The International Trade Administration concluded a week-long clean energy and energy efficiency trade mission to Saudi Arabia. The ITA was joined by representatives from the Department of Energy, Ex-Im Bank, and 13 U.S. businesses from the solar, green building, smart grid and energy efficiency sectors seeking to help Saudi Arabia meet its renewable energy and energy efficiency goals.
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.
According to the International Trade Commission, a section 337 patent complaint on certain electronic devices having a retractable USB connector was filed on behalf of Anu IP LLC. on April 18, 2012. The proposed respondents are:
Sharp Corporation is recalling certain refrigerators due to a serious product accident that occurred in a model of refrigerator manufactured by Sharp, resulting in extensive damage, including fire damage to the surrounding area, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said. The cause of the accident is currently being investigated, but it is thought that the refrigerator overheated due to a quality differential between the components in the start relay (an electrical part that starts the refrigerator) used for starting the compressor, and that the resin parts used throughout the product caught fire. To prevent further accidents, Sharp Corporation issued a press release to let consumers know that they will conduct inspections and replace the parts of certain refrigerators free. The recalled products include 24 models comprising 737,080 refrigerators.
Two Chinese nationals were charged in a 46-count superseding indictment for a variety of charges including software piracy and illegally exporting technology to China, reports Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. The indictment charges that between April 2008 and June 2011, Xiang Li distributed over 500 pirated copyrighted works to at least 325 purchasers located in Delaware, at least 27 other states and over 60 foreign countries. More than one-third of the purchases were made by individuals within the U.S.
The World Trade Organization posted the details of India’s request for consultations with the U.S. concerning countervailing duties imposed by the International Trade Administration on certain steel products. India challenges the original investigation, a sunset a review, and several administrative reviews of the CV order on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India (C-533-821), as well as certain provisions of 19 CFR 351 and the Tariff Act of 1930, as inconsistent with U.S. WTO obligations under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM).
The International Trade Commission voted to institute an investigation of certain consumer electronics, including mobile phones and tablets (337-TA-839).
On April 18, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration posted new and revised versions of the following Import Alerts on the detention without physical examination of:
The International Trade Commission is publishing notices in the April 19, 2012, Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will appear in another ITT article):
The Food Safety and Inspection Service recently revised export requirements and plant lists for the following countries:
On April 18, 2012, the Foreign Agricultural Service issued the following GAIN reports: