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Forwarded to you by: April 25, 2011 Trucker Protests in Shanghai Slow Freight Movement International news organizations are reporting that on April 20, 2011 Chinese truck drivers in the Shanghai area began holding a three-day protest due to high fuel costs and increased fees being charged by private warehouse operators when multiple containers are picked up. The protests started on Wednesday, with some incidents of vandalism and several arrests reported, and continued into Thursday with a 40 truck blockade in the Boashan district preventing goods from entering or leaving the port area. Please contact your local Tons representative for questions regarding how this may have affected your ocean cargo. An article containing additional information is available from Reuters at:
CPSC Amends Terms of Acceptance of Retrospective Testing for Children's Textile Products In a Federal Register notice published on April 22, 2011 the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a notice revising the terms under which it would accept certifications for children's clothing textiles based on flammability testing by a third party laboratory which occurred prior to acceptance of accreditation. Previously, in order for such "retrospective" testing to be accepted, the product must have been tested under 16 CFR part 1610 on or after August 18, 2010. After considering a request made by the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA), which noted that many textiles are tested months, or even years, before they are manufactured into garments, the CPSC agreed to amend this date in order to avoid the need for retesting. As such, the CPSC will now accept certifications based on retrospective testing under the following conditions: - At the time of product testing, the product was tested by a third party conformity assessment body that was ISO/IEC 17025 accredited by an accreditation body that is a signatory to the ILAC–MRA. - The third party conformity assessment body’s application for testing using the test methods in 16 CFR part 1610 is accepted by the CPSC on or before November 16, 2010. - The accreditation scope in effect for the third party conformity assessment body at the time of testing expressly included testing to 16 CFR part 1610. - The test results show compliance with the applicable current standards and/or regulations. - The third party conformity assessment body’s accreditation, including inclusion in its scope of 16 CFR part 1610, remains in effect through the effective date for mandatory third party testing and manufacturer certification for conformity with 16 CFR part 1610. The full text of the Federal Register notice can be accessed online at:
U.S. - Panama Trade Promotion Agreement Ready for Congressional Consideration In a letter sent to the Chairman and Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means on April 18, 2011, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk announced that his office was ready to begin technical discussions with Congress regarding the U.S. - Panama Trade Promotion Agreement. On February 9, 2011 Kirk testified that the Obama Administration was intensifying its engagement with Panama to address several outstanding issues before moving forward with the trade agreement. Within the next few days, meetings between the two countries led to a list of actions necessary to address those concerns, primarily related to labor and tax reforms. With Panama's commitments having been met, Kirk's letter to Congress states, "I am pleased to report to you that the Office of the United States Trade Representative has completed its preparatory work on the Agreement and stands ready to begin technical discussions with Members of Congress on the draft implementing bill and draft Statement of Administrative Action." The full text of Kirk's letter is available online at:
________________________________________ Tons News is compiled from a number of public sources that, to the best of Tons knowledge, are true and correct. It is our intent to present only accurate information. However, in the event any information contained herein is erroneous, Tons accepts no liability or responsibility.
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