The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a press release announcing that on March 15, 2004 the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA), providing a forum for the two countries to examine ways to expand bilateral trade and investment. (Press Release 04-18, dated 03/15/04, available at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2004/03/04-18.pdf)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice announcing that Phase 2 of the discretionary enforcement plan for the Prior Notice (PN) requirements of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 (Bioterrorism Act) was implemented on March 12, 2004 and will run through May 12, 2004.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting written comments by April 22, 2004 concerning the establishment of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel (DSP) to examine various measures relating to the U.S. antidumping (AD) duty order on gray portland cement and cement clinker (cement) from Mexico.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has initiated antidumping (AD) duty investigations of certain tissue paper products and certain crepe paper products from China.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has issued a notice requesting written comments by April 6, 2004 regarding the establishment of a World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement panel concerning measures of the European Communities (EC) affecting the approval and marketing of the products of agricultural biotechnology (biotech products).

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a notice announcing that, following receipt of a request from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), it has instituted an investigation regarding the probable economic effect of the proposed U.S.-Thailand Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and expects to provide its classified report to the USTR by August 19, 2004.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has issued a notice requesting public comments by March 26, 2004 regarding a "commercial availability" petition it received under the U.S.-Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA) from Dillard's, Inc. and BWA, Inc.:

The State Department has issued a press release announcing that the U.S. has signed an Open Skies civil aviation agreement with Madagascar. According to the press release, this agreement provides for open routes, capacity, frequencies, designations, and pricing, as well as opportunities for cooperative marketing agreements, including code-sharing. The press release also states that the agreement includes all-cargo seventh freedom rights, allowing airlines to perform international cargo operations with no connection to their homeland. (State Department press release, dated 03/10/04, available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2004/30328.htm.)

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is preparing to implement its requirement that advance electronic information be presented for inbound air cargo through its CBP-approved data interchange system, which is currently the Air Automated Manifest System (AMS).

(a) For a company previously found to be entitled to a separate rate and for which no review was requested, the cash deposit rate will be the rate established in the most recent review of that company.