[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 139 (Friday, July 20, 2007)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 40053-40055]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3593]



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Part IV





The President





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Executive Order 13439--Establishing an Interagency Working Group on 
Import Safety
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  Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 139 / Friday, July 20, 2007 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 40053]]

                Executive Order 13439 of July 18, 2007

                
Establishing an Interagency Working Group on 
                Import Safety

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, and to ensure that the executive branch takes 
                all appropriate steps to promote the safety of imported 
                products, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Establishment of Interagency Working Group 
                on Import Safety. The Secretary of Health and Human 
                Services shall establish within the Department of 
                Health and Human Services for administrative purposes 
                only an Interagency Working Group on Import Safety 
                (Working Group).

                Sec. 2. Membership and Operation of Working Group.

                (a) The Working Group shall consist exclusively of the 
                following members, or their designees who shall be 
                officers of the United States appointed by the 
                President or members of the Senior Executive Service:

(i) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, who shall serve as Chair;

(ii) the Secretary of State;

(iii) the Secretary of the Treasury;

(iv) the Attorney General;

(v) the Secretary of Agriculture;

(vi) the Secretary of Commerce;

(vii) the Secretary of Transportation;

(viii) the Secretary of Homeland Security;

(ix) the Director of the Office of Management and Budget;

(x) the United States Trade Representative;

(xi) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency;

(xii) the Chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission; and

(xiii) other officers or full-time or permanent part-time employees of the 
United States, as determined by the Chair, with the concurrence of the head 
of the department or agency concerned.

                (b) The Chair shall convene and preside at meetings of 
                the Working Group, determine its agenda, and direct its 
                work. The Chair may establish and direct subgroups of 
                the Working Group, as appropriate to deal with 
                particular subject matters, that shall consist 
                exclusively of members of the Working Group. The Chair 
                shall designate an officer or employee of the 
                Department of Health and Human Services to serve as the 
                Executive Secretary of the Working Group. The Executive 
                Secretary shall head any staff assigned to the Working 
                Group and any subgroups thereof, and such staff shall 
                consist exclusively of full-time or permanent part-time 
                Federal employees.

                Sec. 3. Mission of Working Group. The mission of the 
                Working Group shall be to identify actions and 
                appropriate steps that can be pursued, within existing 
                resources, to promote the safety of imported products, 
                including the following:

                (a) reviewing or assessing current procedures and 
                methods aimed at ensuring the safety of products 
                exported to the United States, including reviewing 
                existing cooperation with foreign governments, foreign 
                manufacturers, and

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                others in the exporting country's private sector 
                regarding their inspection and certification of 
                exported goods and factories producing exported goods 
                and considering whether additional initiatives should 
                be undertaken with respect to exporting countries or 
                companies;

                (b) identifying potential means to promote all 
                appropriate steps by U.S. importers to enhance the 
                safety of imported products, including identifying best 
                practices by U.S. importers in selection of foreign 
                manufacturers, inspecting manufacturing facilities, 
                inspecting goods produced on their behalf either before 
                export or before distribution in the United States, 
                identifying origin of products, and safeguarding the 
                supply chain; and

                (c) surveying authorities and practices of Federal, 
                State, and local government agencies regarding the 
                safety of imports to identify best practices and 
                enhance coordination among agencies.

                Sec. 4. Administration of Working Group. The Chair 
                shall, to the extent permitted by law, provide 
                administrative support and funding for the Working 
                Group.

                Sec. 5. Recommendations of Working Group. The Working 
                Group shall provide recommendations to the President, 
                through the Assistant to the President for Economic 
                Policy, on the matters set forth in section 3 within 60 
                days of the date of this order, unless the Chair 
                determines that an extension is necessary. The Working 
                Group may take other actions it considers appropriate 
                to promote the safety of imported products.

                Sec. 6. Termination of Working Group. Following 
                consultation with the Assistant to the President for 
                Economic Policy, the Chair shall terminate the Working 
                Group upon the completion of its duties.

                Sec. 7. General Provisions.

                (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair 
                or otherwise affect (i) authority granted by law to a 
                department, agency, or the head thereof, or (ii) 
                functions of the Director of the Office of Management 
                and Budget relating to budget, administrative, or 
                legislative proposals.

                (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

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                (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create 
                any right, benefit, or privilege, substantive or 
                procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any 
                party against the United States, its departments, 
                agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or 
                agents, or any other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    July 18, 2007.

[FR Doc. 07-3593
Filed 07-19-07; 10:46 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P