HHGFAA
June 18, 2003
To: All HHGFAA Members


DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FILES COMMENTS ON IATA APPLICATION

The Department of Justice (DOJ) filed comments opposing the application by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to change the formula used to calculate charges for volumetric rates. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is currently in the process of deciding weather to allow the airlines antitrust immunity, which they would need to impose the pricing change across the entire air transportation industry. DOJ’s position on this matter gives the IATA application little chance of being approved. Since DOJ filed comments on May 29, IATA has asked for an extension to review DOJ’s comments. If you would like a copy of DOJ’s comments, please contact Boris Populoh via e-mail at bpopuloh@hhgfaa.org. Periodic updates regarding this issue will send to the HHGFAA membership.

USDA TO AMEND SOLID WOOD PACKAGING MATERIAL REGULATIONS

An issue that had been on the back burner for some is once again in the news. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will be holding public hearings in the coming days to solicit comments on adopting an international standard for treating wood packing materials. The proposed rules would allow such items as wood crates and pallets to be heat-treated or fumigated with methyl bromide to prevent the spread of such pests as the pinewood nematode. The United States imposed similar regulations on China in 1998 to prevent the spread of the Asian long-horned beetle. The APHIS public hearing will be conducted on:

June 23 in Seattle, Washington
June 25 in Long Beach, California
June 27 in Washington, DC

Persons or panels wishing to speak at one or more of the public hearings may register in advance by phone or e-mail. Persons wishing to register by phone should call the Regulatory Analysis and Development voice mail at (301) 734-8138. Callers must leave a message clearly stating (1) the location of the hearing the registrant wishes to speak, (2) the registrant's name and organization, and, if registering for a panel, (3) the name of each member of the panel and the organization each panel member represents. Persons wishing to register by e-mail must send an e-mail with the same information described above to richard.r.kelly@usda.gov. Please write "Public Hearing Registration" in the subject line of your e-mail. Advance registration for any hearing must be received by 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 19.