The State Department has issued a final rule, effective February 17, 2004, which amends the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) by modifying the U.S.' denial policy regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) so that it is consistent with United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 1493 of July 2003.

The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements (CITA) has recently posted to the Office of Textiles and Apparel (OTEXA) Web site (http://otexa.ita.doc.gov/corr.htm) the 2004 Correlation: Textile and Apparel Categories with the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently posted to its Web site certain new Trade Support Network (TSN) committee Automated Commercial Environment (ACE) user requirement recommendations.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has recently posted to its Web site an updated list of current antidumping (AD) and countervailing (CV) duty orders.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) has issued a report entitled, Textiles and Apparel: Assessment of the Competitiveness of Certain Foreign Suppliers to the U.S. Market.

The Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) is extending until February 27, 2004 (from February 20, 2004) the comment period on its proposed rule to amend its regulations governing proof of financial responsibility for ocean transportation intermediaries (OTIs) by allowing an optional rider for additional coverage to be filed with a licensed non-vessel operating common carrier's (NVOCC's) proof of financial responsibility for such carriers serving the U.S. oceanborne trade with China.

Broker Power provides quota prices on a monthly basis for certain textile and apparel categories from the People's Republic of China (China) that are publicly traded. (These publicly traded quota prices have been provided by a Hong Kong quota broker.)

The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) held a quarterly meeting on February 6, 2004 in Washington, DC to discuss, and receive updates from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials on, various customs and trade issues.

In the September 24, 2003 issue of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Bulletin (CBP Bulletin) (Vol. 37, No. 39), CBP issued notices (a) revoking or modifying three classification rulings on multifunctional digital cameras, (b) modifying a ruling related to the applicability of HTS 9802.00.50 to certain men's sweatshirts embroidered in Mexico, and (c) modifying or revoking classification rulings on mechanic's gloves. CBP states that it is also revoking any treatment it has previously accorded to substantially identical transactions that are contrary to its position in these notices.

The International Trade Administration (ITA) has amended its final results of the antidumping (AD) duty administrative review of tapered roller bearings and parts thereof, finished and unfinished from Japan for the period of October 1, 1996 through September 30, 1997 as there is now a final and conclusive court decision with respect to NTN Corporation (NTN).