Faruqi & Faruqi is investigating "potential claims" against the Lumber Liquidators' board of directors by company shareholders over possible Lacey Act violations, the firm said in a press release. "The investigation concerns actions by Lumber Liquidators' Board of Directors that have caused the Company to allegedly violate the federal Lacey Act relating to the allegedly illegal importation of lumber from China and Russia," the press release said. ICE and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service executed a sealed search warrant on Sept. 26 at the company's Toana and Richmond, Va., corporate offices (see 13092716).

Congress should renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) by the end of 2014 for at least 15 years, a number of retail and apparel groups said in an Oct. 17 press release. The release comes a group made up of African Cotton and Textile Industries Federation, American Apparel and Footwear Association, National Retail Federation, Outdoor Industry Association, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the U.S. Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel.

Livingston International completed its purchase of Canada-based Advantex Express, Livingston said Oct. 16. The purchase includes assets from the transportation services and customs brokerage firm’s U.S. entities, Advantex Express and Andina Group International, collectively known as Advantex. The two companies announced an agreement in July (see 13072611). The purchase price wasn't disclosed.

U.S. honey consumers should look for labeling that identifies honey as "True Source Certified" as a way to know the honey is coming from reputable sources, said True Source Honey in a press release. True Source, a joint "effort by a number of honey companies and importers to call attention to the problem of illegally sourced honey," provides third-party audits that certify the source of honey, it said.

The National Customs Brokers and Forwarders Association of America's board of directors recently approved 16 new members, the NCBFAA said in a notice on its website. New members include:

General Electric will use Amber Road's Global Trade Management (GTM) to "centralize and automate trade functions worldwide across all of its business units," Amber Road said in a press release. GE will use the GTM within a new center of excellence program, a central group that will manage trade for all GE business units, said Amber Road.

Radiant Logistics acquired On Time Express for $20 million, Radiant said in a press release. On Time Express generated approximately $3.5 million in normalized earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization on approximately $26 million in revenues for the year ended June 30. On Time Express will operate as a Radiant subsidiary.

The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) published the 13th of its Restricted Substances List (RSL), which provides information on regulations and laws that restrict or ban certain chemicals and substances in finished home textile, apparel, and footwear products around the world. The AAFA releases the list every six months, it said in a press release (here).

C.H. Robinson joined CargoNet, "a national database and information-sharing system managed by crime analysts and subject matter experts," said C.H. Robinson in a press release. "By providing coordinated incident communications, recovery support, and deterrence measures, CargoNet helps its members prevent cargo theft and improve chances of recovery." CargoNet allows information on cargo thefts to be passed on to statewide law enforcement and non-law enforcement systems quickly after a theft is reported, said the press release. “Shippers can mitigate the risk of cargo theft by understanding what makes commodities easier to steal and taking steps to reduce theft,” said Chris McLoughlin, cargo risk manager at C.H. Robinson. “Working with CargoNet allows C.H. Robinson to add another layer to our risk management security plan, which adds value to our customers and contract carriers through business intelligence.”

Import quality control services provider AsiaInspection announced the launch of a mobile application allowing inspections, audits and lab tests to be ordered from smartphones and tablets. It said the app will allow brands, retailers and importers to secure their imports from the convenience of their mobile device. The free app offers: Detailed inspection, audit and lab tests reports delivered online; An online dashboard to monitor and benchmark the supply chain; Key Performance Indicators (KPI's) and rank suppliers; Instant results for inspections, audits and tests, with complete reports available; Approve or reject shipments; Seamlessly place orders and manage scheduling. The app is at m.asiainspection.com.