic Trade
An umbrella organization for animal welfare groups in the European Union has reportedly signed a declaration creating the Transatlantic Animal Welfare Council (TAWC), a cooperative agreement with U.S. activists that seeks to enforce humane handling standards in international trade. According to Eurogroup for Animals, the new forum seeks to “optimize resources by sharing knowledge, expertise…
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U.S. International Trade Commission Launches Investigation of China’s Agricultural Trade
At the request of the Senate Committee on Finance, the U.S. International Trade Commission has initiated an investigation into “China’s Agricultural Trade: Competitive Conditions and Effects on U.S. Exports.” The commission will conduct a public hearing on the matter June 22, 2010, and the deadline for requests to appear is May 25. Prehearing briefs and…
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House Subcommittee Considers Food Safety Reports
The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on May 6, 2010, to consider food safety reports prepared by the Government and Accountability Office (GAO) and the Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Both the GAO report and testimony from an Inspector General…
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U.S. Customs and CPSC Team Up on Import Safety
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) have apparently agreed to share safety information on imported goods, including foods and pharmaceuticals. The two agencies on April 26, 2010, signed a memorandum of understanding that grants CPSC “the capability to conduct import safety risk assessments and perform targeting work…
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EU Agrees to Remove U.S. Rice Import Restrictions
A committee of European Union (EU) member state officials has reportedly decided to cease imposing U.S. rice import restrictions which had been in place since 2006 when genetically modified (GM) rice was found in conventional rice supplies. U.S. rice could be sold in the EU over the past four years only if certified as free…