Monishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah, who owned jewelry companies in New York City , pleaded guilty Sept. 10 to leading a scheme to "illegally evade customs duties for more than $13.5 million of jewelry imports" into the U.S., the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey announced. Shah, a resident of Jersey City, New Jersey, and Mumbai, also admitted to illicitly processing over $10.3 million through an "unlicensed money transmitting business."

A listing of recent Commerce Department antidumping and countervailing duty messages posted on CBP's website Sept. 10, along with the case number(s) and CBP message number, is provided below. The messages are available by searching for the listed CBP message number at CBP's ADCVD Search page.

CBP issued the following releases on commercial trade and related matters:

An effort by CBP and the Transportation Security Administration to improve the monitoring of imported air cargo through modifications in data collection is creating confusion among airforwarders and reportedly causing airlines to think twice about delivering cargo to the U.S. and Canada.

A regional union president for CBP officers asked Congress "to close the de minimis exception" or at least lower the de minimis threshold, but also to increase funding for frontline staff.

Sean Stein, former U.S. consul general in Shanghai and chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in China, will replace retiring U.S.-China Business Council President Craig Allen, the council announced Sept. 10. Stein, who also is a senior adviser with Covington, will take over as president in November. He brings “the policy and business expertise, experience, and gravitas needed to lead the council forward at a time of great complexity in the US-China relationship,” said Raj Subramaniam, USCBC board chair and FedEx CEO.

CBP’s Miguel Garza formally began his new role as area port director for CBP Charlotte at the end of August, CBP said in a Sept. 5 news release. The area port includes Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, as well as Winston-Salem, Greensboro and Raleigh airports and the Wilmington and Morehead City seaports. Garza was previously assistant director of field operations (border security) for CBP’s New Orleans field office.

The International Trade Commission published notices in the Sept. 10 Federal Register on the following AD/CVD injury, Section 337 patent or other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):

The International Trade Commission is beginning a Section 337 investigation into allegations from HydraFacial that seven companies are importing hydrodermabrasion systems that infringe on its patents, the ITC said in a notice Sept. 10. In a complaint filed in August (see 2408080008), subsequently amended, HydraFacial said Sinclair Pharma’s U.S. and U.K. branches, as well as Huadong Medicine, EMA Aesthetics, Aesthetics Management Partners, Advanced Aesthetics Services and H.R. Meditech, are infringing on patents related to HydraFacial’s systems for skin treatment through mechanical or fluid-based abrasion or exfoliation. The ITC will consider whether to issue a limited exclusion order and cease and desist orders against the seven companies.

The Commerce Department published notices in the Federal Register Sept. 10 on the following AD/CV duty proceedings (any notices that announce changes to AD/CV duty rates, scope, affected firms or effective dates will be detailed in another ITT article):