The Council on the Safe Transportation of Hazardous Articles (COSTHA) attracts an increasingly international gathering to its Annual Forum, which was held this year in Orlando, Florida. One of the lessons that emerges from the meeting year after year, however, is that everyone involved in international trade, whether that involves import to or export from the US, needs to be aware not only of the rules that apply to the transport of hazardous materials in the US but also to the international agreements and conventions that govern traffic between countries. This year's meeting was, in fact, one of the most argumentative in recent memory, with industry representatives making much of the opportunity to quiz the regulators on current and recent rulemakings. This was particularly the case with the discussion panel on the revisions to the limited quantity/consumer commodity rules (HCB April 2004, page 14) and US domestic security provisions (HCB April 2004, page 19). With a long list of rulemakings currently going through the system at the US Department of Transportation (DOT), it was also good to hear from officials on what they have in store for industry (HCB June 2004, page 17).
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