The ITC on Dec. 27 began a Section 337 investigation into allegations from KUB Technologies that imports of X-ray and optical camera systems are infringing on its patents, the ITC said in a news release (Inv. No. 337-TA-1348). In its Nov. 23 complaint, Kubtec alleged four Chinese and one U.S. company imported cabinet X-ray systems that copied Kubtec's patented technology for rapid-result X-ray images (see 2211290044). The ITC will consider a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against CompAI Healthcare (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; CompAI Healthcare (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.; Kangpai Medical Technology (Changchun) Co., Ltd.; Kangpai (Beijing) Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.; and Dilon Technologies, Inc.
Ben Perkins
Ben Perkins, Assistant Editor, is a reporter with International Trade Today and its sister publications, Trade Law Daily and Export Compliance Daily, where he covers sanctions, court rulings, and other international trade issues. He previously worked as a trade analyst for a Washington D.C. advisory firm. Ben holds a B.A. in English from the University of New Hampshire and an M.A. in International Relations from American University. Ben joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2022.
The Department of Commerce preliminarily determined that certain types of truck wheels that Asia Wheel manufactures in its facilities in Thailand and exports to the U.S. are subject to the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on certain steel wheels 22.5 to 24.5 inches in diameter from China, according to a Dec. 13 preliminary scope ruling.
The newly shuffled Congress likely will have areas of bipartisan agreement around trade and industrial policy, experts said during a Dec. 14 webinar hosted by Crowell & Moring. There likely will be bipartisan bills aimed at strengthening and reshoring U.S. production in critical sectors like rare mineral extraction and electronics in the vein of the Chips Act, the firm's senior policy director Scott Douglas said. With competition with China at the "top of mind" for both parties, "a host of Buy American" or similar issues are likely to be passed by Congress that could involve changes in trade policy, environmental standards or labor issues, Kate Beale, another senior policy director, said.
The U.S. is looking to make progress on trade facilitation, agriculture, and regulatory practices at the upcoming Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) meeting in Brisbane on Dec. 10, senior administration officials said during a Dec. 7 call with reporters. Brisbane will be the first of several negotiation rounds conducted in-person.
Aluminum pair ramps imported by Central Purchasing, LLC (dba Harbor Freight Tools), are not covered by the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders on aluminum extrusions from China (A-570-967/C-570-968), the Commerce Department said in a scope ruling dated Oct. 31. The ruling followed a February 2021 request from Harbor Freight to determine whether three models of aluminum pair ramps were covered by the orders.
Comments are due to the International Trade Commission by Dec. 13 concerning a potential Section 337 investigation on imported environmental monitors, according to a notice released Dec. 2. The notice follows a Nov. 29 complaint by Johnson Controls Technology and Johnson Controls, Inc., alleging that Price Industries imports environmental monitors that infringe on two Johnson Controls patents. The patents concern apparatuses for sensor monitoring with side-viewable illumination, which allows for wider viewing angles for alerts and changes being monitored. The complaint asked the ITC for a permanent limited exclusion and a cease and desist order against Price Industries.
The Port of Hidalgo, Texas, lacked the authority to reliquidate entries of mangoes from Mexico, CBP headquarters said in a Sept. 30 ruling, made public on Nov. 29. The ruling was in response to a protest filed on behalf of importer RB Logistics, which imported the mangoes in 2013, claiming preferential treatment under NAFTA. The port liquidated the entries, without change, in January 2014 but then reliquidated the entries with an increase in duties owed in February 2017.
Returned and remanufactured engine parts should be appraised under the fallback method using the sales price of the remanufactured good, with a deduction for the average cost of repair, CBP said in a ruling dated Sept. 29 and released recently.
Comments are due to the International Trade Commission by Dec. 8 on a potential Section 337 investigation on imported cabinet X-ray and optical camera systems, according to a notice released Nov. 29 (ITC Docket No. 3656). The notice and request for comment follows a Nov. 23 complaint by KUB Technologies, Inc. (Kubtec), which alleged that four Chinese and one U.S. company imported cabinet X-ray systems that infringed on a Kubtec patent concerning rapid-result x-ray images. Kubtec has asked the ITC for a limited exclusion order prohibiting entry into the U.S. of all cabinet X-ray and optical camera systems imported by the named respondents: CompAI Healthcare (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.; CompAI Healthcare (Suzhou) Co., Ltd.; Kangpai Medical Technology (Changchun) Co., Ltd.; Kangpai (Beijing) Medical Equipment Co., Ltd.; and Dilon Technologies, Inc. Kubtec also asked for cease and desist orders.
The International Trade Commission has opened a Section 337 investigation on imported video processing devices, according to a notice released Nov. 28 (ITC Inv. No. 337-TA-1343). The investigation follows an Oct. 24 complaint by DivX, which alleged that Amazon and Vizio import streaming media devices such as the Amazon Fire and Vizio's D-, M-, P- and V-series of smart televisions infringe on five of DivX's patents. The patents cover improvements to computer systems for streaming media, compressed video content and adaptive bitrate streaming. DivX has asked the ITC for permanent limited exclusion and cease and desist orders.