In reaction to global trade that has slowed over the past 12 months, carriers are consolidating trade lanes and docking vessels

TRADE ALERT

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New Food Bill Proposes FD= A Annual Registration and Fees

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(August 18, 2009)

At the end of July, the US House of Representatives pa= ssed the Food Safety Enhancement Act of 2009, a bill that will be reviewed by th= e US Senate following summer recess. The bill seeks to enhance the safety and security of imported food and related = materials by implementing more than 20 new initiatives. The proposal would effect changes = for food importers, facilities, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

If passed, the bill would provide more administrative = and operational authority to the FDA, as well as assigning more responsibility = to those involved in the importation of food.= For each food importer and food facility, the bill recommends ann= ual registration, payment of annual registration fees, and assignmen= t of unique identification numbers. Furthermore, the bill proposes country of origin labeling for all fo= od, including produce; certification by an FDA-approved third party that certain foreign foods meet US food safety requirements, and the development of a voluntary FDA guideline for food importers that would grant expedited processing to participants.

To view an outline of the 20 proposed changes, go to t= he bill summary or a more complete text can found in the section by section summary—as found on the website of the US House Commit= tee on Energy and Commerce. Derin= ger will continue to track and report updates regarding the bill as it moves through Congress.

About Deringer

A.N. Deringer, Inc. is a leading provider of international logistics services including Freight Forwarding, Warehousing & Distribution, Cust= oms Brokerage, Logistics Consulting, Cargo Insurance, Duty Drawback, and Meat Inspection. Deringer combines over 30 US offices with a global agen= cy network to facilitate the movement of cargo throughout the world.