Briefly noted

U.S. plans pilot program to bar unsafe imports
Customs and Border Protection and the Consumer Product Safety Commission are introducing a new importer-participation pilot program to assure the safety of imported products. Companies that already participate in Customs’ Importer Self-Assessment program will be able to apply the same principles to meet CPSC’s new import-safety regulations.

Restrictions on liquids coming to an end
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced in its blog on Friday its plans to ultimately do away with the restrictions on liquids in carry-on luggage. With new X-ray machines, it hopes to eliminate the size limits on liquids in carry-ons by the fall of 2009, though passengers will still have to take their liquids out of their bags to have them scanned separately. By the end of 2010, all liquid restrictions will be history. The technology’s still in the works for all this, but the agency seems to have a pretty clear timetable.