The Court of International Trade is proposing changes (here) to its rules that would eliminate its controversial “Reserve Calendar” and set time limits on CBP’s submission of entry documentation in cases challenging denied protests. Amendments to CIT Rule 83 (here) would replace the Reserve Calendar, where cases may remain indefinitely in 18-month increments, with a new “Customs Case Management Calendar.” There, cases would only be able to remain for four years without action before they are dismissed. Other changes would affect CIT Rules 41 (here), 56.2 (here), 73.1 (here), 82 (here), 83 (here), 84 (here) and 85 (here), Forms 9 (here) and 24 (here), and Specific Instructions for Form 24 (here). Comments are due July 26.
The U.S. failed to prove that Guatemala violated its labor obligations under its multilateral free trade agreement with the U.S., a Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) panel ruled in the first labor case the U.S. brought under an FTA. While the U.S. proved that at eight worksites and with respect to 74 workers, Guatemala didn’t effectively enforce its labor laws by “failing to secure compliance” with court orders, the U.S. didn’t prove “sufficient failures to adequately conduct labor inspections to constitute a course of action or inaction” under the agreement’s labor obligations, the ruling says. In April 2008, the AFL-CIO and six Guatemalan worker organizations filed a public submission under the CAFTA-DR alleging that the Guatemalan government had violated its CAFTA-DR labor commitments by failing to effectively enforce its labor laws. Akin Gump, which represented the Guatemalan government, in a press release (here) said the ruling clarifies the legal standard to demonstrate a violation under the CAFTA-DR labor chapter.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 19-25:
AUSTIN, Texas -- CBP remains committed to implementing drawback changes in ACE by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act’s February 2018 deadline, but contentious issues remain as the agency considers concurrent regulatory changes to its drawback program that are required by the same date, government officials and industry representatives said at the American Association of Exporters and Importers (AAEI) annual conference on June 21.
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 12-18:
Shareholder efforts to force an array of communications and media companies to make their lobbying and political campaigning efforts more public again failed in a series of proxy votes in recent weeks. Corporate governance experts say that despite repeated losses in recent years, such proposals likely will return, seeking broad shareholder support in the 2018 proxy season and beyond. "I don't see anything changing anytime soon,” said corporate governance lawyer Yafit Cohn of Simpson Thacher.
Shareholder efforts to force an array of communications and media companies to make their lobbying and political campaigning efforts more public again failed in a series of proxy votes in recent weeks. Corporate governance experts say that despite repeated losses in recent years, such proposals likely will return, seeking broad shareholder support in the 2018 proxy season and beyond. "I don't see anything changing anytime soon,” said corporate governance lawyer Yafit Cohn of Simpson Thacher.
A group of Chinese garlic companies, a U.S. law firm and a group of small New Mexico farmers apparently worked in league to increase another Chinese exporter’s antidumping duty rate, the Commerce Department said in a memorandum issued in connection with its recently completed AD duty administrative review on garlic from China. Finding the law firm and the New Mexico farmers it represented made misstatements to hide their effort, Commerce in recent days ended its review of that exporter rather than assign it a high China-wide rate (see 1706140022).
The following lawsuits were filed at the Court of International Trade during the week of June 5-11:
NAFTA negotiators should embrace trade facilitation and “do no harm” to existing cross-border relationships as they rework the agreement, trade associations said in comments to the U.S. Trade Representative (here). USTR on June 13 extended the deadline for comment submission on the expected NAFTA renegotiation from June 12 until 11:59 p.m. on June 14, citing "high interest" and a need to ensure all interested participants have an opportunity to comment. USTR requested input on potential modifications to the agreement following the administration’s formal notification to Congress that it intends to start renegotiating the agreement as early as mid-August (see 1705220007 and 1705180043).