This issue is sponsored by Hilton Hotels

Inside This Issue

Spring 2014 Newsletter

FDA Updates

Lunch Debate with Telecommunication Minister Boutros Harb

US Trade Fairs

Member News

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The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) held its annual Ordinary General Assembly followed by an Extraordinary General Assembly on March 20 at Le Vendome Hotel.

The meeting began with the Ordinary General Assembly which included an overview of the 2013 activities, followed by the review and approval of the financial statement and balance sheet of the Chamber for fiscal year 2013. Ernst and Young then presented the auditor’s report, which was distributed to all attendees. The Board of Directors’ motion to increase the corporate membership fees from $500 to $750 as of January 1, 2015 was approved by everyone in attendance.

Following the Ordinary General Assembly, an Extraordinary General Assembly was held in order to discuss amendments to a few articles in the Chamber’s by-laws.

The following amendments to article 17 of the AmCham Lebanon by-laws, regarding the Annual Ordinary General Assembly, were discussed and approved:

Section 1: A General Ordinary Annual Meeting shall be held within the first two months of each year, for the purpose of examining the items of the agenda set forth by the Board of Directors and taking proper resolutions.

To be replaced as follows:A General Ordinary Annual Meeting shall be held within the first three months of each year, for the purpose of examining the items of the agenda set forth by the Board of Directors and taking proper resolutions.

Section 3: The Annual General Assembly Meeting shall not be deemed legal if it is not attended by two-thirds of the affiliated members. In case this quorum is not present at the first meeting, a second meeting shall be held at a quorum which will be determined at the simple majority of the members. If this quorum is not present as well, the assembly shall hold a third meeting which shall be deemed legally held regardless of the number of the attending affiliated members.

To be replaced as follows:The Annual General Assembly meeting shall not be deemed legal if it is not attended by 50% +1 of the members having paid their annual membership dues. In case this quorum is not present at the first meeting, a second meeting shall be held regardless of the number of the attending members having paid their annual membership dues.

New 2014 Interact Offer

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AmCham Annual General Assembly

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American Lebanese Chamber of CommerceDirector Paola ChakhtouraAddress 1153 Foch Street Beirut Central DistrictP.O. Box 175093 Beirut, LebanonPhone/ Fax +961 1 985330-1Web www.amcham.org.lbE-mail info@amcham.org.lb

Board of Directors and Officers

Salim J. Zeenni ChairmanMaher Y. Beydoun VP for Public RelationsArslan M. Sinno VP for MembershipRichard A. Haykel VP for International AffairsWalid T. Assaf TreasurerNadim Kassar Secretary GeneralRabah Jaber Board MemberCarol Chammas Kareh Board MemberNadim Romanos Board MemberHani Raad Board MemberBarbara Batlouni Board MemberGaby Tamer Board MemberFady Khayat Board MemberElissar Farah Antonios Board MemberJean Riachi Board MemberBana Akkad Azhari Board MemberFadi Saab Board Member

Member News

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Fransabank Launches e-Payment Service for the Order of Engineers and Architects in

in Beirut In Collaboration with Credit Libanais and NetCommerce

Fransabank announced the launching of the new e-Payment system for the Order of Engineers and Architects in Beirut in collaboration with Credit Libanais and NetCommerce. This initiative was a step forward through which Fransabank aspires to head with the Lebanese people towards a new horizon of electronic experiences, keeping pace with modern international banking standards in terms of leadership, efficiency, and comfort.

This joint cooperation among Fransabank, Credit Libanais, NetCommerce and the Order of Engineers and Architects (OEA) allows all Lebanese engineers and architects from around the world who are members in OEA to settle their registration fees

via the Order website, using their Visa or MasterCard credit card in an easy, secure and hassle-free way.

To mark this occasion, Fransabank Chairman H.E. Adnan Kassar noted, “Such a service is an essential tributary in our community’s efforts to keep pace with the rapidly developing technologies in all fields, after achieving what is known today as the E-Government, reducing eventually the administrative bureaucracy, alleviating its burdens and repercussions on Lebanese citizens in general and the OEA in particular.”

It is worth noting that this is the second press conference held by Fransabank concerning an electronic payment service, after the launch of its e-taxation solution for the Ministry of Finance in September 2013.

For further information, kindly contact the marketing and corporate communication division:

Tel: 01-340180 ext. 1875 or 1817Email: marketing@fransabank.com Website: www.fransabank.com

In line with their strategic alignment, SMLC and PepsiCo announced an exclusive bottling agreement for southern Iraq covering the six governorates of Basra, Najaf, Al Qadesiyah, Misan, Muthana and Dhiqar. SMLC will operate two soft drink bottling plants, in the cities of Kufa and Basra, employing more than 300 people in manufacturing, sales and marketing, and administration. The total investment in Iraq will reach approximately $40 million in the next 3 years. Mr. Walid Assaf, Chairman of SMLC, recently visited Kufa and Basra accompanied by key

SMLC Becomes Official Pepsi Bottler in Southern Iraq

officers from SMLC and PepsiCo to oversee the successful launch of both plants as well as the sales operation in southern Iraq. “We look forward to transferring our extensive know-how and successes of over 62 years in the field of soft drinks to the Iraqi market,” Mr. Assaf announced during the inauguration.

SMLC is at present the exclusive bottler of Pepsi, Seven UP, Mirinda, Tropicana, and Lipton Ice Tea products in Lebanon and the holder of many PepsiCo awards, including the prestigious “Bottler of the Year” award in 2010, and the current President of the Chairman’s Club of PepsiCo.

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FFA Private Bank Launches Semsom US Private Placement

FFA Private Bank held a press conference to launch the Semsom US private placement on March 10 at the bank premises. Semsom, a regional restaurant chain of Lebanese cuisine with a modern twist, has mandated FFA Private Bank’s Investment Banking division to advise it on funding the company’s expansion into the US market. Semsom offers a revisited Lebanese cuisine which combines traditional and modern recipes.

With revenues of over $660 billion, the US restaurant market lacks a Lebanese cuisine dominant player. As the trend towards healthy ethnic food increases, Semsom is looking to seize the opportunity to become the first Lebanese

restaurant chain in the US. With its unique concept adapted to the US fast, casual restaurant industry – the fastest growing segment within the restaurant industry – the company is planning to grow through both self-operated and franchised outlets.

Semsom was created by Treats SAL, a company that develops and operates restaurant concepts. Its CEO, Christine Sfeir, brought the franchise of Dunkin Donuts, a leading global donuts and coffee chain, to Lebanon. Mrs. Sfeir has received several awards, including “Best Businesswoman in the Middle East” in 2011, and has just been listed in the Top 100 Most Powerful Arab Women for the third year in a row.

Citibank N.A. Lebanon: Celebrating International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, a UN-designated occasion falling on March 8 each year, is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate women’s achievements worldwide. This year’s theme, “Equality for Women is Progress for All” emphasizes how gender equality and women’s full acquisition of human rights are essential to economic and social development.

On this occasion, Citibank N.A. Lebanon was honored to host Mrs. Nadine Daher, founder of Nadine Daher Training Center for Etiquette and Image Consultancy, as a keynote speaker. With its focus on respect for others, business etiquette paves the way for a more collaborative and refined corporate culture and helps make strong connections across communities and networks. This event also highlighted the vital role of women in defining the progress and future of institutions.

“Empowering women is the key to building a more equal world for all. Despite major barriers to positive change, young women constantly strive to incorporate a gender-equality perspective in all levels of health-care services, education and employment. International Women’s Day is the global momentum for championing women’s equality and celebrating their accomplishments throughout history and across nations,” said Elissar Farah Antonios, Chief Executive Officer for Citibank N.A. Lebanon.

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SETS, the leading provider of comprehensive Human Resources Management System (HRMS) and a key player in the telecommunication and security industry in the Middle East, is pleased to announce that it has recently opened new offices in Jordan and Iraq, covering 12 countries across the MENA region. SETS’ recent expansion highlights its commitment to cater to regional market needs and to provide its valued customers in the region with an immediate presence and support.

With more than 20 years of experience in the HRMS industry and over 1,000 references that have chosen us as their HRM solutions provider, SETS has accumulated through the years an in-depth expertise in HRMS offerings and is now recognized as a leading provider in the

SETS Strategically Expands its Global Presence with New Offices in Jordan and Iraq

industry with deep knowledge in government pay regulations and taxation throughout the Middle East. Through its expansion in Jordan and Iraq, SETS will add tremendous value to the HR industry there, enabling companies to easily automate and optimize the management of their HR operations and focus on their strategic goals.

SETS’ presence in Jordan and Iraq will offer strategic market coverage for the company. Moreover, our dedicated professional team with solid experience in pre-sales consultancy, implementation and after sales support will be committed to cover the customers’ requirements locally and abroad.

For more information, please contact us at +961 1 975 555 or info@sets.com.lb.

G. Tamer Holding s.a.l. was awarded the Lebanese Excellence Award for the Year 2012 -2013 by the Lebanese Ministry of Economy and Commerce in partnership with the European Union.

G. Tamer Holding Receives Lebanese Excellence Award

This award was presented to G. Tamer Holding by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Lebanon General Michel Sleiman at an official ceremony held at the Lebanese Presidential Palace on March 11, 2014.

We are very proud that our group, with 106 years in business, has won this honor thanks to its industrial and administrative development in compliance with European and international standards. We seize this opportunity to renew our deep commitment to excellence and quality in the markets we serve, and we promise to always ensure a high competitive edge and continuously improve our processes to meet the expectations of our partners and customers worldwide.

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Earlier this year we launched our new global payments infrastructure. This was a

transformational moment for BNY Mellon. Global payments and fund transfers are at the heart of many of our client relationships. The new infrastructure will deliver significantly enhanced levels of processing efficiency, reliability, transparency and cash management oversight for our clients in the Middle East and beyond.

We are well recognized in the industry as a leading US dollar processor. The new infrastructure

BNY Mellon Launches Global Payments Infrastructure

allows us to take what we do for US dollars and apply it to our global payments business. Over time we will be able to process any payment, anywhere, on a single platform, irrespective of its value, currency or clearing mechanism. Many of our competitors still use multiple platforms.

The launch of our new infrastructure started with the expansion of our euro clearing solutions in Frankfurt, but this is just the beginning of an exciting journey. Additional infrastructure enhancements will support us becoming a Direct Participant of the UK payments system CHAPS. Ultimately we will roll out the infrastructure to other global branches and also increase the number of currencies we are processing.

In an effort to strengthen relations with individuals and companies in Lebanon, the Middle East and GCC, BLF participated in “Lebanon Week in Jeddah” and the Iraqi-Lebanese Banking Conference in Lebanon. \Mr. Maurice Iskandar, Member of BLF’s Executive Committee and Head of International said: “Our presence at both exhibitions aims at boosting relations with countries in the region, and supporting Lebanese expatriates in their projects as well as Lebanese companies in their exports. BLF has always played an important role in encouraging investment and economic cooperation between Lebanon and the MENA countries; it also boasts one of the largest correspondent banking networks among Lebanese banks.”

BLF has a long history and expertise in trade finance, commercial, retail, investment, private and correspondent banking. The Bank has 52 branches in Lebanon, in addition to 133 ATMs, and its international footprint includes subsidiaries in France and Cyprus (Banque SBA), Switzerland (LF Finance Suisse), Syria (Bank Al-Sharq), United Arab Emirates (Representative Office in Abu Dhabi), Nigeria (Representative Office in Lagos), and Iraq (Branch in Bagdad).

BLF boosts ties with Lebanese expatriates and businesses in the Middle East and GCC

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Behavioral Interviewing Skills was the focus of a new training workshop provided to thirteen

young professionals by AMIDEAST in March. Human resource staff from corporations and international NGOs from diverse backgrounds, including human resource management, marketing management, and administration, gained practical strategies which they can now integrate into their natural interviewing style and existing organizational practices. During the workshop, participants acquired the ability to make intelligent hiring decisions vital to the success of any business.

The strategic workshop is part of AMIDEAST’s

AMIDEAST Training Center Launches Series of Workshops on Human Resources

newly launched HR Series, which has benefitted over 40 professionals to date. Previous topics delivered include Strategic Trends in Human Resources Management and Best Practices in Performance Management. When asked if they would recommend this workshop to their colleagues, 100% of the participants agreed enthusiastically.

In Lebanon there are still companies that hold traditional views about HRM and therefore fail to capitalize on their full potential. In response, this workshop series was designed to develop participants’ understanding about the strategic role that HRM can play in achieving high organizational performance.

“Thank you for these extremely intense and beneficial two days! I wish it were for the whole week. The trainer was highly inspiring, not only by her deep knowledge, but also by her obvious interest in all things related to the information provided.”

Cherine Said April 2014

CMCS Lebanon, in collaboration with the American University of Beirut Continuing Education Center (AUB-CEC), Project Management Institute (PMI), and SKEMA Business School, organized a Project Management Conference for top executives and managers titled “Developing Your Talent to Bridge the Gap” at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel on April 2, 2014.

The conference hosted CEOs, general managers, senior managers, HR managers, SMEs, PMO Directors, academics and project managers.

The event hosted 7 speakers, in order of presenting:

• Afif Tabsh, Deputy Operations Manager at CMCS Lebanon (Introduced CMCS as PMI-REP/RCP and AUB-CEC Partner)• Grace Najjar, PMI Corporate Relations Manager for Southern Europe and Middle East (Introduced PMI & Pulse of the Profession)• Jennifer McCafry and Tricia Cabrey, Market

Research Team at PMI (Presented the PMI Pulse of The Profession: Talent Management Gap)• Ziad Shaaban, Director at AUB-CEC (Presented AUB-CEC/CMCS Project Management Post Graduate Diploma Curriculum for Individuals and Corporates)• Saadi Adra, PhDc, PMP, PgMP, General Manager at CMCS Lebanon (Presented a Project/ Program/ Portfolio Capacity and Capability Building Approach for Individuals and Organizations)• Laurence LeCoeuvre, Associate Dean and Coordinator of Doctoral Programs at SKEMA (Presenting the New Partnership between CMCS and SKEMA Business School)

For more information: Lebanon@cmcs-mena.com 01-345111

CMCS

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Lunch Debate With Telecommunication Minister Boutros Harb

The American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce hosted a lunch debate with His Excellency Boutros Harb, Minister of Telecommunications, on May 19 at Le Maillon restaurant. Also present at the gathering were former ministers Vreij Sabounjian and Sami Haddad, as well as acting U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Kelly Clements.

Also in attendance were several presidents of economic associations, including Economic and Social Council President Roger Nasnas, General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries President and former minister Adnan Kassar, Association of Banks in Lebanon President Francois Bassil, Union of Arab Banks Chairman Joseph Torbey, Lebanese Businessmen’s Gathering President Fouad Zmokhol, Syndicate of Hotel Owners in Lebanon President Pierre Al Ashkar, Lebanese Dutch Businessmen’s Association President Mohammad Sinno and Lebanese Economic Forum President Rafic Zantout.

American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce Chairman Salim Zeenni opened the debate with a welcome address in which he thanked the Minister for taking the time to meet with AmCham members. He also mentioned that Lebanon is lagging behind in the telecom sector and voiced the hope that Minister Harb would succeed in this ministry, as he did in previous ones, in order to fight corruption and promote action.

Minister Harb then took the floor, saying that he would be holding a press conference that Friday during which he would provide details about his ministry’s achievements over the past couple of months and the decisions that had just been taken by the Council of Ministers at the Ministry of Telecommunication’s request.

Minister Harb said, “When I took over the Ministry, I was not proficient in many technical aspects and some criticized the fact that this portfolio, which epitomizes the young people’s world, was given to someone my age. This sparked something of a challenge within me and I started going through all the files, especially since I am no specialist in this field.” Still, he asserted, “It is not about technology. Had it been so, a telecom engineer could have been appointed as minister. This is rather about sound management and foresight.”

He went on to explain, “I decided early on to leave politics outside the Ministry. I did not come to it in order to do politics, but rather to operate it to the benefit of all Lebanese, especially as I realized that this Ministry was – unfortunately – being used as a political office for people doing politics and using it to further their political performance. Instead of having the management staff assisting the minister to implement some general policy, this Ministry was divided into two different sections, and anyone who does not have the same political opinions of the previous ministers was persecuted and excluded. Competent employees were removed from office because they do not adhere

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to the minister’s political line and less competent people were appointed because they favored the said political line. This undermined the spirit of cooperation, solidarity and action within the Ministry.”

“I have come to the Ministry to put it at the service of all Lebanese, regardless of their categories, or party of intellectual affiliation. Moreover, all employees are equal in my opinion, regardless of whether or not they share my political opinion. I shall not allow anyone access to services just because s/he shares my political opinion. I have made the Ministry staff work as one team even though they adhere to various political opinions and I have turned them into one team with pluralistic political loyalties performing joint actions with their eyes set on the future,” Harb said. “The latest studies have revealed that Lebanon regressed a lot in the telecom field. I hate to see Lebanon regress in any field, but this is a challenge prompting us to bring Lebanon back as a pioneer in the telecom world. With every international company I met, there was a Lebanese executive. Even though I was proud of them, I was still hurt as I wondered why Lebanese people can work abroad but not in their own country and why Lebanon cannot assimilate all the Lebanese. All I care for is to restore Lebanon’s presence in the telecom world and, accordingly, not to allow it to lag behind for reasons that pertain mostly to politics.”

Minister Harb then argued, “A lot of money was spent over the past couple of years, about $650 million on mobile networks without any noticeable improvement in the quality of service.

About $100 million were spent on the landline network, yet people still complain nowadays that they do not have a landline phone. We are back to the dark ages when one needs political connections to get a phone line. In reality, we have enough capacity to provide 700,000 landline phones, but why aren’t any new lines being allowed? It is because some people did not want to cooperate with this or that person in the Ministry, so all projects and expenditures needed to connect the lines came to a halt. The fiber optics network now covers almost all of Lebanon’s surface area but there are still obstacles to connections from the telephone exchange to people’s houses. This should have been done by Ogero but one of the previous ministers decided to terminate the contracts with Ogero. I discovered that this was useless so I reinstated the contract. Work started anew and by the end of the month, all requests for landline installation will have been fulfilled.” One of the new decisions taken in this respect, according to Minister Harb, was “to cancel the 50,000 LL registration fee in order to encourage people to apply for landlines. People shall now get these lines for free but the state shall benefit from the returns generated by people using these lines.”

He described other new decisions by noting that, “In order to prevent mobile phone smuggling, a tax had been imposed on the Lebanese people due to the failure to go after smugglers and those who are protected. The Lebanese people had to pay the price for that. I stood against it and refused to have the Ministry of Telecommunications play the role of the Customs and Ministry of Finance. Primitive ways that hold people back were used and tourists

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visiting Lebanon would find it very difficult to get a mobile phone. The state shall lose 20 billion LL annually but it shall generate revenues in other ways, as the decision to cancel registrations fees shall bring many sectors back into life.” When he came to the Ministry, Harb said, he met with the team and found that general managers “were banned from communicating with each other. One general manager, who is responsible for 80% of the Ministry’s operations, had been shunned repeatedly by the previous minister over the past two-and-a-half years. I am not criticizing the previous minister as that was his style, which I believe to be wrong, as proven by the fact that all the spent funds did not yield any result.”

“I reconciled the relationship among general managers since they had been banned from cooperating. We came up with a 100-day plan and I must admit even I am surprised because

everything mentioned in the plan has been implemented during this short period,” the minister noted. “Law No. 430 was issued in 2002, i.e. 12 years ago. As it turns out, some ministers did not want the law to be carried out because the minister didn’t want to relinquish his prerogatives in favor of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), as he would retain only 20% of his prerogatives. The TRA was appointed so that it would issue organizational decrees but this did not happen and Liban Telecom was not established as per the original decision. I discussed it in the Council of Ministers and I said I had to implement the law, and the Council of Ministers took notice of my intention. I shall

strive to put this sector back on the right track.”

Minister Harb stressed, “If this sector grows, the economy grows and if we improve it by 10%, the economy shall grow by one percentage point. Each job in this sector creates seven jobs in the economy.” He went on by saying, “A politically motivated battle was waged against me and I was accused of bringing about the state’s bankruptcy just because I want to cut prices. One minister unfortunately said that the decisions I made incur a $350 million annual loss for the state at a time when we are looking for revenues to finance the ranks and salaries scale. However, those who opposed this project are my political foes whereas those who supported it are my political allies, and this is both sad and unfortunate. This battle is politically motivated and has nothing to do with the outcome of this law. I waged a battle in the Council of Ministers and I won it, and the Lebanese public opinion shall be the judge.”

In conclusion, he said, “I believe in this country, in the Lebanese people and in Lebanon’s right to be in the best of shape, hence my decision to take

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on this adventure. I have a clear conscience, as I have devoted myself to performing this task to the benefit of Lebanon as a whole. I hope that Lebanon shall become a beacon in the telecom field and we are indeed capable of achieving that.”

Following his remarks, a debate was held between Minister Harb and the audience, during which he replied to one of the questions by saying, “When the decision to register mobile lines was suspended, not one security service objected; rather, they all welcomed this decision.” He also revealed that he had received complaints about “someone taking advantage of the line registration system in order to use people’s numbers illegally.”

When asked about the influence of a presidential void on the cabinet’s action, he stated that “some parties are using hampering elections as a weapon as they are unable to have their candidate elected as President. The culture of democracy makes it compulsory to bow to the nature of the democratic game. After all, the Lebanese people are paying the price for this hampering.”

After discussing the various stances on whether or not Parliament and the Council of Ministers should continue operating normally under a presidential vacuum, Harb stressed “the need to take the country’s interest into consideration and make the right choice accordingly.” He warned that “the paralysis of all constitutional institutions leads us to a constituent assembly, which some are calling for and which spells Lebanon’s doom.”

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Ambition has no limits. This is why Banque Libano-Française (BLF) is expanding its network in Lebanon and abroad.

With the opening of its first branch in Baghdad, BLF is seeking to serve the Iraqi economy and meet the ambitions of companies, individuals and financial institutions in Iraq, allowing them to benefit from almost 85 years of expertise and a wide range of banking products and customized services.

9/89 Building, Street no. 18, Area 905, Karada Kharej, Baghdad, Iraq.

A NEW PARTNER FOR IRAQ’S AMBITIONS

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The FDA announced the establishment of a public docket to receive input and suggestions from the public on ways to improve the quality of abbreviated new drug applications (ANDAs) and associated amendments and supplements. Specifically, FDA is interested in hearing about difficulties sponsors are having developing and preparing their ANDA submissions.

FDA is also seeking input on how to best share suggestions for improving the quality of ANDAs with the generic drug industry.

Improving the quality of ANDA submissions will result in more submissions accepted for filing, fewer amendments and easily correctable deficiencies (ECDs), and ultimately, more generic drug approvals.

FDA welcomes submission of electronic or written comments to http://www.regulations.gov

FSMA Notification: FDA Announces Seventh and Final (FSMA) Proposed Rule - “Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food”

On Friday, January 31, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed a rule that would require certain shippers, receivers, and carriers who transport food by motor or rail vehicles to take steps to prevent the contamination of human and animal food during transportation.

Part of the implementation of the Sanitary Food Transportation Act of 2005, the proposal marks

the seventh and final major rule in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) central framework aimed at systematically building preventive measures across the food system. The proposed rule is open for public comment through May 31, 2014.

Rulemaking Process and How to Submit Comments:

The proposed rule, “Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food,” is published in the Federal Register so that the public can review it and submit comments. The FDA considers comments received during the comment period on the proposed rule and then considers revising the rule, based on its review of the comments, before issuing a final rule. The proposed rule and supporting documents are filed in the FDA’s official docket on http://www.regulations.gov and also can be accessed at www.fda.gov/fsma. Comments are due by May 31, 2014.

For more information:• Federal Register Notice for the Proposed Rule “Sanitary Transportation of Human and Animal Food” - https://federalregister.gov/a/2014-02188

• Press Release: http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm383983.htm

• Link to web page and public meetings: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm383763.htm

• Constituent Update: http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm383900.htm

FDA News as received from Layla Issa Batarseh, Ph.D., Middle East and North Africa Regional Post , Senior Regional Advisor, Office of International Programs, U.S. Food and Drug Administration at the US Embassy in Jordan

FDA UPDATES

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US Trade FairsListing for International Buyer Program (IBP) 2014

http://export.gov/static/2014%20IBP%20Trade%20Show%20Schedule%20English_Latest_eg_main_066457.pdf

FDA Announces Availability of Draft Guidance on Prior Notice of Imported Foods

FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance entitled “Guidance for Industry: Prior Notice of Imported Food Questions and Answers (Edition 3).” The draft guidance addresses questions received since the publication of the second edition of the guidance in May 2004 and includes information related to the FDA Food

Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which requires that additional information be provided in a prior notice of imported food submitted to FDA.

• Draft Guidance for Industry: Prior Notice of Imported Food Questions and Answers (Edition 3)• Imports under the FSMA For more information on FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act, visit http://www.fda.gov/fsma.

Event Location DateInfoComm 2014 Las Vegas, NV June 18–202014 International Franchise Expo New York, NY June 19–21Fancy Food Show 2014 New York, NY June 29–July 1Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry 2014 Chicago, IL July 27–31

MAGIC MARKET WEEK (Summer) Las Vegas, NV August 17–20International Woodworking Fair, LLC Atlanta, GA August 20–23Farm Progress Show Boone, IA August 26–28Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC®)2014

New Orleans, LA Sept.27–Oct.1

SAVE THE DATE

“Lebanon Day in the USA”This multi-sector event will be an important occasion to promote Lebanon and strengthen the exchange of economic relations between Lebanon and the United States of America, while

identifying lucrative business prospects for its participants.

Conference & Networking: November 4th, 2014, The Plaza Hotel, 5th Avenue, New York.Open for all delegation participants and guests.

Gala Dinner: November 4th, 2014, The Rainbow Room, 30 Rockefeller Center, New York.By invitation to delegation participants.

Door-Knock Mission: Washington D.C. For AmCham members only.

More info will be sent to members

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0910-00-47-03

Connecting you to U.S. suppliers.The U.S. Commercial Service supports the President’s National Export Initiative.

Event DescriptionThe Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest Specialty Food trade event in North America. Buyers will discover the latest trends, build long lasting relationships with national and international exhibitors and learn from industry experts. Approximately 24,000 attendees from 50 states and 80 countries attend the Show. The Summer Fancy Food Show presents 20+ educational seminars and tours addressing the basics of specialty food, social media marketing and other topics important to manufacturers, foodservice and retailers. Attendees also have the opportunity to see the “best of the best” of the Specialty Food industry at the 2014 sofi Awards Red-Carpet Ceremony, Reception and Showcases.

Benefits for Delegation Members*Complimentary registration

*Assistance with hotel reservations

*Invitation to the President’s Reception

*City restaurant, entertainment and shopping discounts

*List of exhibitors who export or indicate an interest in exporting to North Africa & Levant region

*Use of International Trade Center

Product Categories Product categories include but are not limited to: Baby Food, Baked Goods, Baking Mixes & Ingredients, Beverages (Alcoholic & Non-alcoholic), Condiments, Confectionary, Dairy & Eggs, Frozen Foods, Gifts, Grains, Pasta, Lifestyle (Kosher, Organic/Natural, Vegetarian, Lactose Free, Gluten Free, etc.), Meat/Game/Pate, Oils, Sauces, Seasonings & Cooking Enhancers, Seafood, Snacks, Soups, Stews, Spreads & Syrup, Vegetables/Fruit, Vinegar, Non Food Products/Service, and many more.

Exhibit Hours Sunday June 29, 2014 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Monday June 30, 2014 10:00 am - 5:00 pm; Tuesday July 1, 2014 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

June 29- July 1 ,2014Summer Fancy Food Show - New York City

Contact Us Todayhttp://www.specialtyfood.com/fancy-food-show/summer-fancy-food-show/If interested in joining this year’s delegation, please provide us with the below information via email by June 13, 2014.

Name of Delegate:Title:Company Name:Two paragraph company profile (150- 200 words):Contact information: (company name, tel, fax, address, email , URL)

Maya Barhouche BaroudCommercial Assistant Tel: +961-4-544860 Cell: +961-3-100061 Email: Maya.Barhouche@trade.gov

U.S. Commercial Service Beirut, Lebanon