The Bush administration is churning out free trade agreements at a record clip

#1   Singapore and Chile were approved last year.  Australia and CAFTA are just freshly completed.  Morocco and the Dominican Republic are next, while Thailand, Panama, Peru, Columbia, Bahrain and several southern African countries are in the works.  It would seem that the Administration’s grand strategy for competitive trade liberalization through multiple bilateral agreements is working. 

However, Congress still has to approve the latest agreements.  And in the present election campaign, passage is not certain.  The Bush administration is keenly aware of these important problems and has crafted protectionism to a fine edge.  Our agreement with Australia grants the duty reduction for Australian beef over 18 years – all while keeping a tight lid on total beef imports through stringent quotas.  Sugar is entirely outside of the agreement – in a nod to constituents in Florida. 

#2   Importers of socks are subject to nearly universal detention while CBP tries to verify country of origin and fiber content claims.  CBP is interested in the following:  Original purchase order, factory profile, raw material sourcing record, cutting tickets for socks, Production steps, sewing tickets. 

#3   FDA issued its second set of guidance’s interpreting the interim final rules under the BTA.  In response, to a question as to when a transporter that stores food for the sole purpose of transporting the food must register.  The FDA expanded the exemption to also exclude facilities that house foods only because they are part of the process of transporting it from one location to another.