The Food Safety and Inspection Service announced that the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food will be meeting on April 23, 2012 from 1-3 p.m. in Washington, DC. For those who wish to participate, the call-in number is 1-888-858-2144 and the participant code is 6208658.
Brian Feito
Brian Feito is Managing Editor of International Trade Today, Export Compliance Daily and Trade Law Daily. A licensed customs broker who spent time at the Department of Commerce calculating antidumping and countervailing duties, Brian covers a wide range of subjects including customs and trade-facing product regulation, the courts, antidumping and countervailing duties and Mexico and the European Union. Brian is a graduate of the University of Florida and George Mason University. He joined the staff of Warren Communications News in 2012.
The International Trade Commission has made a determination in its five year sunset review of the antidumping duty order on certain orange juice from Brazil, concluding that revoking this order would not be likely to lead to a continuation or recurrence of material injury within a reasonably foreseeable time. As a result of this ITC negative determination, the International Trade Administration will publish a notice revoking this order.
The International Trade Commission has announced that it is considering what the effects of a general exclusion order directed against certain handbags, luggage, accessories, and packaging thereof (337-TA-754) would have upon the public welfare, competition conditions in the U.S., and U.S. consumers, in light of a March 5, 2012 Administrative Law Judge recommended determination on remedy and bonding. Comments are due by April 4, 2012.
On March 14, 2012, the Senate passed S. 1813, a bill to reauthorize the Federal-aid highway and highway safety construction programs for two years. The bill, also known as Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), would maintain funding at current levels, indexed for inflation, among other things. Press reports indicate that the House must take up the bill quickly, as current highway funding expires on March 31, 2012.
The Bureau of Industry and Security’s Regulations and Procedures Technical Advisory Committee (RPTAC) held a partially open meeting on March 6, 2012 to discuss, among other things, the importance of voluntary self-disclosure as a mitigating factor in enforcement decisions, and steps taken to expedite procedures when no enforcement action is taken.
The International Trade Commission is asking for comments by approximately March 23, 2012 on an amended patent complaint filed on behalf of Immersion Corporation on March 2, 2012, which alleges violations of Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 in the importation into the U.S., the sale for importation, and the sale within the U.S. after importation of certain mobile electronic devices incorporating haptics (D/N 2875). ITC is asking for comments on any public interest issues that might affect ITC consideration, including whether the issuance of an exclusion order and/or cease and desist order would impact the public interest.
On March 14, 2012, the Coalition for Sugar Reform submitted testimony to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, lambasting the current sugar program as outmoded and counterproductive, and calling for its abolishment or revamp in the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill. According to the testimony, U.S. sugar subsidies hurt consumers by artificially raising prices, hurt small businesses by artificially restricting supplies, and hurt workers by encouraging relocation of manufacturing facilities offshore. The Coalition stated that, due to changes to the sugar subsidy regime in the 2008 Farm Bill, U.S. sugar prices are currently at record highs and are substantially higher than world prices.
The Food Safety and Inspection Service reports that the U.S. Codex Office conducted its fifth colloquium with Codex Coordinating Committee for Africa (CCAFRICA) member countries in Dakar, Senegal on March 5-7, 2012. The colloquium provided an opportunity for an exchange of views between the U.S. Delegates and 41 delegates from the region in preparation for the upcoming meetings of the committees on General Principles (CCGP), Food Additives (CCFA), and Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF).
The International Trade Administration has issued the final results of the administrative review of the antidumping duty order on 1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-diphosphonic acid from India (A-533-847) which sets the AD cash deposit rate for one manufacturer/exporter. This rate, which is effective March 15, 2012, is expected to be implemented by U.S. Customs and Border Protection soon.
According to the International Trade Commission, a section 337 patent complaint on certain consumer electronics, including mobile phones and tablets, was filed on behalf of Pragmatus AV, LLC on March 13, 2012. Proposed respondents are: