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November 27, 2012
On Monday, November 19, 2012, the Journal of Commerce (JOC) announced that port maintenance workers, under the representation by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) planned a strike for Tuesday, Nov. 20 in the Port of Oakland. All terminal operations have stopped at this time. The work stoppage is due to disagreements over contract negotiations. The JOC article is available online at:
On November 16, 2012, the U.S. Department of Treasury' Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a press release announcing that it is broadly authorizing imports into the U.S. of goods originating in Burma for the first time in over a decade, as part of the process of normalizing the bilateral economic relationship between the two countries. According to the press release, the "joint actions by the Departments of State and Treasury are intended to support the Burmese government’s ongoing reform efforts and to encourage further change, as well as to offer new opportunities for Burmese and American businesses." As part of this change, the U.S. is issuing a waiver and a new general license to ease the ban on imports from Burma. General License No. 18 authorizes the importation of goods originating from Burma, subject to certain limitations The press release also clarifies that the importation of jadeite or rubies, mined or extracted, from Burma into the U.S. is still prohibited, and so are transactions with any person blocked by the Burma sanctions program. The full text of the press release is available online at:
White House Announces U.S.-ASEAN E3 Initiative On November 19, 2012, the White House published a Fact Sheet on their website on a new initiative called the "U.S.-ASEAN Expanded Economic Engagement” (E3) initiative, which is intended to create a new framework for economic cooperation that would expand the trade and investment relationship between the U.S. and the ten country members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In the document, the White House explains that "E3 identifies specific cooperative activities to facilitate U.S.-ASEAN trade and investment, increase efficiency and competitiveness of trade flows and supply chains throughout ASEAN, and build greater awareness of the commercial opportunities that the growing U.S.-ASEAN economic relationship presents." The first steps which will take place under this new initiative include: The initiative was announced at the U.S.-ASEAN Leaders Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The full Fact Sheet is available online at:
On November 23, 2012, the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) filed a notice of proposed rulemaking with the Federal Register in regards to the control of military electronic equipment and related items, which the President determines no longer warrant control under the United States Munition List (USML), and would be controlled under the Commerce Control List (CCL) by the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). BIS explains that these changes are the result of a review of USML Category XI, which covers Military electronics, and Categories VI, VII, VIII, and XV for other related items, by the Departments of Defense, State and Commerce. Articles would stay under the USML under the following circumstances: This proposed change is part of the Export Control Reform Initiative. The notice will be published on the Federal Register on November 28, 2012, and comments will be accepted for 60 days after this date. The full text of the notice is available online at:
Tons News, for current and past issues of Tons News by E-mail request from tonsnews@tonslogistics.com or call (310) 338-0337. ________________________________________ 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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